Fully packed with empty sampling containers, coolers, measuring instruments, GPS and lunch we set out in “the 40” (40 horsepower boat) to drive south on the Kolyma towards the Omolon, a large tributary about 170km from Cherskii. The Kolyma was relatively flat and the 40 took the heavy load of the 5 of us (Nikita, Claire, Sergey Zimov, me and Martin Heimann (MPI, Jena) relatively easily. We were dressed well, with as many layers as possible to protect us from the wind and cold. Sitting in front next to Nikita driving, I enjoyed the views; the low Kolyma riverbanks, with floodplain shrubs, driftwood, a few small settlements here and there, skua’s flying around us, exposed ice wedges, and rolling hills in the far distance. The river is so large that our boat really felt tiny.

Kolyma River

After about 1.5 hours of driving the motor started sputtering and didn’t want to hold its power. When we switched it off to check the gas tank, we couldn’t even get it running anymore. Luckily, with the help of a rope and the old-fashioned manual start-up, we got the life back into it. But… not long after we ran out of fuel; the motor trouble had used too much fuel. So there we were, no cell phone coverage, and far from the Omolon river. “Jorien, do you wanna go for a walk?” Nikita asked. I felt that coming already. Leonid, a local fisherman, had a cabin about 12 km west of the place where we stranded. So we took off, leaving Sergey, Claire and Martin and our lunch behind. While we hiked through dense low willow and alder forest, swamps, climbed over creeks, balanced on steep shorelines, the people left in the boat talked about life, science and climate change. Looking back in Google Earth (and for those of you who want to look it up…), I think we walked from 68.5338N, 160.3047E on the right bank of the side channel to Leonid’s cabin which is at about 68.5735N, 160.0984E. It took us about four hours and I actually enjoyed it quite a lot. Very different landscapes, interesting conversations, and a good work-out. Covered in leaves, branches and dirt we arrived at the cabin where Leonid gave us a surprising look “where do you come from?!”

The path to Leonid’s cabin

After a cup of tea we climbed onto the mini-barge, one of Zimov’s boats that was still docked outside Leonid’s cabin. Nibbling on dried moose, dried Arctic char, left-over cheese and other interesting food items, Leonid and his friend pushed the barge towards the spot where we left Claire, Sergey and Martin. Finally, we were reunited again and took off, slowly, back home. No more Omolon, no more sampling. Instead, we actually had to spend a night on the slowly-moving barge before we made it home just in time for breakfast. Another adventure in the Siberian-Arctic!