Canoeing on Yaselda River in Belarusian Polesia, 2015
It was a two-week kayaking on Yaselda River, which leads through vast marshes and backwaters of the Belarusian Polesia.
River has a natural character and runs away from bigger human settlements and any industry.
By the way, we visited adjacent chutory and villages, which are outside of the official tourist routes, where the streets at night are not lit and the drinking water is taken from wells.
Every day we ate fresh fish or cryfish caught in the river, which are huge amounts there.
It was extremely dry year - during the preceding three months there was no rain (last such drought in Polesia was recorded in 1957).
Often the water level in the river was low and our loaded kayaks settled on the bottom. Then we had to pull them behind, wading on muddy or sandy riverbed.
Moreover, dried lakes, which the river crosses, looked like farmlands after heavy rain.
Due to the difficulties caused by Belarusian border guards in transportation of kayaks on a car trailer, we entered the Belarus on kayaks on Augustow Canal (it is the only river crossing of the external boundary of EU). We came back to Poland the same way.
Yaselda River "in a nutshell"
- The name of the river derives from the Sanskrit (the literary language of ancient, medieval and early modern India) and means River of Gods.
- River flows through Polesia also known as the green lungs of Europe.
- It is surrounded by large areas of wetlands and backwaters, partly protected by the Ramsar Convention.
- Total length of the river is about 200 km, source is near Bereza Kartuska and mouth to Pripyat River.
- Shallow river (up to 2 m deep) with very slow flow up to 2 km/h, slightly meandering.
- It is hard to find a convenient place to camp because of marshy banks.
- You can catch in the river such fish as pike, wild carp, crucian carp, tench, perch, roach, catfish, ide and bream and crampons.
- You can fish on the rod without a license, while net fishing is prohibited and the penalties are very high.
- Human settlements along the river are rarely and access to them is very difficult because of swampy or cliff river banks.
- Canoeing on Yaselda River, according to the accounts of local fishermen, held once every few years.
- Cellular phone coverage is excellent along the whole river.
- Generally, the river is suitable only for experienced kayakers looking for new challenges.
Location of Yaselda River on the Belarus map.
Water borderline crossing between Poland and Belarus on the Augustow Canal (the only such crossing in the EU).
Yaselda River in the middle course.
Yaselda River. Motol village in the background.
One of the narrow branches of the river.
One of the narrow branches of the river.
Reeds on the banks sometimes reached up to 5 m height.
Very low water surface level in the river because of a huge drought (no rain for 3 months).
Lakes dried up because of the drought. Sporava Lake on the photo.
At the dinner there were fresh crayfish caught in the lake.
At the dinner there were fresh crayfish caught in the lake.
Fish caught in the river.
The dilemma - fish soup or fried fish?
Fresh fish from the river for dinner again.
Near the villages we were usually accompanied with "escort".
Water Lily - one of many species of flowers on Yaselda River.
Black-crowned night heron (strictly protected in many countries of Europe).
Idyllic view.
Oginski Canal, built in XVIII c., once connecting the Black Sea river catchment area (including Yaselda River) with catchment area of the Baltic Sea.
Flower.
Flower
Reed.
Soup cooking on the fire.
Fish frying on the fire.
Sausages roasted on the fire.
Breakfast with fresh hen eggs bought in the rural homestead.
One of our camps.
Evening campfire.
Kvass straight from the barrel.
Preparing for departure swallows - a sign of approaching autumn.
Orthodox church in Motol village.
Cottage.
Abandoned cottage.
Abandoned cottage.
Palace rhodium complex of Sapiecha family in Różany from XVI-XVIII c.
Palace rhodium complex of Sapiecha family in Różany from XVI-XVIII c.
Sunset at Yaselda River.
Sunset at Yaselda River.