Llyn Baikal, Siberia Iolo yn Rwsia

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-Russia has already shown me...

-..that it has stunning landscapes

-and scintillating wildlife.

-I've climbed the Caucasus...

-..and the Urals.

-I've reached the heart of Russia.

-This is one of the coldest areas

-in the world - Siberia.

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-You can't deny that Russia is one

-of the world's wildest places.

-The endless forests,

-cascading mountain streams...

-..and the world's deepest lake...

-..ensure that Siberia

-won't disappoint me.

-Bears live on the banks of the lake.

-The mountains provide a habitat for

-some of the world's largest sheep.

-I've travelled thousands of miles...

-..but I've only reached the halfway

-point of my journey across Russia.

-Siberia borders the Ural mountains,

-near the Europe-Asia border.

-It's huge,

-13 million square kilometres.

-It covers over 10%

-of the world's land mass.

-However, very few people live here.

-Down in the south,

-near the border with Mongolia...

-..stretching for 300 miles, is one

-of the world's most famous lakes.

-This is one of the wonders

-of the natural world.

-Siberia's jewel.

-I've reached Lake Baikal -

-the world's deepest lake.

-In parts, it's almost a mile deep.

-It's amazing to think that 20% of

-the world's unfrozen fresh water...

-..can be found in this lake.

-It's autumn.

-In winter, this place

-looks completely different.

-During the harsh winter weather...

-..our camera crew

-filmed the wildlife...

-..which survives Siberia's

-extreme weather conditions.

-Between December and May,

-most of Lake Baikal is frozen...

-..apart from the area

-where the Angara flows through it.

-It heats the lake to a temperature

-of four degrees Celsius.

-The water attracts goldeneye ducks.

-They stay in groups,

-close to the ice...

-..and dive underwater

-in search of food.

-These are the coniferous forests

-of northern Siberia.

-This is a very characteristic

-landscape in this part of Russia.

-Taiga is the name given

-to this kind of landscape.

-This is one of the world's

-largest forests.

-These trees have to withstand

-freezing winters to survive here.

-The Siberian forests hide a secret.

-This is the deer moose.

-Its sharp front teeth

-are similar to a vampire's.

-The deer moose

-has a price on its head.

-It has a musky scent

-which is used to produce perfume.

-The deer moose graze on tree bark.

-It's difficult to digest but easy

-to find, even in the thick snow.

-Nearby, ravens have discovered

-a frozen feast.

-This deer moose isn't worried

-about the ravens.

-The feast's owner has returned.

-The wolves don't hibernate.

-They have to hunt for food

-throughout the year...

-..even during

-the cold, harsh winter.

-They hunt in packs but disagree

-on how to share their feast.

-The ravens will have to wait

-their turn.

-They wait for an opportunity

-to steal some leftovers.

-Yakutia - Siberia's coldest region.

-Here, temperatures plummet

-to minus 70 degrees Celsius.

-This is one of the world's

-coldest places.

-It's March and Yakutian mares

-are about to give birth.

-To survive the winter,

-they move slowly to conserve energy.

-These brave horses have no stables.

-For many years,

-they've been raised in the open air.

-To find last year's grass, they

-have to dig through the thick snow.

-Food is scarce. It provides little

-nourishment for pregnant mares.

-They might not all survive

-the winter.

-In a village near Lake Baikal...

-..the locals also try

-to survive the winter.

-Trees are one of Siberia's

-natural resources.

-They are exported around the world.

-The locals makes the most of

-the frozen lake to play ice hockey.

-Like the rest of Siberia...

-..people from different

-backgrounds live here.

-Lake Baikal's most famous animal

-is the Nerpa, or Baikal seal.

-It's native to this area.

-It's the only seal in the world

-that can be found in fresh water.

-The collection of remote

-rocky beaches and small islands...

-..and even the thick layer of ice

-which covers the lake in winter...

-..is the perfect habitat

-for the Nerpa.

-As winter draws to a close,

-the ice starts to melt.

-This is the habitat

-of the Baikal seal.

-Some weeks ago, this little seal

-was born on the ice.

-Since its shelter in the ice

-disappeared...

-..it's had to wait for its mother

-near one of the pools.

-The mother only returns

-to her young once or twice a day.

-The Baikal seal

-is unique to this lake.

-If this young pup survives

-its first Siberian winter...

-..it could live to be 50 years old.

-With its tough skin

-and thick layer of fat...

-..it doesn't feel the cold.

-It dives from one hole

-to the next effortlessly...

-..swimming through

-the enchanting tunnels of ice.

-On the other hand, I'm charmed

-by one of the nearby villages.

-The landscape

-is very different in September...

-..before the onset

-of the winter snow.

-This little village

-is awash with autumnal colours.

-The simplicity of life here

-reminds me of a bygone age.

-Even in the autumn,

-I feel I'm in a remote outpost.

-I'm eager to discover

-how the locals cope with this.

-I'm on my way to meet a man...

-..who's farmed this land

-his entire life.

-Nenov and his family

-have kept horses on the farm...

-..and offered trekking tours

-to visitors for many years.

-I asked him if it was difficult

-to farm here in winter.

-He laughed.

-He told me

-that he's used to the cold.

-Living here isn't as difficult

-as visitors perceive it to be.

-In winter, more snow

-falls here than on the mountains.

-One of the first things he does

-when it snows is feed the animals...

-..and send them up to the mountains

-to shelter.

-He doesn't sell his horses

-in the mart.

-People here exchange their stock

-for oil, petrol and hay...

-..with their neighbours.

-I love hearing

-about this simple way of life.

-Nenov claims that farming here

-is easier than he expected...

-..but looking at all the machinery

-that needs to be fixed...

-..I admire his enthusiasm.

-Back on the road...

-..I'm looking forward

-to seeing more Siberian wonders.

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-Travelling in Siberia is easier

-in autumn than it is in winter.

-The Verkhoyansk mountains

-are north of Lake Baikal.

-Some summits

-reach a height of 2,000 metres.

-This is one of Siberia's

-remotest areas...

-..with no way

-of travelling across it.

-In the Siberian mountains, one group

-of people rely on the snow...

-..to fulfil their work.

-Our camera crew spent March with

-the shepherds and their reindeer.

-Here, they use the strongest

-reindeer to pull the sleds.

-The Yakutian people have lived here

-for thousand of years.

-Living conditions

-are relatively simple.

-There's no running water. They

-have to wait for the ice to melt.

-The harnesses are made from

-natural materials - reindeer skin.

-The wooden pieces of the sled

-are fixed together...

-..using leather from reindeer skin.

-Without it, the sled would break.

-Today, the shepherds are hoping to

-find the rest of their reindeer...

-..on the frozen taiga.

-In a few days' time, the shepherds

-will move to their summer homes.

-It's only possible

-to travel in Yakutia...

-..before the snow and ice melt.

-Before long, the land will be

-covered in pools of water.

-The shepherds will be cut off from

-the rest of the world until winter.

-This wolf is searching for food.

-It keeps its nose to the ground

-in the hope of finding some food.

-During the winter,

-mice hide under the layers of snow.

-A mouse is a tasty meal for a wolf.

-This isn't a mouse. It's keeping

-an eagle eye on the wolf.

-This is a sable.

-For centuries, the sable's coat

-was used to adorn regal robes.

-It was hunted for years, even

-in the remotest parts of Siberia.

-Today, wolves are its biggest enemy.

-After long hours, the shepherds have

-collected their herd of reindeer.

-Keeping an eye on over

-1,000 reindeer is a huge challenge.

-The relationship between

-the shepherds and the reindeer...

-..stretches back for centuries.

-For the people

-who live in Siberia...

-..reindeer provide many necessities,

-such as meat and leather.

-The shepherds also ride

-the reindeer.

-The oldest shepherd

-feeds the reindeer salt.

-It makes him a very popular person.

-It's not an easy task.

-He has to push his way

-through a sharp forest of antlers.

-Nearby, the ice is starting to melt

-and floats down the Lena River.

-The river flows for

-over 2,700 miles across Siberia...

-..from Lake Baikal

-to the Arctic Ocean.

-On the banks of the river,

-there's a sea of wild flowers.

-Similar to daffodils in Wales...

-..the pasque flower

-blooms soon after winter's end.

-The Yakutian horses have survived

-the winter, along with their foals.

-They grow stronger every day

-and enjoy the warm sunshine.

-The mares graze daily to provide

-themselves with enough energy...

-..to raise their foals.

-The mares are struggling. There

-is little green pasture for them.

-Last year's brown grass

-will suffice for now.

-The Sayan mountains

-stretch for 1,200 miles...

-..along the border

-between Russia and Mongolia.

-Some summits reach a height

-of 3,000 metres...

-..three times higher than Snowdon.

-In the nearby lands,

-towards the south...

-..the snow melts early.

-This is home

-to the Siberian salamander.

-It's a special amphibian

-which has its own legend.

-According to the story, this lizard

-can freeze without dying.

-Although this is unlikely...

-..seeing the salamander crawling

-across the ice is a wonderful sight.

-Its body temperature

-is controlled by its surroundings.

-It moves towards the open water.

-These creatures mate and lay eggs

-very early in the year...

-..in freezing water.

-The thaw has reached its full force.

-The rivers overflow

-and cascade down to the lowlands.

-There, the water slows down

-and flows for over 2,500 miles...

-..until it reaches the Arctic Ocean.

-The overflowing streams

-and greenery of the landscape...

-..is a sign that spring

-has reached Lake Baikal.

-In the spring, bears leave

-the forests where they hibernated...

-..to search for food.

-There is very little variety

-in this desolate land.

-They are forced to eat

-whatever they can find.

-This bear is three years old.

-It's left its shelter in the forest.

-Here, on the banks of the lake,

-it's dry and sunny.

-The conditions

-at the water's edge are perfect...

-..for herbs and other plants

-which can't grow in the forest.

-The bears enjoy eating herbs

-such as aniseed, caraway and fennel.

-It's strange to see these huge

-predators eating flowers and herbs.

-After eating,

-the bear wanders toward the lake.

-It must stay alert.

-A lot of hunters comes to this part

-of Baikal to hunt illegally.

-It's easy for hunters

-to flee across the lake by boat...

-..as soon as they snag their prize.

-The bear is enjoying itself

-in the water.

-If this older bear

-gets any closer...

-..it'll have to surrender its place.

-This bear is too young to win

-a battle against an older bear.

-It heads for the forest.

-Down by the freshwater lake, I can

-see Baikal's most famous residents.

-The seals.

-The evolution of this seal

-is an interesting story.

-Millions of years ago, many ringed

-seals swam from the Arctic Ocean...

-..through the Yenisei

-and Angara rivers...

-..to reach Lake Baikal.

-Over the years,

-in the lake's water...

-..the seals evolved

-to create a new species.

-They adapted to life

-in the world's deepest lake.

-The seals enjoy nothing more

-than sunbathing by the lake.

-It's hard work

-finding the best spot.

-There's a lot of competition

-for the best location.

-It is thought that Lake Baikal

-was formed 20 million years ago...

-..as the earth split

-and two tectonic plates separated.

-Lake Baikal and the Pacific Ocean

-will one day combine.

-Saltwater will replace the lake's

-fresh water creating a new sea.

-The slopes of Baikal,

-the world's deepest lake...

-..reach depths of 1,600 metres -

-a mile under the surface.

-Some unique underwater wildlife

-can be found in the depths.

-70% of the underwater creatures

-are native to Baikal.

-This bipedal is 10cms in length.

-It's huge compared

-to the rest of its family.

-The lake has a wealth

-of nourishment and oxygen.

-It allows these creatures to grow.

-This stickleback lives

-close to the bottom of the lake.

-They are eaten by the larger fish

-which hunt in the lake.

-The fish are a source of food

-for local people.

-Locals worship the lake...

-..and consider it a holy place.

-It's an enchanting place.

-I have been charmed

-by the beauty of Lake Baikal.

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-I'm halfway through

-my journey across Russia.

-I've reached the centre

-of the country - Siberia.

-Even in the autumn,

-the landscape is spectacular.

-The forests of the Siberian taiga

-stretch for thousands of miles...

-..but very few animals live here.

-However, there's a wide variety

-of flowers and plants.

-Here, you'll find a little creature

-which challenges larger animals.

-It's significantly smaller

-than bears and wolves.

-The combination of dry land

-and hot summers in Siberia...

-..is perfect

-for all kinds of insects.

-Some are exotic, while others,

-such as wood ants...

-..are very familiar to us in Wales.

-This nest only contains female ants.

-They carry pieces of resin

-back to the nest...

-..but also look for other things

-to eat - such as this ladybird.

-She's one of 10,000 insects

-the ants will feast on.

-This longhorn beetle

-has landed on dangerous ground.

-The tree trunk is so smooth,

-it struggles to climb.

-The ants wait patiently.

-In a rapid attack,

-the ants capture the beetle...

-..even though it's much larger.

-They kill the beetle

-by poisoning it with their acid.

-After all the effort,

-the beetle is too heavy...

-..to be carried back to the nest.

-The effort

-to kill the beetle has been wasted.

-High up in the Sayan mountains...

-..a particular kind of guinea pig

-can be found.

-The pika makes the most of the

-summer pantry and fills its belly.

-It grazes daily.

-Its home is high up in the mountain.

-Winter will return here sooner

-than anywhere else in Siberia.

-The flowers of the Irish heather

-satisfy the pika's appetite.

-There's no time to pick and choose.

-It eats as much as it can.

-Further up the mountain, Siberian

-alpine goats are searching for food.

-They live

-further up the steep slopes.

-The young alpine goats

-must stay close to the adults...

-..in case they become a hearty

-supper for circling birds of prey.

-The kids and adults bleat

-when a threat is nearby.

-These incredible climbers...

-..can escape

-from almost all enemies...

-..as they scramble up

-the steep slopes.

-I've reached Olkhon Island

-on the banks of Lake Baikal.

-It's a small island...

-..with only 1,200 inhabitants.

-The economy relies heavily

-on tourism and fishing.

-It's a great example of people

-benefiting from their surroundings.

-As I look across the lake...

-..it's incredible to think that

-20% of the world's fresh water...

-..is contained in Baikal.

-All the world's rivers

-would take a whole year to fill.

-Even at the end of summer...

-..the water temperature

-is only eight degrees Celsius.

-The water is healthy.

-It contains a high level of oxygen.

-Baikal is an excellent habitat for

-a variety of animals and plants...

-..that you won't see

-anywhere else in the world.

-Out on the lake, the seals continue

-to compete for their place...

-..on the rocks or under the water.

-Life is good on the warm rocks.

-Until one neighbour

-starts to bicker.

-An argument between two leads to

-a dispute between the whole group.

-Bickering is physical work

-and soon, the seals tire.

-Back on Olkhon Island,

-I'm off to explore some more.

-The landscape which stretches to

-Lake Baikal is similar to Mongolia.

-This is the type of terrain

-that's called a steppe...

-..dry, open, desert land.

-The contrast in landscapes attracts

-tourists from around the world.

-The slopes near Khoboi,

-to the north of the island...

-..is one of the most

-picturesque areas of Baikal.

-The steppe is an ideal habitat for

-one of Olkhon's main inhabitants...

-..hamsters.

-This quartet is five weeks old.

-They're ready to venture out

-for the first time.

-They need to familiarize themselves

-with the plants they can eat...

-..and fill their bellies

-before they hibernate.

-One keeps watch. They are often

-preyed upon by birds and foxes.

-From time to time,

-mountains rise from the steppes.

-The highest are in the Altai range.

-Some are 3,000 metres

-or 10,000 feet above sea level.

-They're home to the world's wildest

-and possibly most fierce sheep.

-The rocky Altai mountains are more

-desolate than the rest of Siberia.

-This might be the reason

-why the shy Argali sheep live here.

-In the autumn, the rams, ewes

-and lambs gather as one flock.

-The mating season is about to begin.

-The rams can grow to the size

-of a small horse.

-The ewes are currently

-attracting their attention.

-The ram tries to smell the air to

-assess if the ewe is ready to mate.

-So far,

-the ewe has shown little interest.

-Competition is fierce.

-Another ram is ready to fight

-for the right to mate.

-With every ram

-weighing over 250kgs...

-..every blow is powerful.

-Their horns will only serve

-to intensify the blow.

-These two are only playing around -

-a rehearsal for the main event.

-Sheep's horns

-are sought by some hunters.

-Locals are also fond

-of eating their meat.

-As a result, the future of these

-huge sheep hangs in the balance.

-The strongest ram will win

-the honour of mating with the ewe.

-The victor's status will increase.

-Further down, a herd of Altai

-reindeer roam the mountainside.

-They belong to the red deer family.

-They are also ready to mate.

-The mountains

-are full of excitement.

-The skirmishes between

-the Argali sheep continue apace.

-A battle has commenced

-between two of the largest rams.

-The older ram

-will challenge the younger ram...

-..and drive the flock away.

-The ewes shelter

-lower down the mountain.

-The oldest ram follows them.

-The youngest ram refuses to concede

-and the battle recommences.

-Both rams are determined

-to win the contest.

-Finally, the oldest,

-and most experienced, wins the day.

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-The autumn, with such

-warm colours on the trees...

-..is arguably the best time

-to visit Lake Baikal.

-The change of landscape heralds

-a new period for the animals.

-It's very enchanting here...

-..in the autumn when the golden

-colours explode from the trees.

-These are Siberian larch behind me.

-This change is a sign

-for the creatures that live here...

-..that a long Siberian winter

-is approaching.

-They have to prepare

-for the cold months ahead of them.

-The berries that grow in the forest

-provide a feast for the chipmunk.

-They need to eat as much as they can

-as they prepare for the winter.

-They also need birch leaves to

-adorn their shelter over the winter.

-Nearby, two brown bears

-have discovered a carcass.

-It appears they have agreed

-which one will eat first.

-The wolf which has been trailing the

-bears is unhappy with the agreement.

-It approaches the carcass.

-It must be starving to even

-contemplate challenging the bears.

-The bears win this battle

-and the wolf flees.

-As I wander past

-the villagers of Baikal...

-..it becomes evident how simple

-and primitive their life is here.

-I realize that they have

-to work hard to survive.

-Along with the wildlife,

-these men are preparing for winter.

-They are preparing for the long,

-fruitless months ahead of them.

-Every home is self-sufficient.

-The land near the lake provides

-a good harvest of vegetables.

-Autumn is a busy time

-for the villagers.

-It's time to collect potatoes

-and cut the grass...

-..in the age-old fashion.

-Machinery from the Soviet era

-broke down years ago.

-There are no spare parts

-to fix them.

-They rely on their trusted horse.

-The Siberian pine

-provides shelter for many animals.

-The chipmunk has been

-collecting food since early morning.

-The pine tree

-provides a tasty feast...

-..but an annual harvest

-isn't guaranteed.

-Having released the pine,

-the chipmunk starts to harvest.

-It must ensure

-that no other creature steals...

-..its valuable collection.

-It's crucial for the chipmunk

-to have enough reserves...

-..to survive the winter.

-It will mate once more

-in the new year.

-My journey through Siberia

-is coming to an end.

-I've joined the seals to enjoy

-the last sun of the autumn...

-..on the banks of Lake Baikal.

-Taid once told me that when

-a cold wind blew in from the East...

-..it had come

-all the way from Siberia.

-I'm sure Taid was right.

-This vast steppe

-stretches for thousands of miles.

-I'm certain that the wind

-that starts blowing here...

-..eventually reaches our shores.

-Siberia has been an eye-opener

-for me.

-I was expecting

-a desolate, barren landscape...

-..but it's full of life.

-Insects, plants, birds and animals

-can be found here.

-My visit brings me here

-during the autumn.

-During the winter, it's a very harsh

-place, for wildlife and humans.

-S4C Subtitles by Simian 04 Cyf.

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