Departure to the spring camp of the Tuwa

We have beautiful weather today. Because all Tuwa are leaving today to the spring camp we decided to move with them. Tanja will stay behind as only one and pay attention to Naraa and Tuya. That means she moves to the Bilgee camp and remains overnight there. Actually, this would be a job for me. I actually do not like to leave my wife alone in the taiga behind. Because I would like to document the move photographically and Tanja does not credit to herself with this, we decide on this variation. “No bear will eat me and there are not people in this area”, she says. After we have established our camp in the spring camp Bilgee is riding back the next morning in the winter camp. There he will let rest the horses for one day. Then Tanja and Bilgee come with with Naraa, the foal and the remaining equipment to me. Not to overload Tuya Bilgee plans the distance in two days instead of mastering it in one day.

At 15:00 o’clock everybody seems to be ready for the big move, of which already is spoken so long. “Take care”, I call to Tanja as Bilgee and I jump in our saddles. “You also!”, she answers waving. On my horse Sar riding I lead Sharga and Bor about the narrow path through the thick wood. “Chchcht, chchcht, chchcht”, the pack bags scrape along the larch trees. The mountain hilltop on that the winter camp lies leaving it goes steep down. The horses slide about the snow. Bor trips from time to time but we reach an open high valley without incidents. I follow the track which many reindeer hoofs on the present luggage trips in the ground have pressed. Chilly wind blows dark snowy clouds over a mountain. We cross a river the ice just carries us. At 22:00 o’clock we recognize in a narrow, long pulled valley rising first pillars of smoke from the roof crowns of the tepees. It is pitch-dark and very coldly as we reach the 1.858 meters high-situated valley of the Tuwa. In the light of our forehead lamp we unload the horses and search a fairly straight and raised place for the tent. ÑHere it feels wellì, I mean interpreting on a place with a lot of snow, we should not have problems with the melt water. We remove as far as possible the snow and establish our big tent. Because of the frost it is once more a challenge to put the tent nails in the ground.

While Bilgee looks after the horses I boil water on the petrol cooker for ready food. Then we drink a hot cup of tea and at 24:00 o’clock we creep with below 20 °C in the sleeping cabin of the tent. Bilgee wraps himself in his two sheepskin deels during I slip in my expedition sleeping-bag. Because I was too tired to cook hot water for my hot-water bottle, I do not become warm. That is why I nearly not close my eyes for the whole night. I think of Tanja and hope she experiences a better night than me.