However, for me the problem of walking routes in general has never stood in view of the total absence in my head of a "natural compass". I could spend hours wandering "even in the three pines" of my native Barnaul, not to mention the Mountainous Altai with its impassable, sometimes completely impenetrable taiga. With such "extraordinary" abilities, I could really start a group in such a deafness (such precedents were already at the camp site with other instructors, when the poor, exhausted by many days of wandering tourists had to be evacuated from the taiga by helicopter), where "Makar did not drive calves." Therefore, my choice, in the end, I stopped on the so-called "mattress", 318th route.
The 318th route is a rafting along the Biya from the "gold - bearing" village of Artybash, in which historical events of the Civil War, shown in the famous Soviet militant of 1975 "The Missing Expedition", occurred right up to Biysk. Objectively it turned out that this frightening title of the film mystically determined all the future fate of our tourist group - we also "disappeared without a trace", not meeting the schedule schedule and being late for the base for as long as 4 hours.
"The route, in general, is quite uncomplicated - just one threshold and two shivers near Artybash (the author - small reams on the stony bottom of the river) on the way," explained the deputy director of the Altay camp site, very obese and Always drunk Vitya Mazurov nicknamed "Diesel" .- Your main task is to go on rafts clearly along the fairway and follow its signs along the river banks. The most unpleasant thing that can happen to you is to accidentally wander into the "predilection" - then "write - it's gone", you will not get out forever! "" And what is this "zapon"? I asked with genuine interest. "And this is a very narrow channel of Biya, to the very top clogged by a half-rotten forest left by the rafting. Yes, and more. Stay away from the "bumpers" (the author - wooden structures on the river, "beat off" during the rafting of the log from the shore). We had a case recently, when two kayakers were delayed under the "bump", and they both died. Now in Artybash for three days your friend Yura Korchak is sitting with a group of tourists from 10 people and is looking forward to seeing you with a sailing boat. Blow there, as quickly as possible, and then the tourists, they say, have already started to rebel from lack of work! "
Having reached the Artybash on the Rocket, which easily overcame this distance upstream in just 4 hours (our rafting down the river will take exactly one week), I saw Korczak, "blackened" from the "booze," in the absolute "depresnyak" sitting in the smelling Some disgusting sour percale tent. "But could it be faster to go! Yura muttered with obvious irritation. "I do not know what to do with them." Just pulled out the "teapots"! A Th sent you? I was told that there will be an experienced instructor! "I calmly explained that it was not up to me. I was told - I immediately came, what can be claims to me. "Well, then let's agree," Korczak, his usual "song", "always attracted the authorities in any form," "sang". "I will be the captain, since I already know this group well, and you are a pilot!" "Yes for God's sake, Yura!" I exclaimed joyfully, which was always oppressed by the responsibility for other people-the constant companion of any kind of power.
The main core of the group (and this is 6 people - 2 girls and 4 guys) were graduates of Barnaul secondary school No. 79 - the most dangerous contingent by its unpredictability. In addition to them, there were 3 students of the Pedagogical Institute and one extremely unpleasant type - Major - the Zapolit of Chelyabinsk Tank Regiment Vitaly, who, "as always in bad time", broke out a sultry affair with one of the students - Tanya. In general, the alignment of forces for an impeccable campaign was, frankly, not "hot." At our disposal were two inflatable life rafts (FPS), four tents and many - many different kinds of food - stews, condensed milk, which was always abundantly allocated by the tourist center "Altai" to the tourist groups of the water route. We have appointed the start for tomorrow, and today we decided once again to thoroughly prepare for the rafting, carefully checking out the equipment for marching. Water - it is water in Africa! As they say, does not forgive!
I will not bore the reader with the completely uninteresting details of the camp life, which is everywhere and always the same. I will only say that in my life I was not so psychologically tired as on this accursed water route. The entire campaign was spent in perpetual fear of "crouching" in jail for some teenager who had perished in the "abyss", accompanied by a grumbling grumbling of the "fucking" political deputy, who, for some reason, absolutely did not like this campaign, and he tried to establish Their own, familiar to him, army order. Remembering well Oleg Korobkov's order that it is necessary, whatever it takes, to break down the "informal" leader (it's easy for him to say - try to break the 35-year-old -tankist major who owns 200 people himself) who appeared in the group , The whole trip was the only thing I did, completely exhausting myself and the group, but without achieving the desired result - this stubborn major remained "in his interest." The only bright spot in this frankly unsuccessful hike is the delightful nature of
