Indigirka is a river located in the north of the Asian part of Russia. It is the largest in the Republic of Sakha (former Yakutia), the third largest in Siberia. The length of the river is 1,726 km, it flows from south to north, the mouth is the East Siberian Sea. This means that Indigirka belongs to the Arctic Ocean basin. The area of ​​the water basin of the river is about 360 thousand km. The surroundings along the entire coastline are striking in their splendor: the mountains on the one hand symbolize courage, the plains on the other - softness and good nature.

Name and origin

The Indigirka is a river that got its name from the Siberian Tungus people of the Evens. In their dialect, the hydronym is translated as "dog pond".

Indigirka originates in a place where two small mountain streams converge. The source of the streams is located on the northern slope of the Halkan Range. The beginning of the river is located at an altitude of 792 m above sea level.

River characteristic

According to the characteristics of the channel, the valley and the speed of the flow, the Indigirka is a river, which can be conditionally divided into two parts: mountainous and flat. The length of the upper mountainous part is 640 km, the lower flat part is 1,086 km. Flowing from the northern slope of the Halkan Range, the flow is directed along lower border Oymyakon highlands, cuts mountain ranges: Chemalginsky and Chersky. Following further, rounding the Moma Ridge, Indigirka enters a low-lying flat area. The channel in this area is pebbly, there are relatively small sections of the river with sharp boulders protruding from the ground, which are called shivera.

The speed of water movement in these areas is 2-3 m/s. When the Indigirka crosses the Chemalginsky Range, the speed increases to 4 m/s. In this area, the river forms rapids, flowing through deep gorges. This section is very difficult and dangerous, therefore it is unsuitable even for rafting.

In the flat part, the Indigirka (river) flows through the Yano-Indigirka and Abyi lowlands. The valley grows, creating a large number of braids, shallows and sleeves. The average width of the river in these places is 500 m. Indigirka is very winding here.

Closer to the delta, the width of the valley increases to 600-800 m, and the river is divided into: the Russian mouth, the Kolyma sleeve, the Sredny sleeve - the largest of them. Branches 130 km from the sea, in turn, form a wide delta, its area is more than 5,500 square meters. km. The river basin runs along the border of permafrost, therefore, icy banks and huge ice floes are a characteristic state of the Indigirka water stream.

But between the mouth and the sea formed a shallow bar (sandbank of marine and river sediment sediments).

Nutrition, runoff and glaciation

The food of the Indigirka River is of mixed type. Most of it is rain and melt water. Moreover, under the latter option, it is assumed that snow, ice and frost will turn into liquid. The reservoir is characterized by the East Siberian type of regime. IN warm time year there is a constant flood. It lasts from 70 to 100 days. But the river is covered with ice already in October, and this period lasts until May-June. The icebreaker takes about a week in time. The annual flow of water is about 58 km, most of it occurs in summer (50%), in spring - 32%, in autumn - 15%, and in winter less than 1%.

In addition to the local population, people are attracted to these places by gold deposits. On the banks of the river there is gold mining. There are coal deposits near the Moma river basin.

Fauna

Indigirka is rich in representatives of the ichthyofauna. About 30 species of fish found their home in the waters of the river. Fishing near the mouth is quite popular. The most common commercial species of aquatic animals of the Indigirka are vendace, omul and whitefish. In addition to these representatives, others are also known: muksun, whitefish, burbot.

In addition, endangered species of fish are also found in the waters of the Indigirka, some of them are listed in the Red Book. This, for example, is the Siberian sturgeon - the representative is endangered. The population of the Siberian vendace has decreased to critical levels. Recently, a ban on catching fish of the muskun species has been introduced.
From time to time, salmonids enter the Indigirka delta for spawning: pink salmon and chum salmon.

IN summer period years from the village of Khonuu, the stream is navigable. At this time, the river becomes the main waterway in the north-east of Russia.

Trips

Traveling along the Indigirka River is not an easy event, dangerous terrain. But most of all repels severe temperature regime. Students of geographical institutes often come here for research practice, since most of the Indigirka coast has not yet been explored.

But there are enough adventurers everywhere, and kayaking and kayaking are carried out at the lower reaches of the stream. There are also wonderful places suitable for fishing and hunting.

The natural attractions of this region include Named after the explorer of this region, I.D. Chersky. Its highest point is Mount Pobeda (3,003 m). It is the last major geographical feature to be put on the map of Russia. It was discovered only in 1926 by the researcher S.V. Obruchev.

The fall and slope of the river

The fall of the Indigirka River (and any other) is calculated based on the distance between the source and the mouth of the reservoir. In fact, this term refers to the difference between these two indicators. According to some official information, the fall is about 1 thousand meters. The figure has average level among other streams of Russia.

Indigirka is equal to 58 m/km. This number is obtained as a result of the ratio of the fall to the size of the reservoir. In principle, the indicator is not so high, however, still being on the river, one should be extremely careful.

The feeding of the river is mixed: rain (50–65%), snow (20–40%), and underground (5–10%).

The average long-term water consumption at the Vorontsovo hydrological post (g/p) (350 km from the sea) is 1600 m 3 /s (annual runoff volume is 50.498 km 3).

The river is characterized by the East Siberian type of water regime: spring-summer flood, summer-autumn flood period, short low water in autumn and low low water in winter. The high water passes in May-June for 55 days; it accounts for 46% of the river's annual flow. The average flood flow is 7,850 m 3 /s, the maximum flow of the river is from 3360 to 11700 m 3 /s. The second high-water phase is associated with rain floods, which form a single wave of increased runoff. The maximum water flow during the passage of floods varies from 1500 to 11100 m 3 /s. The runoff of water during the flood period is 18% per annum. The duration of individual floods is on average nine days. The minimum water flow for the period of the open channel (638 m 3 / s) is observed before freezing. During the winter low water in the lower reaches, water discharges decrease to 6.8 m 3 /s.

In early June, a sharp rise in water levels begins: 51–56 cm/day in the middle reaches, 7–14 cm/day in the delta. Down the river, the height of the spring rise in water levels decreases: c. Vorontsovo (350 km from the sea) - 8.8 m, maximum 11.1 m, pos. Chokurdakh (187 km from the sea) 7.5 m and 8.9 m, at the top of the delta (130 km from the sea) - 4–5 m, near the village. Tabor (24 km from the sea) - 2.6 m and 3.2 m, on Nemkov Island (0 km) - 1.1 m and 1.6 m. the recession of the flood wave is superimposed by rain floods. In the summer-autumn flood period, the rise in levels near the village. Vorontsovo reaches 1.4 m (maximum 4.5 m), near the village. Chokurdakh 1.4 m (2.8 m), near the village. Tabor - up to 0.5 m (1.2 m), near Nemkov Island - 0.4 m (1.05 m). The tides on the estuarine seashore reach 30 cm; near Nemkov Island - 5–7 cm. Chokurdakh (187 km from the sea).

The average thickness of ice near the village. Vorontsovo in early May 125 cm, near the village. Chokurdakh - 174 cm, near Nemkov Island - 213 cm. Spring ice drift lasts an average of seven days. In the delta, the duration of the period without ice events is 100–107 days.

The average consumption of suspended sediments at the village. Vorontsovo - 372 kg / s, the annual sediment runoff is 11.7 million tons. The average long-term water turbidity in the lower reaches is 231 g / m 3, during floods - about 300 g / m 3, during rain floods - 200–300 g / m 3 , in winter - from 10-12 to less than 3 g / m 3.

IN upstream Indigirka is a mountain and semi-mountain (59% of the length) river, the channel is pebbly, there are many stone ledges (shiver) at the bottom of the river. When crossing the Chemalginsky ridge, the river flows in a deep gorge, forms rapids (the largest is Busika). Below the mouth of the river Momy Indigirka crosses the Momo-Selennyakh depression, becomes a flat river, the channel branches into two or three equivalent branches. Frequent outcrops of rocks in the channel. When crossing the Momsky Range, the Indigirka again becomes a semi-mountain river with rapids and shivers. The width of the channel is 50–80 m. Below the village. Krest-Mayor Indigirka finally becomes a flat river, pebble deposits are replaced by sandy ones. On the Abyi lowland, the riverbed is winding, on the Yano-Indigirskaya lowland, a straight channel 350–500 m wide prevails. The width of the river is 600–800 m, the depth at rifts in low water is about 2 m. Along the primary banks, the channel is relatively straight, unbranched (near Olenegorsk, Chokurdakh). The delta begins 130 km from the sea. The river is divided into two main branches - the Russko-Ustinskaya and Srednyaya channels. At the exit of the branches to the estuarine seashore, there are numerous shallow-water estuarine bars. The rate of advancement of the sea edge of the delta into the sea is insignificant.

The waters of the Indigirka are distinguished by low mineralization and hydrocarbonate composition, the predominance of calcium and sodium cations. The mineralization of water in the spring in the upper reaches is 20–50 mg/l, in the lower reaches 40–70 mg/s, during the summer floods it varies from 40–65 to 50–85 mg/l, respectively. The average long-term ion sink near the settlement Vorontsovo (350 km from the sea) is 3.040 million tons/year.

Economic activity in the Indigirka basin is limited to fishing and reindeer breeding, and the collection of mammoth ivory. Indigirka is rich in fish, in the mouth - fishing for vendace, whitefish, muksun, nelma, omul, whitefish. Gold is mined in the basin. Water intake - 0.008 km 3 / year, wastewater discharge - 0.004 km 3 / year.

Indigirka is the only transport artery in the region. Navigation - from the mouth of the river. Momy (1154 km from the sea), in the delta - along the branch-channel of the Middle, entry into which from the sea is limited by the mouth bar with depths of 0.5–0.6 m. Russian Mouth. Main piers: Khonuu, Druzhina, Olenegorsk, Chokurdakh, Tabor, Russian Mouth. In 1974–1975 a canal 7 km long, 40 m wide, and up to 2.5 m deep was built on the Indigirka bar. sea ​​waters into the river.

On Indigirka there are cities and towns of Oymyakon, Ust-Nera, Khonuu, Belaya Gora, Chokurdakh. Oymyakon - the famous pole of cold; It is considered the coldest point in the Northern Hemisphere and the coldest inhabited area on Earth.

V.N. Korotaev, R.S. Chalov

river Indigirka

Hiking in the mountains, where there is rarely a person, where you can still meet a bigfoot - a chuchuna.

Route: Moscow - Yakutsk - Ust-Nera - Indigirka River - Khonuu - Yakutsk - Moscow

Route length: 375 km, of which the water part is 345 km, (radial light excursions 30 km)

Hiking duration : 18 days (15 hiking days)

Number of participants: 8

Brief annotation

Indigirka river with pretty fast current. In the middle section, the river breaks through the mountain range. There is a difficult section with powerful shivers and rapids, while all the key places can be bypassed near the shore, enjoying the swing on the waves. With our high water, many obstacles were filled with water, which made it easier to pass. After the Krivun threshold, the river flattens out and flows further without obstacles. There are many robberies in the channel in front of the Khonuu village. The Indigirka is a beautifully landscaped river with very cordial and sociable locals.

Indigirka Lotsiya

Mikhail Mestnikov Travel Company Nord Stream Yakutsk[email protected]

The second route, which is the most interesting for sports rafting, starts from the village of Ust-Nera. In the first section between the villages of Ust-Nera and Chumpu-Kytyl, the river describes large arcs, bypassing hills with rocky shores. The speed of the river is 2.5 m/s, the average slope is 0.5 m/km. The width of the channel is 250 - 400 m. Clamps are rare. The movement of motor boats and small self-propelled barges is possible. The second section is rapids, 90 km long. The main obstacles are powerful shivers formed by large boulders carried by tributaries. Underwater spits are located below the tributaries. In the last section, the river, leaving the mountains, breaks into channels and flows through a wide valley.

There are many islands in the river. Despite the usual rafting conditions, you feel the power of the river, which makes you feel uncomfortable. “The colossal size of the river and the surrounding mountains, the frantic running of the water, the menacing rustling under the boat - all this suppresses. Never, on what rapids of the Angara or the Middle Tunguska did I have such a feeling that I was standing face to face with the inevitable, with fate, ”wrote S. V. Obruchev.
The valley of the Indigirka seems to be squeezed by mountains from all sides. In the west, the high peaks of the Volchap Range rise, in the south of Tas-Kystabyt, the Ust-Nerskaya ridge rises with amazing remnants. The river is calm up to the mouth of the Wolchan.

At the beginning of the second krivun, the Sofronovskiy tributary flows in from the right. It is named in memory of Sofrons Krivoshankins, who died in 1949 at the age of 109. His yurt at the nest was hospitably open to all geologists.

Before the mouth of the Tirekhtyakh (274), on the right bank, there is a road to the village of Zakharepko. Ahead is the massif of Mount Nyur-gun-Tas, against which the river Volchan flows into the bend of the Indigirka (265). It seems that Indigirka rushes into its wide valley. But at a high rocky cliff it suddenly turns. Behind Walchan, for 3 km, the river rages. Wave break is caused by rocky pressure and stones in the channel.

At the mouth of the Kuobakh-Basa River (253) there is the village of Predporozh-py. Here in the Indigirka valley there are cliffs with siltstone outcrops, crumpled into narrow folds. After 8 km, the Indigirka goes around the Baltakhta-Khaya massif, on the right turn at the confluence of the Bergenpyakh (239) the shiver splashes. Another 10 km to interesting place on the river. "Horseshoe" - an almost closed loop in steep banks. The river rests on a huge steep hill, dotted with a web of cracks. The river, thrown back by the rock, rushes to another hill, but it once again turns back the mighty stream. On sharp turns, the current presses the boat to the shore. Below the village of Argamoy (218), located on a wide terrace of the right bank, there is a meteorological station "Predporozhny". The river calms down for a while, islands appear in the channel.

5 km before the mouth of Inyali (202) in sharp turn to the west the river flows into a rocky hill. Stepa, a real impregnable fortress, is interesting for outcrops rocks cut by the river. In front of the tributary on the left bank there is a convenient parking lot. A low, grassy terrace stretches to the foot of the mountains. Such steppe areas along the Indigirka cover the valley from the upper reaches of the river to Moma. Their flora has much in common with the flora of the American prairies of the Yukon basin. The steppes are widely used as spring and autumn pastures for cows and horses. In the spring, they are freed from snow earlier, they are visited by hares, moose, bears.

Behind the turn to the west, below Khatye-Yuryakh (187), there is the Selivanovskaya Shivera with shafts up to 1 m. Selivanov with a local guide G. E. Starkov.

Below the Shivera on the high left bank is the village of Chumpu-Kytyl (177). It is connected by air with Ust-Nera and Khonuu. After 10 km on the right bank of the Indigirka, the uninhabited village of Khaptagay-Khaya. The river inexorably brings you closer to the Gorge of the Thresholds. The Taskan (156) flows into the bend, in front of the mouth, on the left bank, cliffs stretch. Finally, the river rushes to the north. The famous gorge begins. High sheer shores expose deep layers of rocks. Inclined and vertical, rising and falling, they speak!' of a titanic struggle in the bowels of the earth. Plumb lines are often lined with "mirrors" - shiny plates. The outcrops show pegmatite veins c. large crystals of quartz, feldspar, muscovite. The surrounding mountains, covered with rubble and devoid of vegetation, are dotted with rocky remnants. Well, it seems that the yellow steppe ones climbed out onto the crest; the animals stretched out and look at the swimmers. The fabulous beauty of the coast also keeps the memory of the tragedy that took place here. In the midst of the field work of the Indigirka expedition on June 30, 1931, during a preliminary inspection of the rapids on a motor boat, the head of the expedition, V. D. Busik, and his assistant, E. D. Kalinin, died. Separate stones exposed in the riverbed at a low water level caused the accident and death.

For the first time the rapids of the Indigirka were crossed by the geologist A.P. Vaskovsky, reports S.V. Obruchev in one of his books. The big gorge is called the Indigirskaya pipe, Ulakhan-Khapchagai, Indigirskiye rapids, Busik rapids. The gorge is cut into the mountains for almost 2 km. The slope of the valley increases to 3 m/km, the speed of the river is up to 4.5 m/s. The stream rushes between the rocky banks. Its width is 150 - 200 m, but the part free for rafting is much smaller. The main obstacles are high shafts (up to 2 m), clamps, foam pits.

A kilometer below the Talypya stream, which flows into the turn on the left, on the river rift (148). It crosses the Indigirka at an angle and ends before the cliff of the right bank. Against the mouth of the left tributary of the Sigiktyah (144), a beautiful stone cape protrudes. Behind him, in a gentle turn of the river, a shiver rumbles.
The first threshold is located at the right Hannakh stream (143) on a straight section of the river, its length is 100 m. It represents a chaotic rush of water. Shafts reach 1 m. Passage on the left side of the channel. From here comes the most rugged part of the gorge. In the gorge of the Mol'dzhogoydokh stream (142), a dazzling icing peeps through a perforated rocky bridge. After 300m, a high rocky cliff begins on the left bank - the cliff of Busik and Kalinin, named in memory of the dead. Behind it, on the right bank, there are meter-long ramparts of the rapid, 70 meters long, which are easy to bypass. The shiver (140) encountered further is overcome in the middle of the channel.

From the right stream Mustakh (134) begins a series of rapids. On the 5.5 km section of the river, four rapids are buzzing. The length of the first three is up to 400 m, the shafts in them reach 1.5 m. The passage is near the left bank. The river here is more than 100 m wide, there is a possibility of maneuvering. In the fourth threshold (130) the shafts are directed towards the right steep bank. There, reinforced by the breaking wave, they reach 2 m or more. The threshold stretches for 600 m. The passage is next to the ramparts, closer to the left bank. Unpredictable chaotic, very high waves endanger small craft. “Where, on what river for tens of kilometers in all 200 meters of its width do such toothy waves two or three meters high walk? The autumn storms of Lake Baikal come to mind,” writes M. Kocherginsky.

It should be said that all the obstacles in the gorge are with a clearly visible rod. You can almost always land on one of the shores. If one coast is rocky, then the opposite is a large-pebble spit, and more often a steep terrace overgrown with shrubs and forests. Almost all shivers can be bypassed, allowing local residents overcome the gorge on motor boats. When compiling an inventory of the rapids area, it was noted in the materials of the Indigirskaya expedition that characteristic feature river currents are drops with a large bottom slope and flow disturbance due to high water flow rates but large boulders. In total, 13 such drops, known as rapids, were found. All of them are located in the area where the tributaries meet. And therefore, “these rapids are not such in the true sense of the word, but have the character of shivers in places of former accumulations of boulders,” the report wrote.

The valley of Ytabyt-Yuryakh (126) is not immediately guessed. Closed by mountains, it appears unexpectedly. The left bank of the tributary - a high dry terrace covered with forest, with beautiful lawns - has long been chosen by fishermen. There is a tent, a table. A great place for a day trip, especially since there is great fishing at the mouth of the Ytabyt-Yuryakh. The tributary valley is very beautiful. A pure mountain stream rumbles in the light rounded boulders of a wide channel. Below Ytabyt-Yuryakh, near the right bank, there is a 150 m long rift. The passage is on the right side of the channel. 5 km below it is a kilometer-long rift near the right bank. Here the shore is a brown sheer cliff. The mountain seems to be cut with a blunt knife, which is why the entire cliff is cut with black cracks and grottoes. A small waterfall breaks down from a sheer cliff.
At the mouth of the Ogonnsr stream (115), which flows into a steep bend, there is a rift with shafts up to 1.5 m near the left bank. There is no clamp here. Below in the channel there are rare stones protruding into low water.


A threshold begins at the lower edge of the Apgus-Tas cliff. In the first stage, located at

Passed only part of the gorge - a breakthrough of the Porozhny ridge. Now the high mountains recede from the river, the channel becomes wider. The spurs of the Chibagalakh chain are also involved in creating obstacles on the Indigirka. And the river remains turbulent, in rare places it does not splash with a big wave. In front of the krivun on the left stretches a rocky cliff of a terrace overgrown with forest. It is divided into separate blocks by deep crevices. Pillars rise from the water, impregnable towers above. And between them, it was as if a village was spread out from numerous cells inscribed in these rocky ledges and cracks.
A threshold begins at the lower edge of the Apgus-Tas cliff. In the first stage, located near the left bank, there are main shafts before a sharp turn, where bedrocks obliquely go into the water. The second step goes below the turn, where the right tributary of the Kusllah-Mustah (110) flows into. The main stream is directed to the left bank. The steps are short - about 250 m, the shaft reaches 2 m. Both sections pass closer to the right bank, which, if necessary, is convenient to moor.

The masses of the Empty Range are left behind. Next come the table mountains - flat, covered with forests, terraced down to the river. In August, after the first autumn frosts, as if amazing canvases are exhibited, in which, over the emerald water of the Indigirka, you see in the dense greenery of larch forests the thrill of yellow birches, the crimson of wild rose and the multicolored polar birch.
At the mouth of Chibagalakh (98) there is a long rift near the left bank. The confluence of the largest rafting section of the left tributary is one of the most beautiful. Good fishing here. The view from the nearby hill Sogo-Khaya (1096 m) is beautiful. The scree slopes of the gray-bluish mountains are beautiful, stretching like a ridge across the Indigirka, completely falling out of the range of the surrounding hills.

5 km below the mouth of Chibagalakh on the right high bank is a hut where fishermen often stop. There is a sandbar on the shore. Behind the cliffs with yellow and blue screes there is a quiet stretch, and before turning left, there is a threshold (96) on a straight section. Shaft up to 1.5 m, passing through the jet. Again, the river strikes with the beauty of its banks. The cliffs of the mountain, cut by three gaps, are dotted with remnants. Beneath them, the black, shadow-covered water seems mysterious.

The river cuts the narrow chain of the Chemalginsky Range calmly, without unnecessary excitement. And here are the mountains behind. Around low forested shores and an unusually huge sky. In the forest approaching the pebbly shore, there are well-trodden paths along the river. Large wooded islands divide the sho into equivalent channels, and the inflowing tributaries are invisible. The wind here makes it hard to sail. It appears more often before dinner and intensifies in the evening.

After the confluence of the river Uchcha (77), where tourists have repeatedly noted the best fishing in the whole rafting, a flat area of ​​rafting begins. The Indigirka entered the Momo-Selenyahek depression. Islands appear. On the right, Tikhon-Yuryakh (45) flows into. River ships rise to its mouth. Along the banks - hayfields.

On the right bank against a long island is the village of Sobo-lokh (28). It's about a kilometer from the river. The long chain of the Momsky ridge is constantly visible ahead. Somewhere on the river there is an erosion of the banks. Bushes and trees are stuck on underwater spits. Moma (0) flows in a wide channel. Its water, like that of other large tributaries, does not mix with the Indigirka for a long time. So two streams flow side by side. The boat pier is 2 km away, the same distance on foot to the village of Khonuu.

Another description of the Indigirskaya Pipe:

Near the mouth of the left tributary, the Taskan River (165 km), the waters of the Indigirka gather in one channel. The speed increases dramatically. The river runs in a huge arc along a steep terrace, and after another 5 km it turns north and squeezes into the gorge of the Porozhnotsepinsky granite massif. The famous Great Gorge (Ulakhan-Khapchagay) begins. This part of the Indigirka is also called the Momsky rapids, the Indigirskaya pipe, the rapids of Busik (in memory of the head of the Narkomvodtrans expedition, V. D. Busik, who died here in 1931 while reconnaissance of the rapids).

The hundred-kilometer gorge, almost 2 km incised into the granite massifs of the Porozhny and Chemalginsky ridges, is extraordinarily spectacular. Sheer cliffs pass in succession - one higher than the other. The rocky obelisks on the crests of the watersheds of the lateral tributaries and the fabulous statues of weathered limestone outcrops are impressive. Loops of multi-colored blocky screes descend to the river. There are many beautiful taiga corners here. The banks of the river are paved with large boulders, but frequent pressures and steep slopes make the gorge passable along the coast only in low water.

During the first 50 km, Indigirka makes its way through the Porozhny Range. The slope increases to 3 m/km, the speed reaches 15-20 km/h. The river rushes from one side of the gorge to the other, washing away the rocky cliffs. On the bends, spits are formed from large rounded boulders. The width of the channel is 150-200 m. Comb-shaped rapids are found in places where bedrocks (granites) come out. They are located, as a rule, near the coast, occupying no more than a third of the width of the channel. The water flow, which has tremendous energy, has cleared its fairway almost along the entire length of the gorge. The depth here is 3-5 m, and in places of narrowing up to 10 m. flow.

The most difficult part of the gorge comes from the mouth of the Sigikhtekh stream (the 175th km of rafting), opposite a beautiful stone cape rises. Behind him, in the turn of the river, a shiver rumbles. The first threshold after 1 km. Its length is 200 m, the ramparts are 1.5 m. On the 178th km of rafting, a high rocky cliff of Busik and Kalinin rises to the left. Immediately behind it is a threshold, which is better to pass along the left bank. Below the noise of the shiver, go through it in the center. From the right stream Mustakh (185th km) begins a series of 4 rapids with a total length of 5.5 km - a passage along the left bank. The most powerful is the last section, where the shafts reach a height of 2 m. At the mouth of the Ytabyt-Yuryakh River (195th km) there is a high terrace covered with forest, excellent fishing. Below is a shiver, after 5 km another one is near the steep right bank.

The Porozhnotsepinskiy massif is only the first link of the Great Gorge. Leaving him, Indigirka is in almost the same frenetic state. High mountains recede somewhat from the river, the channel becomes wider, the speed decreases.

On the left, a rocky cliff, overgrown with terrace forest, stretches for a long time. The dangerous section begins in front of the mouth of the right tributary, the Kuelleh-Mustakh River (km 220), at the lower edge of the steep bank. This is the Krivun threshold. Indigirka makes a 120° left turn. In the channel of the Shiver, bedrock outcrops near the left bank. Across the entire width of the river there is chaos of “standing ramparts”, breakers, plums, water fountains.

For the next 15 km, the Indigirka flows smoothly along the widened part of the gorge. The left steep bank demonstrates an amazing phenomenon - Indigirka "laces". Crumpled sedimentary strata create an indescribable range of colors and shapes. They stretched along the river for many hundreds of meters.

The mouth of the large left tributary of the Indigirka, the Chibagalakh River (km 225), is very interesting. With her powerful blow, she, as it were, pushes back the flow of the Indigirka, forming a 200-meter longitudinal shaft.

Below Chibagalakh, the Indigirka cuts through the Chemalginsky granite massif. The river narrows again, the speed increases. At the 235th km - the threshold. Here the gorge is narrowest and darkest. Particularly grandiose are the rocky cliffs of the left bank at the 240th km of rafting. Rocks in places hang over the water, forming "pockets". The nature of the obstacles is the same as in the Porozhnotsepinskiy section.

A distinctive feature of the Great Gorge is powerful boulder spits, as a rule, below the confluence of tributaries. The spit departs from the shore at an angle of 45° and can block half of the channel, hampering the already turbulent flow. Below the spit is a quiet backwater. There are more right-bank braids.

Having received the Uchcha River (250th km) from the right, Indigirka emerges from the gorge, and in the area of ​​​​the mouth of the Tikhon-Yuryakh (285th km) it spreads widely in the expanses of the Momo-Selennyakhskaya depression. Channels and islands appear, hayfields and farms along the banks. Before the mouth of the Moma, on the right bank, the village of Sobolokh, and below the mouth - the village of Khondu, the end of the route (320th km). The village is located 3 km from the nearest channel, at the foot of the Yu-mountain. The width of the Indigirka here is 1200 m, there are no obstacles below. Before Khonuu, ships rise into high water, so further rafting is of no sporting interest, although it is interesting in historical, geological and ethnographic terms.

Tour schedule:

Day 7(July 28) – day, free day, photography of the glacier, radial exit along the tributary


Indigirka (Yakut. Indigir) is a river in the north-east of Yakutia.

The hydronym Indigirka is based on the Even generic name Indigir - “people of the Indi clan” (-gir Evensk. Plural suffix). Or Dog River.

The length of the river is 1726 km, the basin area is 360 thousand km². The beginning of the Indigirka is taken as the confluence of two rivers - Tuora-Yuryakh (Khastakh, Halkan or Kalkan - 251 km) and Taryn-Yuryakh (63 km), which originate on the northern slopes of the Halkan Range; flows into the East Siberian Sea. The total length of Indigirka and Tuora-Yuryakh (Khastakh or Kalkan) is 1977 km. The Indigirka basin is located in the area of ​​permafrost, and therefore its rivers are characterized by the formation of giant icings.

Photos of the indigirka river

According to the structure of the valley and channel and the speed of the current, the Indigirka is divided into two sections: the upper mountain (640 km) and the lower plain (1086 km). After the confluence of the Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, the Indigirka flows northwest along the lowest part of the Oymyakon highland, turning north, cuts through a series mountain ranges Chersky Ridge. The width of the valley here is from 0.5-1 to 20 km, the channel is pebbly, there are many shivers, the speed of the current is 2-3.5 m/s. When crossing the Chemalginsky Range, the Indigirka flows in a deep gorge and forms rapids; flow velocity 4 m/s. This area is unsuitable even for rafting. Above the mouth of the Moma River, where the Indigirka enters the Momo-Selennyakh depression, the lower section begins. The valley of the Indigirka is expanding, the channel is replete with shoals and spits, in some places it breaks into branches. Having rounded the Momsky Range, the Indigirka flows further along the low plain. It is very winding on the Abyiskaya lowland, on the Yano-Indigirskaya lowland, the Indigirka is characterized by straight long stretches 350-500 m wide. km²). The mouth of the Indigirka is separated from the sea by a shallow bar.

The Indigirka River flows in the northeast of Siberia, through the territory of Yakutia. The name of the river comes from the Even generic name Indigir - "people of the Indi clan". Russian explorers of the 17th century. this name was pronounced as Indigirka - just like the name of other large Siberian rivers: Kureika, Tunguska, Kamchatka.

The Indigirka is formed by the confluence of the Khastakh and Taryn-Yuryakh rivers, in the upper reaches it flows along the Oymyakon plateau, cuts through the Chersky ridge along a narrow deep valley, and in the lower reaches it flows along the Yano-Indigirka lowland. The bed of the Indigirka is very winding. Indigirka is divided into two sections according to the structure of the valley and channel, as well as the speed of the current: the upper mountain (length 640 km) and the lower plain (length 1086 km).

When it flows into the East Siberian Sea, 130 km from the mouth, the Indigirka is divided into branches (Russian mouth, Sredny and Kolyma), forming a delta with an area of ​​5.5 thousand km2.
Almost half of the annual runoff occurs during the flood period in May - July. Because of the permafrost rocks along which the river flows, it is characterized by the formation of giant ice-taryns, and in winter the Indigirka in the lower reaches completely freezes over.

Since the river in many places is filled with rapids and shivers, navigation along the Indigirka is possible only in the middle and lower reaches, from the confluence of the Moma River (406 km).

Compared to other rivers of North-Eastern Siberia, the Indigirka is not rich in fish, but the one that is - valuable species: sterlet, burbot, shooting gallery, muksun, peled, vendace, broad whitefish, nelma, omul, whitefish, and flounder enters the mouth of the river.

The Indigirka basin is a well-known gold mining area.

“All the rifts, but the rifts ...” - this line from the song of the bard Alexander Gorodnitsky perfectly describes the nature of the Indigirka riverbed.



video river indigirka

The Indigirka flows from the southern to the northern border of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), crossing four geographical zones (from south to north): taiga forests, forest-tundra, tundra and the Arctic desert.
It was only in 1926 that the expedition of the Soviet geologist and future academician Sergei Vladimirovich Obruchev (1891-1965), the son of the famous traveler and explorer Vladimir Afanasyevich Obruchev (1863-1956), managed to study in detail the channel of the Indigirka. In 1926-1935. S. Obruchev studied the Indigirka basin and for the first time established that there are commercial gold reserves here. S. Obruchev continued and completed the study of a large mountain system in the Indigirka basin, begun by I. D. Chersky (1845-1892), and named it after the discoverer - the Chersky Range.

At present, Indigirka remains one of the main water transport arteries in the North-East of Russia. On its shore is North Pole cold - the village of Oymyakon. In 1933, a temperature of -67.7°C was recorded here. True, a number of experts consider Verkhoyansk to be the pole of cold.

Less famous is another attraction of Indigirka - the abandoned city of Zashiversk. It was founded in 1639, in 1783-1805. was a county town, but after the smallpox epidemic of 1812-1856. the inhabitants left him, and to late XIX century, it finally emptied.

CLIMATE AND WEATHER

Sharply continental.
Long winter, short summer.
Average January temperature: -40.7°C.
Average July temperature: +14°С.
Average annual rainfall: 218 mm.
Relative humidity: 70%.
Freeze from October to May, ice drift 3-4 days.

ECONOMY

Minerals: gold, coal (Moma basin).
River navigation.
Tourism (rafting and amateur fishing).

ATTRACTIONS

Navigable from the mouth of the Moma River (1134 km). Main piers: Khonuu, Druzhina, Chokurdakh, Tabor. Gold mining in the Indigirka basin.

THE CHERSK RIDGE

The Chersky Ridge is located in the North-East of Siberia, but is not a ridge in the usual sense of the word, but is a mountain system stretching for 1500 km. The highest point is Mount Pobeda, 3003 meters (3147 meters according to outdated data).

The Chersky Ridge is one of the last major geographical objects that appeared on the map of our country. It was discovered by S. V. Obruchev in 1926 and named after the explorer I. D. Chersky, who died during an expedition to North-Eastern Siberia in 1892. The boundaries of the mountain system are the Yano-Oymyakon highlands in the southwest and the Momo-Selennyakh rift basin in the northeast. It extends over the territory of Yakutia and the Magadan region.

In the western part of the mountain system, between the Yana and Indigirka rivers, there are the Khadaranya (up to 2185 m), Tas-Khayakhtakh (2356 m), Chemalginsky (2547 m), Kurundya (1919 m), Dogdo (2272 m), Chibagalakhsky (2449 m) ), Borong (2681 m), Silyapsky (2703 m), etc. In the east, in the upper reaches of the Kolyma, there are the Ulakhan-Chistai ridges (the highest point of Pobeda is 3003 m), Cherge (2332 m), etc. Often to the system The Chersky ridge also includes the Momo-Selennyakh intermountain depression and the Selennyakhsky, Momsky and some other ridges rising above it in the north.

The Chersky Ridge was formed during the Mesozoic folding, then gradually peneplanized, and during the Alpine folding it split into separate blocks, some of which rose (horsts), while others sank (grabens). Mid-altitude mountains predominate. Ridges rising up to 2000-2500 m (Ulakhan-Chistai, Chibagalakhsky, etc.) are distinguished by alpine relief and carry modern glaciers. The axial parts of the mountain system are composed of highly deformed and metamorphosed Paleozoic carbonate rocks, and the margins are composed of marine and continental strata of the Permian, Triassic and jurassic periods(shales, sandstones and siltstones); in many places these rocks are cut through by powerful intrusions of granitoids, with which deposits of gold, tin and other minerals are associated.

The climate is harsh, sharply continental. In winter there is temperature inversion when the temperature drops from the tops of the ridges (-34 ... -40 ° C) to depressions (-60 ° C). Summers are short and cool, with frequent frosts and snowfalls. The average July temperature rises from 3°C in the highlands to 13°C in some valleys. Precipitation is from 300 to 700 mm per year (up to 75% of their total falls in summer). Permafrost is everywhere.

Many rivers, including the Indigirka and its tributaries, cross the ridges in very narrow valleys; Moma and Selennyakh flow in intermountain basins and have wide, sometimes swampy valleys. The rivers are fed by melting snow and summer rains. Over 60% of the annual runoff occurs in the summer, winter runoff - no more than 5% of the annual. Ice is frequent in winter, and small rivers freeze to the bottom.
Altitudinal zonality is represented by tall poplar-chozenia forests at the bottom of river valleys, sparse larch forests in the lower part of the slopes of the ridges and thickets of dwarf pine and alder, as well as stony, lichen and shrub tundra in the highlands. On the tops of the highest ridges there are cold stony deserts.

POLE OF COLD

Oymyakon (Yakut. Өymөkөөn) is a village in the Oymyakon ulus of Yakutia, on the left bank of the Indigirka River.

Oymyakon is best known as one of the "Cold Poles" on the planet, according to a number of parameters, the Oymyakon Valley is the most severe place on Earth, where the permanent population lives.

Oymyakon is the center of the rural settlement "Borogonsky 1st Nasleg".

Oymyakon is located in high latitudes (however south polar circle), the length of the day varies from 4 hours 36 minutes on December 22 to 20 hours 28 minutes on June 22, from May 24 to July 21, there are white nights and light all day long. From May 14 to July, the height of the sun at noon is above 45 degrees and the midday shadow is shorter than the vertical object; from August to May 13, the height of the sun at noon is below 45 degrees and the noon shadow is longer than the vertical object; from May to August 13, nights with nautical twilight last, from From April 13 to August, twilight nights continue with astronomical twilight. The first night with nautical twilight is celebrated on the first day last month calendar spring, the last day with a sun height above 45 degrees at noon, on the last day of the second month of calendar summer.

The village is located at an altitude of 745 meters above sea level.

The closest to the village are the settlements of Khara-tumul (the closest) and Bereg-Yurdya. Also very close to the village are Tomtor, Yuchugey and the Airport.

Climate

Oymyakon has a fairly complex type of climate. The climate is influenced by the latitude of the village, equal to 63.27 degrees (subpolar latitudes), a large distance from the ocean (dramatically continental climate), being at an altitude of 741 meters above sea level (altitude zonation affects). Height above sea level lowers the temperature by 4 degrees compared to that which would be observed at sea level and accelerates the nightly cooling of the air. In winter, cold air flows into the village, as it is located in a hollow. Summer is short, with a large difference in daily temperatures, during the day it can be +30 °C and higher, but at night the temperature can drop by 15-20 °C. Average annual value atmospheric pressure in Oymyakon is 689 millimeters of mercury. The absolute minimum temperature at the Airport is -64.3 degrees.

At the moment, the authorities of Yakutia have resolved the dispute in favor of Verkhoyansk, but the question remains open: a number of scientists and meteorological observations clearly indicate the advantage of Oymyakon in the dispute for the "frosty championship of the Northern Hemisphere." Although the minimum average monthly temperature in Verkhoyansk in January is 3 degrees lower than in Oymyakon (-57.1 in 1892), and also lower on average in January, February, April, June, July, August and December, according to today's data, the average annual temperature in Oymyakon it is 0.3 degrees lower than in Verkhoyansk, and the absolute minimum, according to unofficial data, is 12.2 degrees lower. If we take the official data, we get a temperature rise of 4.4 degrees.

Temperature observation technique

Clarification should be made regarding the location of meteorological observations. Regular meteorological observations are carried out at the Oymyakon airport, which is located 40 km from the village of the same name and 2 km from the village of Tomtor. However, when talking about minimum temperatures, the name Oymyakon is always used. This is due to the fact that Oymyakon is not only the name of the village, but also the name of the area.
In addition to extreme cold in winter, Oymyakon can experience temperatures above +30 °C in summer. On July 28, 2010, a heat record was recorded in the village (as well as monthly and absolute). Then the air warmed up to +34.6 °C. The difference between the absolute maximums and minimums of temperature is more than one hundred degrees, and according to this indicator, Oymyakon occupies one of the first places in the world.
According to unofficial data, in 1938 it was -77.8°C in the village. The Antarctic Vostok station recorded the lowest temperature on Earth (-89.2 ° C), but the station is located at an altitude of 3488 m above sea level, and if you bring both temperatures to sea level, then the coldest place on the planet Oymyakon will be recognized (-68.3 and -77.6 degrees respectively).

FISHING IN INDIGIRKA

Detailed fishing report

The other day I went to the Oymyakonsky ulus, the village of Tomtor (Pole of Cold). The stimulus for this trip was an acquaintance who flew in for this from Moscow, he is also a "hunter for the cold." The purpose of the "expedition" was not fishing, but viewing the sights of the Pole of Cold.

But, all the same, they found time to go fishing for a few hours (Indigirka River). By advice local fish akov, who know all the habits of local fish (grayling, lenok, burbot) trusted their gear.

To catch grayling, you need flies (preferably with light colors), a monofilament 0.15-18 mm, a weight of 20-30 grams. We knit a sinker at the end of the fishing line and alternately 2 flies, the interval between the flies is 30-40 cm. It turned out something like a DROPSHOT. Most of the grayling fish bite on this rig. Game: not tearing off the load from the bottom, gently twitch with a nod. The bites of the grayling are very gentle, as they say, barely “heard” in a nod.

Tackle for catching burbot, here you need a thicker monofilament: 0.30 mm, or even 0.40 mm., A weight from 40 to 50 grams., Two leashes of 20 cm each, tees 2 pcs. We tap the bottom, with an interval of 10 seconds.
Bait: shrimp impaled on a hook with pieces of squid, a kind of sandwich.

Many fish, of course, were not caught. But, a few haryuzki and burbots were caught. Nalimov took a picture, on his device, it seemed to work out well. And, local people took pictures of Kharyuzkov, I, carried away by the process of extreme fishing, completely forgot about the camera. Valentin was lucky, a burbot weighing more than 4 kg pecked at his “stalker”, he even had to widen the hole with an ice pick.

I was surprised by the not thick ice of the Indigirka River, in some places up to 40 cm, and in other water bodies of Yakutia, the thickness of the ice is already more than a meter.

In general, there was a good impression of Oymyakon, the landscape, although winter, still breathes with the beauty and severity of our northern region.
Pysy: in the summer they were officially invited to go fishing in Labynkyr Lake, where, according to local legends, a monster lives, similar to a plesiosaur according to descriptions. Old-timers of Tomtor believe that the animal, called the "devil", lives in the lake from time immemorial and behaves extremely aggressively.

Stories are passed from mouth to mouth, how one day an unknown creature got ashore and chased a Yakut fisherman until he died of fear. Another time, the "devil" stuck his head out of the water and swallowed a swimming dog in front of the inhabitants of the village. Most often, deer are called the object of hunting. They tell how a local shepherd tied reindeer team to some tusk sticking out of the ice, and while making a fire on the shore I heard a crack - the tusk swayed, the ice fell apart, and something huge carried the deer into the abyss.

The most big fish Lake Labynkyr - burbot ("owner"). In addition to it, at least 20 species of fish live in the lake (pike, swamp, grayling, lenok, alimba, whitefish, whitefish, char, Dolly Varden...). So there is more than enough food for a potential giant animal.

Well, let's wait for the summer season.

General summary: In winter, the fish is sluggish, you need to go in the summer. Fishing at -50 degrees, to put it mildly: very uncomfortable. In winter, the temperature sometimes reaches -60% Celsius. The highest recorded low temperature in Tomtor is -71.2

So the show "The Last Hero" nervously smokes on the sidelines.

The Indigirka River is located in Yakutia, part of the East Siberian Sea.

Historical reference

The river got its name from the generic Even name Indigir, which means people of the Indi clan. Development began by the Cossacks in the first half of the 17th century.

Source

The mouth of the river is formed by two reservoirs, these are Tuora-Yuryakh and Taryn-Yuryakh, which originate in the Halkan Mountains. It flows down the territory of Yakutia, and near the Allaikhovsky district of the republic flows into the sea.

Characteristics

The Indigirka River is divided into:

  • Upper mountain area (640km)
  • Lower Plain (1,086 kmZ).

Indigirka river photo

The banks of the river are mountain highlands, ridges, chains, and then abruptly give way to depressions and lowlands. The basin was formed on the site of rocks that have long been frozen under the influence of low temperatures And climatic conditions. Near the coast there are many alluvial soils.

The length of the Indigirka is more than 1.7 thousand kilometers, with a basin area of ​​​​360 thousand square kilometers. The depth ranges from 7.5 to 11 meters. The width is different on the upper and lower sections of the river - from 500 meters to 20 kilometers. There are many rapids, estuaries, and deltas in the basin. The river is separated from the sea by a small shallow bay.

The climate is sharply continental. In winter, the average temperature is -40 degrees, in summer +14 degrees. Summer is short and winter is long. average speed current 3m/s. Flowing into the East Siberian Sea, it forms a delta, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich is 5,500 square km.

Indigirka on the map

Indigirka on the map photo

River mode

The nutrition of Indigirka is mixed, it is carried out due to snow, rain, and melting ice. High water is typical in spring and summer. In winter, the entire river freezes, since the water temperature drops to minus 50. The river is covered with ice in October, the river opens in late May, early June.

Flora and fauna

The river passes through taiga, tundra, forest tundra and arctic forests. The local ichthyofauna is very rich in fish - 29 species, including:

  • Chir;
  • Omul;
  • Sturgeon;
  • Nelma;
  • Vendace;
  • Keta;
  • Pink salmon;
  • Muksun.

Cities

On the banks of the river there are many settlements, both large and small, most of which are located in Momsky, Abysky. Allaikhovskiy and Oymyakonskiy districts. The largest cities are Oymyakon, Belaya Gora, Chokurdakh, Khonuu.


river Indigirka. Oymyakon city photo

tributaries

Large tributaries are located in the upper and lower reaches, which are located on the right and left banks. For example, large arms are Nera, Moma, Uyandina, Allaikha, Elgi. Chiya, Arga-Yuryakh, Talbykchan, Taskan, Berelekh are considered much smaller tributaries.

Economic activity

Minerals are mined: coal, gold. Fishing and reindeer husbandry are developed. Indigirka is one of the most significant waterways of the North-East of Russia.

Tourism on the river

Travelers who visit Yakutia, in summer time engaged in fishing and rafting, kayaking.

Indigirka river photo

  • One of the busiest transport routes in the country, along which river transport runs.
  • On the river is the village of Oymyakon, which is considered the pole of cold.
  • Quite an interesting monument of the 19th century. considered the city of Zashiversk, which became a monument to the entire population, which at the end of the 19th century. died from a smallpox epidemic.
  • Scientists explain the origin of the name of the hydronym as the name of the Evenk tribe - Indigir, which had a generic origin. It meant the dog river or people from the Indy family.

beauty of Russia. Indigirka river photo