On reaching the end of the passenger line, 48 hours or so after leaving Moscow, the train finally stops at Labytnangi station, on the west bank of the mighty Ob River. Across the river, more than a mile wide at this point, lies the city of Salekhard, capital of the so-called Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, which is home to Russia’s biggest gas fields.
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The so-called ‘Pole of Cold’ in Yakutia is officially the coldest inhabited place on Earth. Surprisingly it’s significantly colder than even the North Pole!
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Twice a year the Nenets of the Yamal Peninsula migrate 60km across the frozen Ob, a bay of the Arctic Ocean. This intense migration can take up to 24 hours. There is no pasture along the way meaning it’s a race to get to the other side before the reindeer become too weak from a lack of food. There will be no breaks for the herders, the animals or for you. At the end of the crossing we are invited to the annual reindeer herders’ festival in Yar Sale, which will offer a chance to witness some extraordinary events such as reindeer racing and traditional sports.
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