Seasons
More than anywhere else in the world, the choice of seasons to visit Arctic Siberia is of paramount importance. Nowhere else in the world has such a vast range of temperatures. In winter they may hit -60°C whereas in summer they can soar to +40°C! The seasons you choose will affect the very nature of the trip itself. The landscape you see and the activities available in summer are utterly different from those in winter. For this reason Arctic Siberia is like four destinations all rolled in to one.
This is especially true when visiting the Yamal Peninsula. The Nenets nomads migrate up to 2000km every year. In the depths of winter they are camped in the beautiful forest tundra. In summer, however, they migrate through the barren, treeless Arctic tundra not far from the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
The daily life of the Nenets varies enormously from season to season too. For example from January to March the reindeer herd is kept up to 20 – 30km from the encampment and only rounded up every second day. In summer
the herd is kept very close to the chums. The herders drive it right up to the chums every day and lasso new reindeer for their sledges.
It is essential to choose the correct season to visit depending on your interests. You are more likely to partake in migrations at one time of year. You are more likely to see gulags at another time of year, and Northern Lights at yet another. If you want to be able to visit Nenets sacred sites it is essential you choose a time of year when their migration route takes them near one.
We can of course advise on the most suitable time of year to visit based on your goals and requirements. Please also have a look at our season pages below. When you click on the boxes you will find a short description of each season on the Yamal Peninsula. This will cover both the weather you can expect, the location of the nomads at that time and an overview of their main daily activities.
More than anywhere else in the world, the choice of seasons to visit Arctic Siberia is of paramount importance. Nowhere else in the world has such a vast range of temperatures. In winter they may hit -60°C whereas in summer they can soar to +40°C! The seasons you choose will affect the very nature of the trip itself. The landscape you see and the activities available in summer are utterly different from those in winter. For this reason Arctic Siberia is like four destinations all rolled in to one.
This is especially true when visiting the Yamal Peninsula. The Nenets nomads migrate up to 2000km every year. In the depths of winter they are camped in the beautiful forest tundra. In summer, however, they migrate through the barren, treeless Arctic tundra not far from the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
The daily life of the Nenets varies enormously from season to season too. For example from January to March the reindeer herd is kept up to 20 – 30km from the encampment and only rounded up every second day. In summer the herd is kept very close to the chums. The herders drive it right up to the chums every day and lasso new reindeer for their sledges.
It is essential to choose the correct season to visit depending on your interests. You are more likely to partake in migrations at one time of year. You are more likely to see gulags at another time of year, and Northern Lights at yet another. If you want to be able to visit Nenets sacred sites it is essential you choose a time of year when their migration route takes them near one.
We can of course advise on the most suitable time of year to visit based on your goals and requirements. Please also have a look at our season pages below. When you click on the boxes you will find a short description of each season on the Yamal Peninsula. This will cover both the weather you can expect, the location of the nomads at that time and an overview of their main daily activities.
