Journey to the lake of jack london kolyma. Jack London Lake is one of the most beautiful places in Russia

On the road to Jack London's Lake!

Arriving in Magadan, we immediately went around all the travel agencies of the city to find out who and what offers on the local tourism market. As it turned out, everything is not so simple. Today (remember, we are talking about the summer of 2005) tourism in Magadan is almost not engaged - it is difficult and very expensive. The main problem is the road, or rather the lack of it. All the most Beautiful places are located at a considerable distance from the Kolyma highway - the only road in this region built by prisoners for the development of gold mines. This entails only one conclusion - you need to get there either by helicopters or by all-terrain vehicles (or at least ZIL-ah). Since I had no money for a helicopter :-) I chose more cheap option- car tour. It is good that I, living with the relatives who stayed here in my time, could afford to expect. I had to wait almost a month to finally have the opportunity to go to Lake Jack London. The lake, which every Magadan has heard about, but on which almost none of them have been, thanks to which it has become even more overgrown with various legends.

Scorched hills near Nagaevskaya Bay, Magadan.

Natural Park "Lake Jack London" is subordinated to the only Magadan Nature Reserve, consisting of several protected areas located at a considerable distance from each other, the total area of ​​which is 883.8 thousand hectares.

Lake Jack London itself is located near the village with nice name- Berry. However, when I say nearby, I mean by local standards. In fact, this is 70 kilometers on absolute off-road: mountain passes, peat bogs, rapidly flowing rivers from the mountains, rapidly trying to reach the main waterway of this region - the Kolyma River. The road is also not close to the village of Yagodnoye - over 500 kilometers along the Kolyma highway.

So, having booked a tour for the end of July, we were looking forward to this date. But after waiting for the appointed date, we could not leave. Our tour was constantly postponed - now the houses on the lake are occupied by a pioneer camp, now the car that was supposed to carry us broke down, then the same car needs technical inspection, then the group has broken up and we have to wait for new applicants. In general, we were no longer happy that we contacted this company, but it was decided to go all the way. And now, having practically lost the hope that we will ever be able to see this legendary lake, we pack up our backpacks and even at the appointed hour we go in a taxi to the appointed meeting place with our crew. So it is - we are finally leaving!

We will be lucky with ZIL-66 with a rotational shift, the slots of which are finally battened down, so as not to give dust from the Kolyma highway any chance to seep inside. Only later will we understand that this is not the best option for dealing with dust, because I still wanted to breathe (at least sometimes).

Our driver Viktor Bogatyrev, who knows how to make the car continue on its way using improvised means

We will be lucky by a driver with very extensive experience of driving all-terrain vehicles in the taiga and just along the Kolyma highway (usually, if a driver specializes in moving along the Kolyma highway, then we can safely say that this person is worthy of individual praise and is at least ready to participate in any off-road situations) ... The name of our driver is Viktor Bogatyrev. A separate story could be written about his life, but I will write only one paragraph. As I found out, while driving next to him in the cabin, Victor was born in the Luhansk region, in Ukraine. He studied at the Fastovsky road technical school and, being a great romantic, went to the Far North-East in 1972. He considered that if it was necessary to build roads somewhere, it would be somewhere in these parts. Indeed, in those days there was a great interest in the development of Kolyma and romantic souls threw everything in order to somehow show and find themselves. This happened with Victor (however, as well as with many thousands of other people who have devoted their lives to the North). Arriving in Magadan, he got a job as a mechanic in the department of geodesy and cartography. This is where you could really travel in the North! And indeed, having risen to the rank of chief mechanic, he had to visit such emergency situations and distant expeditions that Jack London would write a book about them (and who knows, maybe even a better one). He proudly declared to me that there were situations when a radiogram from a worker in this moment any expedition with the following content: "The passes are covered with snow, there is no way to leave." In such cases, his superiors said: "Bogatyreva go there." A helicopter with Bogatyrev on board flew to a dysfunctional place, evacuated all the workers of the expedition from there, and Bogatyrev was left there alone ... he will definitely get out! Indeed, there were situations when it took him only 15 minutes for the all-terrain vehicle to work again and, moreover, went out again on the "track" and continued to study these wild places. So he got home on it through the mountains, swamps, tundra and taiga. And once, he even swam across the stormy and swift Kolyma River on an all-terrain vehicle.

So, we are in the shift camp - overcrowded, but very cheerful. Moreover, the company turned out to be very interesting: there are doctors and psychotherapists, photographers and journalists, programmers and administrators, geologists and biologists, as well as simply good people- in general, Romantics with a capital letter!

After two hours of stormy communication and acquaintance in the shift, silence ensues - sleep and constant rolling of the road overcame. Only Justin continued to play with her teddy bear. She surprised everyone with her calmness and restraint. This rarely happens to children, especially at the age of five.

In the meantime, the shaking on the roads is simply incredible. Yes, here it is the Kolyma highway. Built across mountain passes by the repressed and prisoners in the early 30s, it was a necessary condition for the development of the North. In fact, this golden road (after all, it was because of gold that the development of this region began) became the source of the birth of many villages along its path.

The only window in our shift is a typical view during the trip ...

We pass the village Tent... Today there is customs control here. On the one hand, it is rather strange. Customs, located 80 kilometers from the city of Magadan, why would it be? It turns out that this is where the free economic zone ends, which includes Magadan and its environs. Thus, Magadan residents can be proud of the fact that even though the city of Magadan itself is small in appearance, it is the largest in the world in terms of its territory. Indeed, by pushing back its borders thanks to the free economic zone, the city has turned not just into a big one, but into a mega-big one! Let it be only virtually, but this is a fact!

The sun is in the fog. If at first we were rather cold, now the foggy windows indicated that we should stop more often and inhale vital oxygen. What we, in fact, did, giving a sign to the driver and the conductor, who was sitting there. Victor sometimes stopped the shift at various scenic spots, told stories related to these regions, and, breathing in the clean air of the Kolyma and drinking life-giving moisture from the running melt waters, they continued their difficult journey. And having sat down in our booth, which had already become native in a day of shaking, we continued talking about the principles of catching grayling. Moreover, the main part of our group went to Lake Jack London precisely because of the fame of excellent fishing on the neighboring Lake of Dancing Graylings.

From talking about grayling, we moved on to talking about bears, during which it turned out that the places we were going to were quite well populated with them. However, this year there are a lot of them everywhere, but by hearsay, they walk around quite well-fed and don't bother people just like that - a lot of fish and berries this year. But, nevertheless, a one-on-one meeting with a bear is not desirable. And as our guide told us - she could not buy funds from the bear in the city - nowhere. Well, this information "reassured" us a little, if not to say that it led to an almost panic state ...

How can you not get overwhelmed by the monotony, stuffiness and shaking ..

Well, our shift crew drives up to the village Atka... Here, too, there was once a camp, from which some structures still remain today. Of course, this view is not for the faint of heart. The village of Atka itself is also almost extinct today, which cannot but grieve. Serving a motor transport complex even during the Soviet period, today it consists of only one or two cafes where truckers can stop for lunch. This fact surprised me a little, especially when I saw the very cafe in which I stopped 15 years ago when moving from Magadan to the Talaya resort with its hot springs. Apparently, this cafe survived here precisely due to the fact that it still serves those who have been traveling along these routes for so long. To get to the neighboring village is already half a day's journey through the mountain passes and permafrost.

A roadside cafe in the village of Atka is practically the only surviving building in the village ..

Remains of conc. camps, Atka, Kolyma.

Camp. On the left side of the path, the prisoners lived, and on the right, they worked.

Remains of the village of Atka, Khasynsky district, Magadan region

Wagons without a railway.

We didn't have to wait long for adventure. At one, not so beautiful moment, the whole group felt a strong blow. However, it seemed to all of us that it was just a bigger stone, since we are already, in principle, accustomed to shaking. But why does the car stop? The driver opens our doors and says: that's it, we've arrived, we hit a jeep ...

As it turned out, into the oncoming lane when trying to overtake KAMAZ by dusty road, drove out a jeep. Our driver barely managed to dodge to the right to the side of the road, but, nevertheless, still hit him. We practically did not suffer (of course! On such a tank!), But the jeep came into complete disrepair. The people were saved only by the fact that the car was from Japan - with a right-hand drive, and accordingly the blow fell on the part of the car where none of the passengers was sitting. However, after this incident, although our car was able to go further, from now on we often stopped and carried out minor repairs, which is why our path was greatly stretched in time.

However, we were partly and glad that we had to stop more often, as it was very difficult to breathe inside the shift ...

A waterfall with canyons at one of the stops next to the Kolyma highway.

As a result, in the evening, having passed the bridge over the rapid Kolyma River near the village Debin, we stopped 20 kilometers from the village Berry for the night - without reaching the goal.

Entrance to the bridge over the Kolyma river.

The Kolyma river near the village of Debin

Our shift crew is still on the way ... and so I wanted to be by the lake by the evening ...

Hungry (after all, we did not count on this night) and frozen (in August, the Kolyma nights are already with frost), we went to bed, some right in the car, and some in tents (it's good that I did take her with me).

Continuation of the path to Lake Jack London in the next episode

Lake Jack London is located in the Magadan region, among the mountains, in the upper reaches of the Kolyma River. Amazing name for a lake, isn't it? If you ask an unaware person about the location of Lake Jack London, countries such as America or England will surely be named.

According to one version, this name arose from the discovery of the discoverers. Local residents said that when they were exploring the shores of the lake, on one of the shores was found the book "Martin Eden", the author of which is Jack London.

The depth of Lake Jack London is 50 meters, and its length in the direction from north to west reaches 10 kilometers. The height of the lake above sea level reaches 803 kilometers. The Purga River, small unnamed streams and several large streams flow into the lake. Lake Jack London in the Magadan region can rightfully be included in the list of the largest lakes in Russia.

The shores of this lake are low, overgrown with dwarf cedar and larch forest. But there are also shores on it, where they meet sandy beaches... Around the lake itself there are many small lakes, which are formed by moraines of ancient glaciers.

Only seasoned people can swim in Jack London Lake, as ice floes float on the lake until mid-July. But there are no ice floes near the shores, and the water warms up from +10 degrees to +12. This lake freezes by mid-October. The ice is thick, and by the end of May it can reach 170 to 190 centimeters.

The area where the lake is located has a harsh, sharply continental climate. On average, the air temperature in these places drops to -33 degrees. Summers are cool in the mountains and comparatively warm in the valleys. The average air temperature in July in the valleys reaches +12 degrees. Both at the beginning and at the end of summer, snow falls in the mountains, and frosts can be found in the valleys. There can also often be rains that cause floods on rivers. Magadan is a land of difficult weather conditions, so such temperature drops are not uncommon here.

Tourists come to this region to look at the tranquility and grandeur of nature. This area is especially good for people who love sports tourism... The population of the Magadan region is very proud of Lake Jack London, so locals near the lake can be found much more often than visitors.

There are 4 islands on Jack London Lake. In the center is the most small island, which divides the lake into two parts. These two parts are called Big Jack and Small Jack. In the northern part of the lake there is Vera Island, on which there is a weather station.

Lake Jack London in the Magadan Region is a miracle of nature, the beauty of which, undoubtedly, fascinates and makes you fall in love.

Old-timers say that in ancient times, the Lord, flying around the newly created earthly possessions, admired the beauties of the Kolyma nature and lingered for a moment, and so frozen that the golden sand that he was holding in his hands completely crumbled. People discovered the precious metal, and a gold rush began in Magadan, attracting free miners and serious state scientific expeditions to the Yagodinsky region. Here among the mountains in the upper reaches of the Kolyma River there is Jack London Lake, stretching in the northwest direction for 10 kilometers. Due to its narrow elongated shape, this lake is often compared to the Norwegian fjords.

According to local residents, Jack London's lake got its romantic name from a strange find discovered by its researchers. Rumor has it that when the lake was found, the "discoverers" found the book "Martin Eden" on its shore. However, there is also an alternative version of the origin of the name of the lake. It's no secret that most geologists loved Jack London's work. And the head of one of the first Kolyma expeditions that found gold deposits here, Yu.A. Bilibin initially offered some geographic feature name the name of the writer. And in 1932, who worked in the vicinity of the lake, the geologist P.I. Skornyakov began to call it Jack London Lake.

Located among the ridges of Bolshoy Annagachak and Uaza-Ina, between the Aboriginal (height 2,287 m) and Snezhny (2,293 m) peaks, Lake Jack London connects to Lake of the Dancing Graylings by the Variants Channel... There are many other lakes around. And although some of them bear poetic and mysterious names (Dream, Anemone, Invisible, Gray Seagull), while others have received completely ordinary names (Kudinovskoye, Neighborhood) - they are all picturesque, peculiar and attract romantic explorers with their inaccessible beauty. There are four islands in the middle of Lake Jack London. The smallest central island divided the lake's water area into two parts, called Small and Big Jacks.

In the northern part of the lake there is Vera Island, where a meteorological station operates. Low scenic the shores of Lake Jack London are adorned with the everlasting green of larches and cedars, sometimes you can find sandy beaches and capes. The depth of the cold waters reaches 50 meters in places. By mid-October, the water surface completely freezes, and in May the thickness of the ice cover can reach one and a half to two meters. Until the end of the hottest month of summer - July, the water near the coast has time to warm up to + 10 ° С, while ice floes still float at depths. All year round, Lake Jack London is supplied with the waters of the Purga River, the large streams of the Unknown and the Studeny, as well as many small unnamed tributaries.

The harsh continental climate determines the character of local winters with frosts down to -33 ° C and strong blizzards that sweep avalanche-prone snow eaves on the eastern slopes of the mountains. Cool in the mountains and relatively warm in the valleys, summers are short-lived. At the end of August, frosts begin here, and the mountains are covered with snow. Heroic the romance of harsh climatic conditions is quite consistent with the spirit of Jack London's creativity, after which the lake is named. And, probably, if Jack London were a Russian writer, many of the adventures of his heroes Smoke and the Kid would take place in the area of ​​this romantic lake ...

Lake Jack London (photo)

One of the largest and most beautiful lakes Of the Far East- Lake Jack London in the Magadan region. Its length reaches 10 kilometers!
The lake is located in the mountains. Even in summer it is not too warm here. Night frosts begin at the end of August, if not earlier. There are small glaciers in the mountains and on the lake itself.

Lake Jack London is connected by a channel with the Lake of the Dancing Graylings. Its name speaks for itself =)) But there are a lot of fish in Jack London's lake, and grayling also jump out of the water - they hunt for midges and mosquitoes, of which there are an incredible amount.

It is very difficult to get there by car. On an ordinary car - perhaps impossible. A well-prepared SUV jeep passes with great difficulty and subsequent repairs. Kamaz, GAZ-66 are also driving ...
Yes, it is stunningly beautiful, this is a lake. But, unfortunately, all his beauty is not worth the road that leads to him ...

Lake Jack London - located in the upper reaches of the Kolyma River in the Yagodninsky District of the Magadan Region, lies among the mountains, at an altitude of 803 meters, the length of the lake in the northwest direction is 10 kilometers, the depth reaches 50 meters. It is located between the Bolshoi Annagachak and Uaza-Ina ridges, the highest points of which are the Aboriginal (2,287 m) and Snezhny (2,293 m) peaks.

The shores are low, often overgrown with larch forest or dwarf cedar. There are sandy beaches along the shores. Several picturesque headlands protrude into the lake. The narrow, elongated lake resembles the fjords of Norway. Until the end of July, ice floes float on the lake, but near the shores the water warms up to + 10-12 ° C. The highest water levels are observed in mid to late July. The lake freezes in mid-October. The thickness of the ice by the end of May reaches 170-190 cm. There are many small lakes around Lake Jack London. The most prominent in size are the lakes Mechta, Anemon, Seraya Chaika, Nevidimka, Neighborhood, and Kudinovskie lakes. The lakes occupy depressions formed by moraines of ancient glaciers. The entire group of lakes is located in a small depression surrounded by mountain ranges.

There are 4 islands on the lake. The central island, the smallest, divides the lake into two parts - Little Jack and Big Jack. There is a weather station on Vera Island, located in the northern part of the lake.

Lake Jack London is one of the most beautiful and exotic lakes in the Far East. Old-timers say that the lake got its name thanks to an unusual find made by the "discoverers". When the lake was discovered, the researchers found Jack London's book "Martin Eden" on the shore.

However, there is another version of the origin of such a name near the lake. Many geologists loved the works of Jack London. Yu. A. Bilibin, the head of the first geological expedition to the Kolyma, which discovered gold here, expressed the idea to name one of geographic sites in the Northeast by the name of London. In 1932 the geologist P.I.

Yes, there is. Do you think it's somewhere in America? In Alaska or Canada?

But they didn't guess ...

Lake Jack London is the most romantic place in the upper Kolyma in the Yagodninsky district of the Magadan region. It lies in the midst of the most beautiful mountainous country framed by the jagged saws of a stern ridge. Its narrow mirror in the palms of the larch slopes resembles the fjords of Norway and the lakes of Upper Scotland.

Geography. Lake Jack London is located at an altitude of 803 meters above sea level, occupies deep depression in the Annachag mountains of the Magadan region. The length of the lake in the northwest direction is 10 kilometers, the depth reaches 50 meters.

One of the most beautiful and exotic lakes in the Far East. The most significant Mountain peak in the area - Aboriginal Peak (2586 meters above sea level) - located in the area of ​​Lake Jack London. The Purga River and several streams flow into the lake: Studeny, Unknown and small nameless. By the Variants channel it is connected to the Lake of Dancing Graylings, from which flows the Kyuel-Sien River - the left tributary of the Kolyma, which flows into the Kolyma reservoir. The lake has 4 islands. The central island, the smallest, divides the lake into two parts - Little Jack and Big Jack. There is a meteorological station on Vera Island, located in the northern part of the lake.

The shores are low, often overgrown with larch forest or dwarf cedar. There are sandy beaches along the shores. Several picturesque headlands jut out into the lake. Until the end of July, ice floes float on the lake, but near the shores the water warms up to + 10-12 ° C. The highest water levels are observed in mid to late July. The lake freezes in mid-October. Ice thickness reaches 170-190 cm by the end of May.

Lake Jack London is located in a sparse larch forest. Above, a dwarf cedar tree grows, above which is a belt of mountain tundra. Bear and wolverine are widespread in the taiga. There are many chipmunks, red voles. Elk live in the taiga valleys. Ermine, white hare, squirrel are often found. The partridge lives in the riverside willows.

There are many small lakes around Lake Jack London. The most prominent in size are the lakes Mechta, Anemon, Seraya Chaika, Nevidimka, Neighborhood, and Kudinovskie lakes. The lakes occupy depressions formed by moraines of ancient glaciers. The entire group of lakes is located in a small depression surrounded by mountain ranges.

The climate of the region is sharply continental and harsh. The average air temperature in January drops to -33 ° C. In winter, there are severe blizzards in the mountains. On the leeward, more often eastern slopes and ridges, powerful snow eaves hang. During the winter months, there is a great danger of avalanches. Summers are relatively warm in the valleys, cool in the mountains. The average air temperature in July is +12 ° C. At the beginning and at the end of summer there are frosts, snow falls in the mountains. Rains are frequent, causing floods on rivers. Night frosts begin at the end of August, if not earlier.

Here are reserved places, national park Jack London's Lake. Jack London Lake is a lovely place active rest, where you can spend one or two weeks in the bosom of pristine nature, in an atmosphere of comfortable campground or at the tourist base. The lake is surrounded by small, but no less beautiful lakes with islands that will leave you unforgettable experience... However, getting to the lake is quite difficult.

The history of the origin of the name. Old-timers say that the lake got its name thanks to an unusual find made by the "discoverers". When the lake was discovered, on the shore, researchers found a volume of Jack London "Martin Eden" ... But it is well known that the sonorous name of the lake was given by a geologist who in 1932 investigated local water bodies - Peter Ivanovich Skornyakov. He was fond of the works of Jack London and the geologist really liked the beautiful northern lake. This is how the name of the lake, unusual for a Russian person, appeared.