Trekking in Russia and Central Asia [Paperback]

Frith Maier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1994

Pristine mountains, blooming deserts, rolling steppe, wetlands and forests thick with wildlife. . . . This is Russia? Indeed it is, and this is the first book to expertly guide you through its once-forbidden wilderness. Whether you use this guide to hike through Silk Road villages, climb remote peaks, or just take an overnight trip out of the city, these treks are sure to shatter any preconceived notions you had about the former Soviet Union. For the latest wisdom on navigating this land of eleven time zones, dozens of ethnic groupps, and ever-changing bureaucracy, count on Frith Maier's ten years of experience pioneering foreign adventure travel. Includes: - 50 treks and adventures of various skill levels- Indispensible cultural background- Up-to-date information on travel conditions, finding accomodations and food- 61 authoratative maps unavailable anywhere else- How-to-do's on hiring guides and tour companies- Trip planning tips, environmental considerations, health & safety advice- Handy Russian phrases and terms for trekers

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Maier, a Seattle resident who has spent nearly a decade hiking and climbing in the former Soviet Union and who directs REI Adventures' Soviet operations, has created a guide to trekking and climbing in that part of the world. The book's introduction includes information on trip preparation; Russian culture, food, and currency; health and safety considerations; and a fascinating discussion of the history of mountaineering in Russia. Three major sections cover hiking in western Russia, Turkestan, and Siberia and the Russian Far East. Each section provides information on the natural history and culture of the region and advice on when to go and where to stay. Because of the vast geographical area covered in this trail guide, many of the hikes are not presented in the detail to which American hikers may be accustomed, but this valuable guide fills a void in hiking literature and will be an important addition to serious outdoor adventure and Russian collections.
Pamela Bellows, Northwestern Connecticut Community Technical Coll. Lib., Winsted, Ct.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 369 pages
• Publisher: Mountaineers Books; 2nd edition (May 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0898863554
• ISBN-13: 978-0898863550
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,476,262 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an indispensible resource for getting into the mountains, September 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Trekking in Russia and Central Asia (Paperback)

I spent 5 weeks this summer traveling and mountaineering in Central Asia, primarily in the Tien Shan Mountains. Maier's guidebook, Trekking in Russia and Central Asia, was extraordinarily helpful for planning my travels and choosing destinations while travelling. It provided the essential information I needed to get into mountains. The maps and trek descriptions were almost always accurate, and the glossary in the appendix was very useful for breaking down language barriers. I'd rely on it again for future trips.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good for Inspiration, Very Poor as a Guide, September 22, 2004

By 

Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Trekking in Russia and Central Asia (Paperback)

While this book may be interesting to those who have not been to Russia/CIS yet and have no other sources of information, those who have and were expecting more detailed practical info on trekking will be sorely dissapointed.
It does have lots of background information on various regions that are of interest to hikers, but unfortunately it is EXTREMELY thin on practical details.
It tends to write pages about how interesting a region is in general, before finally moving on to "describe" a single trek of several days' length in maybe 10 lines or so! This is particularly bad in the sections about Asian Russia - the European part is covered a bit better.
The maps and trail descriptions are all but useless for those planning to attempt the hikes on their own.
Finally, the general advice on travel/hiking in Russia in the introductory section is so out of date now - having been written more than a decade ago - that it is of very little help either.
All in all, if you want to read about how nice places await discovery out there, you will get your fill. Just don't expect this book to be of much help in actually trying to "discover" them!

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rare author who understands Russia, February 15, 2003

By 

Emma Azartny (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Trekking in Russia and Central Asia (Paperback)

Traveling Russia is like nowhere else in the world, and Maier is uniquely qualified to help make sense of it. This book was the most interesting and useful of the required reading for Peace Corps volunteers going there.