Selected stories by Vladimir Pomortzeff

Children Climbing Up the Mountains

Photographs by Vladimir Pomortzeff

Children's trekking has very strong tradition in Russia. During the Soviet era it was а kind of separate sport. There were special trekking clubs for children in almost every town. Every summer hundreds and hundreds of groups of children under the guidance of qualified trekking guides went to the mountains. Now the tradition of trekking with children is preserved only thanks to the enthusiasm of some parents, who used to be young trekkers many years ago and now want to show to their own children this amazing way to explore the world through overcoming of difficulties with heavy backpacks. Photographer Vova Pomortzeff shot this feature in five years during five different children's trekking under the guidance of the author of the pictures.

1. Young trekker Alexander Sorokin, 9 years old, climbs up the mountain pass Karaturek (3,069 m) in the Altai Mountains in Siberia, Russia. Akkem Glacier and Belukha Mountain, the highest point in Siberia, are seen in the background.

2. Young trekkers on the mountain pass South Chorgor in the Khibiny Mountains in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.

3. Semyon Matveyev, 11 years old, looks through binoculars at Belukha Mountain during the trekking in the Altai Mountains, Russia.

4. Young trekkers climb up the mountain pass Telety (3,759 m) in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

5. Young trekkers climb down to the volcanic crater of Mount Aragats (4,090 m), the highest point in Armenia.

6. Edelweiss in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

7. Climbers climb up Mount Aragats (4,090 m), the highest point in Armenia. Yegor Balukhin, 13 years old, with assistance of two adults gets over the difficult rock crest on the way to the main summit of the mountain.

8. Trekking camp at approximately 3,400 m inside the volcanic crater of Mount Aragats, Armenia.

9. Adults play guitar and sing under the midnight sun during the trekking in the Khibiny Mountains in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.

10. Large tent for ten people used during the trekking in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

11. Young trekkers in the Jeti-Oguz Valley in the mountain range of Terskey Ala-Too in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan. Yeltsin Peak (5,216 m), formerly known as Oguz Bashi Peak, the highest point in Terskey Ala-Too, is seen in the background.

12. Young trekkers examine a map while the adults are sleeping during the trekking in the Altai Mountains in Siberia, Russia.

13. Filipp Balukhin, 10 years old, and Ivan Shamin, 10 years old, rest during the trekking through taiga in the Khamar-Daban Mountains near Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia.

14. Killed mosquitoes in the Khibiny Mountains in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.

15. Young trekker cooks on the campfire on Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.

16. Adults slice smoked meat for the dinner during the trekking in the Altai Mountains, Russia.

17. Filipp Balukhin, 13 years old, keeps up the campfire on Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.

18. Oleg Varganov, 11 years old, tries to protect himself from the morning wake-up signal during the trekking in the Altai Mountains in Siberia, Russia.

19. Lunch during the trekking in the Altai Mountains, Russia.

20. Nikita Ivlev, 9 years old, drinks tea during the trekking in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

21. Daily portion of sweets during the trekking in the Altai Mountains, Russia. As trekkers have to carry all necessary food items on their own shoulders, only limited amount of candies is allowed to each person.

22. Maria Pomortseva, 10 years old, tries to eat as much sweet condensed milk as she can during the trekking in the Altai Mountains, Russia. Only one spoon of sweet condensed milk is allowed to each.

23. Recreation on Issyk Kul Lake after the trekking in the Tian Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan.

24. Nikita Ivlev, 7 years old, and Filipp Balukhin, 11 years old, swim in the icy-cold mountain lake in the Khibiny Mountains, Russia.

25. Filipp Balukhin, 12 years old, writes the diary during the trekking in the Altai Mountains.

26. Oleg Varganov, 11 years old, and Maria Pomortseva, 10 years old, swim in the icy-cold Akkem Lake in the Altai Mountains, Russia.

27. Evening beside the campfire on Issyk Kul Lake, Kyrgyzstan.

28. No comments.

The photographs of this feature were shot from July 2006 to August 2010 in the mountains in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.


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