What to expect
You will first realize that you are somewhere special when you arrive in Helsinki where Marjaliisa will take full care of you. At Murmansk Airport you will be met by the smiling faces of Murmansk team, ever friendly and confident and in constant contact with the camp, the Murmansk office and airport authorities.
The helicopters are modern, powerful and are maintained to the highest standard. The journey from Murmansk to Ryabaga is longish so bring a book or music (some guests bring iPods, a portable DVD player etc). It is interesting to see the Russian tundra from the air and will give you a sense of how remote you will be.
When the helicopter lands at Ryabaga, you will see fifteen or twenty smiling, healthy faces whatever the weather. As you disembark they will shake you by the hand and take your bags and lead you down the 'stairway to heaven' to the camp. It is when you see those faces looking after you, that you begin to feel the difference to this special place.
When you get down the hill, you will feel you have arrived in an oasis in the tundra, a small village bustling with activity. The camp hostess will show you to your tent and soon the guides will bring your bags to the tent. You will be informed what time dinner is and where the dining tent is, where there will be an array of hors d'oeuvres waiting for you. Some guides will come round and take a photograph of you and your tent mate which will be put on the board -- this helps everyone know who everyone is for the week and helps the staff address you by your first name immediately.
At dinner you will meet all the guides and crew. Matt Breuer and Annie Binning, the camp manager and hostess, and their head guide will tell you all about the camp and ensure that you are completely orientated and know where to ask for help at any time.
Everything the manager says will happen, does happen at the time they say it will unless weather does not permit it. The guides will introduce themselves the night before and take drink orders, they will help you select flies from the well-stocked shop, discuss safety, wading etc.
When you come home in the evening, you will find chocolates on your freshly made bed and if the weather is chilly your fire will be lit, as it will be before you get out of bed in the morning.
There is so much to describe that is part of the experience at Ponoi. We make such a huge effort to take care of the little details. We hope that we have given you a flavour of what to expect from this remarkable camp so far out in the Russian tundra.
