Pinega Karst Caves

The Pinega country is built on gypsum, and gypsum dissolves fast, so the ground under this stretch of northern taiga is riddled - something over four hundred and fifty caves are recorded, along with sinkholes, disappearing streams, karst lakes that drain and refill, and canyons where the roof of a cave system has fallen in. Several caves are open to guided visits from the Golubino base, most notably Golubinsky Proval, and what makes them unusual is the ice: cold air sinks into the entrances in winter and cannot escape, so ice floors, columns and crystal growths persist deep into summer and in places all year. Around them the Pinezhsky nature reserve protects old-growth spruce and larch, with permits required for its core. There are also waterfalls and the Pinega river itself. Cave visits are guided only, with helmets and lights supplied, and the passages are cold, wet and low.

What you actually see

• The gypsum caves - over four hundred and fifty recorded under the taiga.
• The summer ice - floors, columns and crystals surviving well past the thaw.
• The karst surface - sinkholes, disappearing streams and collapsed canyons.
• The old-growth reserve - protected spruce and larch around the cave systems.

When to go

February to April for the best ice formations; June to September for easier travel. A day for a guided cave; several for the wider area.

Honest expectations

Caves are visited with a guide only - independent entry is prohibited and dangerous, as gypsum collapses. Cold, wet and low passages requiring a helmet. The reserve core needs permits. Arkhangelsk region winters are severe and roads are long.

Nearby

Golubino is the visitor base; Arkhangelsk and the Dvina are west.