Yamal-Nenets Tribe Expeditions Photo tour

Yamal in the language of the indigenous Nenets means the end of the world; it is a remote, wind-blasted place of permafrost, serpentine rivers and dwarf shrubs, and has been home to the reindeer-herding Nenets people for over a thousand years. The Nenets people of the Siberian arctic are the guardians of a style of reindeer herding that is the last of its kind. Through a yearly migration of over a thousand kilometers, these people move gigantic herds of reindeer from summer pastures in the north to winter pastures just south of the Arctic Circle. No-one knows for certain whether it is the reindeer that lead the people or vice versa. What is certain is that fewer places on earth are home to a more challenging environment, an environment where temperatures plummet to -50C and where crossing the worlds fifth largest river as it deep-freezes is just part of the routine. Such a difficult environment unites the people physically through a regimented work ethic, but far more importantly, the Yamal-Nenets are unified by a robust and vibrant culture

Yamal-Nenets Tribe Expedition 10 Days/9 Night

Day 1 – 8st March Fly into Moscow Domodedovo. Check in at the 4* Airhotel. 5 minute walking distance from Airport, Meeting with the Photographer Pie Aert

Day 2 – 9nd March Morning flight to Salekhard-free shuttle-bus from Hotel. At the airport, we will be met by the local English speaking guide. Upload to the cars and go to the Salekhard, where the group can have some snack and coffee (tea). The guides check guest’s equipment. Then we will drive to the Kharp village approx 65 km. Nenets will meet us up there. Upload on the sleds and moving by the snowmobile 30-80 km to the Nenets camp. Meet with Nenet family. Stay at Chum. (L,D) Day 3-7 / 10rd-11th-12th-13th -14th March Live with the nomads, eating and sleeping in their chums (reindeer fur teepees). There will be no fixed itinerary for these days. Guests will merely observe and take part in the daily lives, hunting for the Northern lights. Daily life could include herding reindeer (up to 700 in one herd), lassoing reindeer with reindeer rawhide lassoes. Cutting trees for firewood, collecting ice or snow for water, help with making new sleds, cleaning reindeer skins (fur), sewing fur clothing and such. We can also do short hikes by the snowshoes in the Polar Ural mountains. Try ice fishing and hunting depends on the time of year, location(s) and weather conditions. (L,B,D) Day 8 – 15th March After a shared breakfast with the family we will go by snowmobile to the Kharp village, where we will be picked up by car(s) and transport to Salekhard. Accommodate in the hotel, personal time. Overnight in hotel, double room. (B) Day 9 – 16th March Free day in Salekhard in case of bad weather delaying our return. On this day we can visit the museum, visit the 16th century fortress of Obdursk, the first Russian settlement built on this site, visit the market square where nomads sell meat, fish and furs. Another option goes to ice fishing. We can go to the special place on the Sob river. We will drive over 40 km to the South from Salekhard along a “zimnik”. Zimniks are temporary winter roads which do not exist in summer. They are built of compacted snow, or on the surface of frozen rivers. And over than 20 km without any roads, only destination. You will know the Siberian tricks for catching white fish, taste the fish soup with will cook right on the field. (L,D) After return from the fishing we'll go to the Russian banya (sauna).

Day 10 – 17th March Breakfast in the hotel. Departure to the airport at 7:30 am. The departure of the flight at 09:00h – arrival at Domodedovo airport at 10:00h. (B) or departure of the flight at 13:00h – arrival at Sheremetevo airport at 14:00h. Trip will end on arrival in Moscow, where you can have your connection fly back to your country, (consider few hours more just in case of any delay) if you need a extra night at the hotel you can do on arrival in the Airhotel on day 1 or we can help do for you. Note: Please be ready to for the trip of a lifetime, but also extreme levels of discomfort and potential changes to your itinerary due to bad weather, nomads changing their plans last minute and so on! During the expedition, the co-operation of all participants will be crucial. The program will vary depending on the weather, snow and ice conditions, presence of animals and the guides’ decisions at the time. Is zero infrastructure, the weather is freezing, the transport on sledges is bumpy and cramped but the people and place are among the most amazing anywhere in the world!

Expeditions tot fees for 10Days / 9Night 4200 euro pp (min. 4pp – max. 8pp) Include: - Flights to/from Salekhard-Moscow; - Accommodation in the Aero hotel Domodedovo (double rooms); - Accommodation in the Salekhard (double rooms); - Meals as specified in the program; - Transports as specified in the program; - Homestay with local family; - Food as specified in program - Activities according to program; - Arctic safety/security equipment; - Telephone SAT just for emergency - Tents, cooking equipment, Exclude: - Personal expenses such as drinks, tickets, phone calls, etc; - Travel Insurance; - Satelite phone call - Visa / international fly; - Excess baggage; - Individual clothing/equipment, backpack, cold-weather clothing, etc (contact us for advice); - All services not specified in "Included".

Permits: The Yamal Peninsula is closed to outsiders. To get a temporary access permit we need scanned copies of your passports and the following personal information 2.5 months before your start date: *Full name *Date and place of birth *Name and address of place of work, your position there and your work phone number *Your home address and home phone number *Your passport number, its issue date and who it was issued by *The planned dates of your trip to Yamal *How you plan to arrive and, if by car, the exact model and its license plate number *The full names and ages of any children coming with you who are included on your passport To bring Much of the cold weather clothing will not be needed if we have good weather. In bad weather though, it could make the difference between a day outside herding reindeer being great fun or just a nightmare. 1. Synthetic thermal underwear, or merino wool thermal underwear for upper and lower body. Merino wool is the best as it wicks liquid away from your body and does not get smelly. Totally synthetic underwear wicks slightly better but gets very smelly after a couple of days. Non-synthetic thermal underwear just keeps sweat next to your body, which makes you freeze no matter how many layers of fur clothing you have on. 3. Chest-high padded and waterproof trousers. These are ESSENTIAL, as without them wind will blow up under your jacket when sitting on the sledge, rendering it useless. 4. Baffin Apex boots rated to -100C but still light enough to move around in easily. No other boot in the world is guaranteed to keep your feet warm all day on Yamal. 5. A polartec 300 fleece 6. A warm wool jumper 7. As for jackets – the absolute warmest in the world is Canada Goose’s “Snow Mantra” jacket. This is the only jacket that will keep you warm on long snowmobile rides in -50C. However, any physical activity in it in temperatures above -40C gets you hot and sweaty. So it’s great in January and February but too warm for March and April. The Canada Goose “Expedition Parka” is less warm and therefore probably more useful in a wider range of temperatures. Other less expensive jackets include Mountain Hardware’s “Absolute Zero” jacket and Northern Outfitters’ Arctic Parka, but there is a large noticeable difference in warmth between these and the Snow Mantra. Marmot’s 8000m jacket is pretty useless as the slightest prick will pierce it and it will start losing down and therefore warmth. 8. A warm pair of gloves or mittens plus another lighter pair of gloves you can change into temporarily for taking photos. Northern Outfitters do the warmest mittens I have ever tried. 9. A good quality pair of ski goggles that don't get fogged up and affords you some protection from snow glare. This will also help protect your eyes from the wind when on the snowmobile. 10. Grabbers Warmers chemical toe warmers, hand warmers and full body warmers. 11. Lots of spare batteries, memory cards and a spare camera (memory cards and cameras can occasionally be damaged by the cold and batteries run down faster). 12. A medical kit 13. Torch 14. Sunglasses. 15. Electrical adaptor. Russia takes the two pronged European plugs. . 16. A balaclava, with a raised section above the nose to stop your breath freezing on it when on the snowmobile The best example of this I have ever found is the Klim Arctic balaclava. 17. A sleeping bag rated down to -40C. Marmot makes the best one of these.

Deposit and Final Payment

A deposit is required at time of booking. Full payment is due 60 days prior to departure.

Cancellation

• On cancellations more than 120 days prior to departure, all monies are refunded less a $350 administrative fee and less any monies spent on the participants behalf, such as airline tickets, etc.

• Less than 120 but at least 90 days prior, total deposit amount is forfeited. • Less than 90 but at least 75 days prior, 50% of trip price is forfeited. • Less than 75 days prior to departure, 100% is forfeited.

Notification by phone or email is acceptable, but please follow with written notice. In the unlikely event we have to cancel a tour, a full refund will be given. If RemotExpeditions ltd is forced to change or cancel a trip after it has started because of events and situations outside his control - “force majeure” - no compensation will be paid. Force majeure includes, but is not limited to war or threat of war, terrorist activity, strike, natural disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, epidemics and health risks. In case of cancellation of the planned trip due to force majeure, RemotExpeditions ltd will make every effort to provide clients with a similar alternative itinerary but do not guarantee it. Upon cancellation by RemotExpeditions ltd for any reasons other than force majeure, like not reached the min participant (4 participants) in the expeditions, 100% compensation will be paid. In case of shortening of a trip that has already begun by RemotExpeditions ltd for any reasons other than force majeure, 100% compensation will be paid for every lost day of the trip.

Responsibility

Remotexpeditions ltd and their agents act only in the capacity as agents in all matters pertaining to hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, and transportation, and are not responsible for any loss, damage, theft, or injury to person or property resulting from a defect in any vehicle, or the actions of any persons who provide services for this tour or for the action or inaction of any third party. Baggage is at the owner’s risk entirely. The tour operator reserves the right to withdraw the tour at any time, to decline any person as a member of the tour for any cause at any time. All prices are based on current rates of exchange and, while every effort will be made to hold them firm, they are subject to change. All participants are required to submit a signed Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability form prior to the tour’s departure. See Terms and Conditions in the Expeditions page.

Money The standard currency in Russia is Roubles. US Dollars can be changed easily at Domodedovo airport. There are plenty of ATMs in Salekhard on your return but we recommend taking cash for Yar Sale with you from Moscow. This expedition is all-inclusive so you won’t need much cash except for buying a beer (or vodka!) and souvenirs along the way. Salekhard has a number of museums, markets and shops (boots, furs etc) so it may be worth budgeting for a little shopping or sightseeing. Cultural Tips Yamal is literally like another world. Life is governed by thousands of rules, gods and spirits that may seem incomprehensible to outsiders. For this reason it is essential that you do some pre-trip reading and listen carefully to your guide's instructions. In every nomadic encampment there are things you must not touch, invisible lines you must not walk across, etc, and breaking any of these apparently incomprehensible rules can cause geat offence or bring serious bad luck. Always ask before taking photos. Never photograph sleeping people.

Take off your boots and use a stick to beat the snow off them when entering a chum. Always enter a chum backwards, holding the entrance flap over your head. This is the quickest way. If you try to go in head first you will let in lots of cold air, the chum will lose heat, and you create more work chopping wood for the hosts to re-heat the chum.

Women are subject to a lot of very serious taboos, In the Nenets worldview there is a force called sya mei which comes from the other world, that of birth and death. Newborn babies, people who have recently been at a funeral and all women of menstruating age are affected by it. They must not touch sacred objects and they must always observe hundreds of rules. Thus, women must not cross an imaginary line that runs from the fire in the centre of a chum to the sacred pole at the back and out into the tundra within sight of the dwelling. It is harmful if they step over men, children or their clothing. Wearing men’s reindeer fur boots is strictly forbidden, although wearing men’s reindeer fur jackets is fine. They must never hang their boots anywhere, as this could lead to a man passing under them, which would be like them stepping over the man. They cannot cut the spine of certain types of fish, cross the path of a moving reindeer sledge train, take part in sacrifices, visit sacred sites or touch the sacred sledge. They can bring extreme bad luck by stepping over hunting or fishing equipment, pregnant dogs, bear tracks or various objects made from reindeer parts such as ropes, lassoes and harnesses

§ Listen to what the nomads tell you and follow what they want to do. They are not here especially for tourists but are real, working nomadic herders, so their needs always come before those of the visitor. We will simply observe and take part in their everyday life.

§ Remember that Nenets behaviour, thought and values have been little affected by contact with the outside. Therefore certain aspects of their behaviour may seem strange to outsiders. For example, many Nenets are quite silent, and will not immediately open up to outsiders. This is partly because they live in very isolated communities and have rarely if ever met foreignors, but also because silence is a sign of respect in their culture. Their language has no words for things like “thank you”, “sorry” or even “love”. Perhaps in their harsh world there is no time for displays of emotion non-essential to survival. One very educated Nenets once explained to me that, “you should not put these emotions into words, but show them through your actions instead.” And this is how Nenets will welcome guests – not by immediately entering into conversation with them, but by trying to make them feel at home and welcome by their actions, such as making them as physically comfortable as possible, feeding them well, and so on. Having said that, the families I take guests to are younger and more forward-thinking than many, and usually open up to guests quicker than most.

Tips for photographers or film makers: Working on Yamal is one of the most rewarding experiences a photographer or film maker can have. It is also extremely challenging for a number of reasons. One is the cold. You need to be dressed warmly, but heavy reindeer fur clothing can often make operating a camera troublesome. This is another reason why it’s essential you have your own super-warm clothing as well, so that if you want you can wear that while operating the camera and have your reindeer fur clothing close to hand in case you get cold. You also need several different pairs of gloves – EXTREMELY warm mittens if going to the Polar Urals, where you will not have reindeer fur ones, and also very thing gloves that help your fingers retain at least a little warmth but also allow you to operate a camera.

Another reason that Yamal is a challenge is that sometimes it will simply be impossible to take a photograph when you want to. There are several situations when this could happen:

Life is harsh, and extremely stressful. The men work outside in the blistering cold all day every day. Every minute saved is a minute longer spent in the warmth, and a reduced likelihood of getting ill. For this reason life can be really stressful, with everyone desperately trying to get the herding work done and get back home into the chum, or finish the long journey and get back in the chum. When people are lassoing reindeer, which takes several hours, it’s highly unlikely you will be able to get anyone to pose or give an interview, although you will be free to photograph or film the action as much as you want. Likewise on long sledge journeys, if the driver is getting cold he may be unwilling to stop for long to take photos. Try to remember that you are here for a week or two once in a lifetime and can afford to get ill, while these people can’t afford to as they need to work all day every day. Nevertheless, Remotexpeditions guide has huge amounts of experience dealing with these situations and will usually be able to negotiate a compromise between photographers and nomads.

Using a flash at night to photograph reindeer attached to sledges, eg moving camp. This can frighten the reindeer, cause absolute chaos and be very dangerous.

When men are lassoing reindeer and the animals are galloping around there are certain places you must not stand. You also must not run or shout.

Insurance and medical Insurance. Insurance that provides cover for emergency repatriation in case of a medical emergency is compulsory for all expeditions. You should be aware that many standard insurance policies may not cover you adequately for all aspects of a remote expedition and so we strongly recommend that you purchase a suitably designed insurance policy. Check-list. Please ensure that you check your insurance policy details and ensure they cover you for: Emergency medical repatriation (to home country) including any associated expenses abroad of at least $500,000. Activities – ensure that any activities carried out on the expedition are included, these could be trekking, horse riding, rafting, mountain biking etc. Geographical region - check the geographical region you are going to is insured (often the US and Canada or areas such as Afghanistan are not insured). Foreign Ministry advice –check your insurance is not sensitive to any travel warnings issued by your respective foreign ministry. Dates – make sure the period of cover begins at the departure and ends at the return to your home country. Many flights take a day or two and time zones vary. Insurance companies may prejudice your claims due to this. Pre-existing medical conditions – if you have any pre-existing medical conditions please ensure you disclose this to your insurance company. We are not able to comment on whether your cover is suitable for this expedition, if you have any doubts, please contact your insurance company for clarification. Vaccinations. Please seek advice from your health professional. Recommended vaccinations are Hepatitis A, Polio, Tetanus, Typhoid and Diphtheria. Dental. It is strongly recommended that you have a dental check-up prior to departure. Dental problems far from help are VERY unpleasant!

Risk Management

Risk Management. Expeditions are inherently risky affairs; this is part of the appeal for participants. We do not make expeditions safe, as by definition that is impossible. We do construct and implement a risk management approach to reduce risk to what we perceive as a tolerable level. In doing so we: Risk Assess. Conduct a thorough risk assessment of potential hazards and threats that may be encountered on the expedition and provide recommendations to reduce the likelihood of harm occurring and reduce the severity if it does occur.

Safety Plan. As part of our expedition plan, we detail actions to be taken to implement and resource the recommendations of the risk assessment.

Deliver. The expedition leader is responsible for dynamic risk management on the expedition itself.

Incident management and medical. You MUST be aware that on this expedition you will be in a wilderness environment and any medical evacuation will take a long time (potentially over 24 hours) and may require wilderness extraction techniques. In-country search and rescue and emergency services are very basic or non-existent and the expedition will rely on internal resources for medical evacuation. Informed consent. It is your responsibility to understand the risks associated with adventure travel in remote areas. You also must understand that medical evacuation will take an extended period of time. By joining this expedition, you accept the risks associated with the venture. If you require any more information on specific risk management for this expedition, please get in touch with us.

info@remotexpeditions.com