Teberda

Ecological project, Teberdinskiy Zapovednik, Karachai-Cherkessia, Russia

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In the summer of 2002 I participated in an ecological work camp in the Russian Urals. Although the camp had been a success because of the unique group atmosphere and the beautifully pure nature, I was a bit disappointed because the Urals in Perm were not more than mole-heaps lost in the big Russian plains. In contrast the central northern Caucasus offers Europe's highest mountains like Elbrus (5642m), Dombay-Yolgen (4046m), Dykhtau (5204m), ... The mountains did not disappoint: the region around Dombay and Teberda was very beautiful. The camp took place in the Teberdinskiy National Reserve, a mountainous region with a gentle climate in a region dotted with turquoise lakes, mighty glaciers, waterfalls, lovely rivers and alpine meadows filled with flowers. Unfortunately winter and summer tourism in the mountain resort Dombay causes severe ecological problems. Tourists leave loads of waste behind when they visit the area. The neighborhood of hiking trails resembles rubbish dumps with beer cans, empty vodka bottles, tins of fish or corned beef, paper, plastic packs, ... Goal of this ecological work camp was to collect this garbage on the most popular trails and to renovate the reserve's visitor center.

After a flight from Brussels to Mineralnie Vody and a 200km transfer from the airport to Teberda, I could join the rest of the group in the nature reserve. They had opted for a 40 hour train ride from Moscow to Cherkessk. We stayed in a comfortable forest house on the left bank of the Teberda river. Our group was international and quite diverse but we managed to get on well together. In our spare time we had good talks and discussions, played chess or other games,  had the occasion to test a UAZ four wheel drive and made a crazy visit to Cherkessk. Unfortunately our European stomachs were not strong enough for Caucasian food, so most of the volunteers took some days off to have a rest in their beds or to camp near the toilets. Our work was varied: the first day we prepared food for European bison and a group of wild boars of the local zoo, other days we made long hikes and collected garbage on the way back or we did some renovation works in the visitors' center and nature museum near the reserve's headquarters. I was surprised by the beauty and wildness of the region. During the nights we heard the howling of jackals and wolfs near our forest house and in the toilet we had the company of a squirrel like animal. During our walks we saw loads of birds of prey, walked through pristine alpine meadows and apparently the reserve was home to a hoard of European bison and huge population of bears. On walks close to the Abchazian border we met Russian border guards checking our documents or just inviting us for tea or giving a showcase of their Kalashnikovs or telescopes. Also the landscapes were impressive: pure rivers, turquoise mountain lakes and glaciers that dominated the river valleys. Tourism is on the rise however. Everywhere in the forests new hotels and restaurants are being built. Given the fact that local tourists tend to be very careless and negligent about ecology and nature conservancy, new work camps will be needed to clean the mess of trash and garbage that visitors leave behind. But this won't be enough: as long as the mentality does not change and no dustbins or trashcans are installed along the trails much change cannot be expected. Maybe future camps should tackle these aspects of the problem.

In the aftermath of the work camp I visited Kislovodsk and Pyatigorsk. As I was reading Lermontow's "A hero of our time" this was a rather disappointing experience: in Lermontow's book these cities were aristocratic and bustling spa towns but today these cities are in a poor state of decay. In Pyatigorsk it was especially striking that in the Soviet era a new town had been built on the 19e century remnants. However some of the former charm has been preserved and gives a mere idea about what these cities once looked like. On my way back to MinVody airport I had the unpleasant experience to be stopped as many as four times by the local police. Every time they found something else that was wrong with my visa and immigration card. Although they threatened me with a huge fine (1.500 RUR), I managed to escape thanks to endless patience, stories about my voluntary work in Dombay or just by threats of calling the "allmighty" Belgian embassy or by asking their IDs. But due to these delays I nearly missed my flight to Moscow. You see, my trip to the spa towns was not really a success. But at least I found a CD of Gruppa Salam, the musical theme of our work camp.

Back in Moscow I met some of the other volunteers that had ventured to Moscow by train from Cherkessk or by plane from Sotchi or Kazan. For old times' sake we had dinner in a Caucasian restaurant on Arbat street. In Moscow I visited VDNKh and Red Square and paid tribute to Lenin in his mausoleum. I also made a daytrip to the Trinity Monastery in Sergiev Posad. A great end to this fantastic work camp!