The Great Baikal Trail

A regional non-profit group : The Great Baikal Trail

One mission: the development of ecotourism and the cultivation of a socially-responsible society through the organization of volunteer and educational projects.

The main idea behind the Great Baikal Trail (GBT) is to build the first system of environmentally sensitive trails in all of Russia.

One of the main directions that have taken the GBT is organizing a series of volunteer projects for building and maintaining the trails. The ultimate purpose of these trails, of course, is to attract more eco-tourists to the region, including all the outside volunteers who want to spend their vacation at Baikal by working on the trails.

Another goal is to raise the awareness and conscientiousness of local communities towards the environment. To achieve this latter objective, organizers run a number of local educational and socio-ecological programs around the lake year-round.

History

The modern idea of building a trail around Lake Baikal was conceived, as was fitting and proper, on the shore of Lake Baikal itself.

At this time the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) was working on the project “Bed and Breakfast and Baikal.” By this point, the idea of a trail circumnavigating Baikal had been mentioned a few times.

One particular advocate was Oleg K. Gusev – a famous writer, photographer and scientist – who worked at the Barguzinsky Reserve for over thirty years and was instrumental in forming the Baikal-Lensky Reserve.

After visiting the Appalachian Trail in the United States, Gusev realized that creating a similar system of trails at Lake Baikal might also help its preservation.

The Irkutsk traveller and writer Valentin Bryanskii also had promoted the idea of a circular trail around Baikal since the 1970s.

Follow Dmitry in his trail for peace !

Dmitry Erokhin, 36 years old, is a famous Russian marathoner. He ran more than 60 marathons and ultra marathons around the world since he started in 2009.

Ambassador for the brand the North Face, Dmitry Erokhin is now also involved in the Peace through Sport movement!

For "I Mover for Peace", he challenges himself to run the 1800km of the Great Baikal Trail in less than 40 days, to raise funds for the access to sport in the African Great Lakes.

Start of the Challenge: July 1^st!

You too, become a Peace Mover!

A goal: Help in the organization of the next Friendship Games

In these region devastated by ethnic conflicts, Peace and Sport has created youth centres in order to bring these communities together.

Since 2010, youth centres in Burundi, DR of Congo, and Rwanda (since 2012) have met for 3 days each year to compete in sports and official events that symbolize friendship between these 3 countries: The Friendship Games

These 3 days of cultural and sport meetings allow returning to the essential values of sport in these sensitive areas.

The sporting competitions were led by national sports bodies (National Olympic Committees and National Sports Federations) and youth centre leaders.

The Games featured a total of 11 sports for competitions and/or demonstrations:

• Football
• Athletics
• Volleyball
• Judo
• Karaté
• Taekwondo
• Table tennis
• Table football
• Netball
• Petit tennis (tennis adapted to younger players)
• Disabled sport (goal ball)

The Friendship Games bring children together through sport and convey messages of peace as well as raising awareness about topical issues (HIV/AIDS, environmental protection, etc)

Objectif financier 

• Delegations' travel expenses: 3 500€
• Delegations' housing expenses: 1 000 €
• Delegations' feeding expenses: 4 500€
• Infrastructures for the competitions: 3 500€
• The opening and closing ceremonies expenses: 800 €

Global costs of the event: 14 500 €

Dmitry would like at least finance delegations' housing and travel expenses!

Join the peace through sport movement, helping Dmitry to finance the Friendship Games!