Trekking - 3rd passage

DUSHARIN:
That day the lading was unusually smooth. Somehow the cameleers figured out everything with the luggage, marking their own, and starting loading only that one. But they were doing it themselves without arguing. The passage was very short. According to the map, there were 13km. But it seemed to be a lot shorter for us. We were travelling along the river that made up a majestic valley right by cutting into the mountain. 100-meters high walls were rising from both sides. There was a feeling that, if someone stamped, everything would collapse creating great noise and the clouds of dust.

The Kulkin River Gorge

Suddenly, the caravan stopped. The lead group of four people including Andrei Volkov outstripped the caravan for about an hour. They had to return back. The head of the caravan explained that there was going to be a two-days' passage without food and water. The camels had to get a substantial rest here.

Sergei Sokolov

VOLKOV:

We were so angry while returning. But, as time passed, the irritation diminished. There was no sense in getting angry and we didn't have any control over the situation. It could be compared to a nightmare when you start rushing forward to reach the aim and some mysterious thing slows your every movement down. Constantly we were thinking about the food shortage. By that time we had already started economizing. In the evening, we met a local person coming down from the mountains and started bargaining. It seemed as if we'd had the opportunity to buy a ram the next day. It would cost us about $65 (500 yuans).

DUSHARIN:
In the evening the cameleers had made up a dance with guttural shouts with an empty buckets' accompaniment. The guys gathered around to have a look and then started dancing themselves. We had a sort of cultural program.

Volkov's diary

Dusharin's diary