We, the youth, have not used to think about those who are not so brave to walk on steep, narrow, dangerous trails, jump from one cliff to another. Sometimes we do not care about ourself safety either. But when i walk on GBT trail i think that is good to concentrate on nature instead of the path. And, what is more important, this trail is appropriate for other people such as my mum and dad. They are not young and would never go on a previous trail (a dangerous one). I see the GBT trail as the opportunity for people of their age to discover the beauty of Lake Baikal. When I will have children we will go hiking together on that trail. It is safe and good way of learning about environment, eco-tourism and ourselfes.

During the two years that I lived in Siberia I was often struck by the difficulty of every excursion into the wilderness. Without state funding to build and maintain recreational trail systems every hike is a bush-whack and every trip is an epic. While a hardy few enjoy such trips, they are neither encouraging for the novice, tolerable for the aged, nor enjoyable for the majority. GBT has undertaken a momentous task by initiating and continuing the effort to build the first national recreational trail system in Russia. Their work is a tremendous asset to the inhabitants of the regions around Baikal as it creates sustainable economic opportunities, engenders positive interaction with the natural world (thus promoting a conversationalist mentality), and encourages international cooperation in dealing with issues of environmental conservation world wide by attracting volunteers from all over the globe. During the year that I worked as a volunteer for GBT, I was continually awed by their hard work and dedication. The results that they have achieved, and the international networks of support that they have created, speak for themselves. GBT is a truly inspiring group of people that work very hard towards a commendable goal.

The Great Baikal Trail association embodies the best about sustainable tourism: inspiring a passionate volunteer corps through intimate involvement with a project. Their strong leadership in the region and collaboration with schools, local villages, and business partners makes them a model for eco-tourism that is sensitive not only to the environment, but indigenous cultures and local lifeways.

I had an amazing volunteer experience at Baikal "pre-season" in 2006 and believe this organization deserves your vote for best geotourism innovators!

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Heather Beggs
Homer, Alaska

I already was two times at a GBT work-camp as a volunteer. In two weeks I will be on my third camp. This time as a teacher bringing two of his pupils to this beautiful part of Russia. These projects are important for not only young people to learn: inter-cultural experience, learning russian, understanding ecological systems, seeing the very special endemits of Baikal-region, being able to help our environment in an sustainable way, coming to places you would never be able without this organisation and so on.
Travelling for nearly 15 years to Russia it is good to see there is an organisation of young people working in a good way full of hope and enthusiasm in a country which shows itself often desperately and apathetically.
When taking into account, that Baikal contains clean potable water enough to provide the whole mankind for several centuries, we should support ecological projects at this lake for our own and our children's sake, because the oldest lake of the world could be our future thanks to such projects as GBT.

One of the most amazing aspects of this project is the legacy it will leave for the future generations of the communities surrounding Lake Baikal.

The inspiration behind this project will lead to it being one of the principal drawcards and developmental influences of the region.

Good Luck!

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Eider and Andrew

Hey! you deserve a round of applause and encouragement. Being the only company in Russia to be on this list is great. I am sure your success will be a role model for others to promote responsible tourism towards sustainable development of the area. Well done!-) This is important for this country as it will fast become a mecca for tourism traffic as the economy thrives.

Personally I am very impressed with what I hear and look forward to visiting you and interviewing your volunteers+organisers. I am sure the learning will be great for me...many thanks in advance and all the best!

The achievements made by the GBT in their short history and that they have grown from strength to strength with each year is surely testament enough to the importance of the work that they do, the determination of their staff and volunteers and the significance of the ideals that they stand for.
In the 5 years that I have known and volunteered for them I have always been amazed at what they can achieve and the commitment of their volunteers to ensuring the success of the organisation.
For this reason alone I am confident of their continued success in the future.

The folks behind the Great Baikal Trail are truly amazing----and what they are doing is certainly unique. The GBT is the first system of trails in all of the former Soviet Union. Plus this is the largest volunteer program in Russia, with thousands of people coming from all over the world to help. We at Earth Island Institute are proud to be affiliated with them, and will do all we can to help them complete this trail around the largest lake in the world.

GBT is a doing organization. Instead of talking about how "goverment" or "society" or "someone" should create a different kind of tourism and a different kind of attitude to the land, GBT is doing it. Every year it builds trails that can be used in ecotourism. And more importantly, every year it brings dozens of young people together in spreading an ethic of caring about the nature of the region, and a habit of volunteering. Volunteerism is almost non-existent in Russia, and GBT's ability to make it flourish is an alchemy of fun I have yet to see duplicated anywhere.
I hope GBT wins!

Thanks to GBT for an amaizing experience.You guys are doing a great job for the community.

We will be back!

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Eider

I grew up in the USA in a culture of volunteerism and environmentalism and have spent my life's work and studies on both of these causes. But never, I repeat, NEVER have I been so inspired by a group of people as I was the seven months I spent volunteering with the Great Baikal Trail project. These people are working with so many uphill battles-- introducing to Russia even the very IDEAS of volunteerism and ecotourism-- and yet they are simply, and humbly, just taking step after step forward, always working toward the next small project or grant proposal, and yet always keeping their lofty and beautiful ideals in sight. Keep it up, GBTers! You are all absolutely incredible!

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Sally Kintner, Park Ranger, Glacier National Park, USA

Based on my experience with Great Baikal Trail (GBT), I think it is one of the most dynamic organizations anywhere that is supporting sustainable tourism linked to environmental protection. I worked with Great Baikal Trail in summer 2007, when our GBT team had the chance to do ecological restoration in Russia's oldest nature reserve, Barguzinsky, which rises from the clear lakeside of Baikal into granite peaks that reminded me of the upper reaches of Yosemite, America's oldest national park. As impressive as the lake's beauty was the leadership of GBT.

Our team leaders were Sasha Danileyko, then age 23 and about to begin graduate study in aquatic chemistry at the Baikal region's major state university, and Tanya Yourchenko, then age 19 and studying toward her undergraduate degree in advertising (with a focus on encouraging people to value Baikal) at the region's major linguistic university. Both proved to be impressive teachers, helping both foreign visitors and young Russians take great pleasure in learning about environmental and cultural topics in Siberia.

Great Baikal Trail is playing a new and innovative role to strengthen efforts to preserve wilderness lands by many Russians, a subject I have written about in American magazines including Smithsonian (June 2001) and Sierra (March 2002) .

Because I am so impressed with the ambition and accomplishments of Great Baikal Trail, I plan to return to work in summer 2009 with a team directed by another fine young leader, Olga Mikhaleva, who has been a driving force in GBT's teaching of environmental topics to local schoolchildren. Because Lake Baikal is one of the wonders of the world, and because GBT is doing such innovative work to help the world appreciate and preserve Baikal, I believe the selection of Great Baikal Trail in this year's Geotourism Challenge is a perfect and much-deserved honor.

-- Fred Strebeigh, Senior Lecturer, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

I spent three months on lake Baikal, working voluntarily for GBT. I discovered not only the unbelievable beauty of the taiga, the east siberian mountains, the lake and its shores, not only the immense kindness of everybody around, but I also discovered GBT. Once you got to know this organisation, you have to love it: it highly depends on volunteer work. Not only in the summer camps, but also every single project they do is planned, prepared and executed by both enthusiastic students and older people. What unifies all of them is their deep love for the environment around them, what makes them special is that they care.
And what makes it even more worthwhile is that everybody can easily participate.
GBT rules!

Last year we organized our first program to Lake Baikal together with GBT. We sent a group to Bolshoe Goloustnoe that worked on the trail and learned a lot about the lives of the peoole there. They had a wonderful time and enjoyed it so much! That is why we are now planning a counter visit of Russian youth coming to Germany in autumn 2009 to do some volunteering here and to live with German host families. We are so much looking forward to receiving our Russian guests here to give back some of the hospitality our group had the joy to experience in Siberia.
We are looking forward to continuing our cooperation with GBT!

I have been researching - as a geographic writer - the trails being built by the GBT for a few years. The trails constitute one of the most exciting nature developments in the world, set in one of the most spectacular regions in the world. One day, perhaps when the trails become better known and Russia becomes more open and tourism in Siberia grows, trekking these trails would become a must-do for adventure travellers (I featured trekking with GBT along the trails they are building as one of the best adventures in the world in the guide published by the Rough Guides about the best adventures to be had in the world). But there is also a serious mission to what GBT is doing: the Russian government wants to open Siberia, particularly the Lake Baikal region, to tourism and is fostering developments such as upscale hotels and golf courses. Eco-tourism, or adventure tourism, in Lake Baikal can be an alternative to brash tourism, or tourism development that impinges on the natural environment, and hence what the GBT is doing can be an alternative to large-scale tourism developments. Go trekking along these trails - even better, join the GBT camps to help build more trails - and help change the mindset of the authorities from mass tourism to ecotourism. Only by your support - and the success of the GBT - can this be achieved.

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Victor Borg
Writer
www.peppermountains.com
www.victorborg.com

Dear Reader;)
accidently I got to know GBT via internet and as quickly as that happend I wanted to join the project. During the work at trails through the russian taiga in an international team I aquiered some great experience. (Hello everybody:)All of us made a contribution to the protection of biggest natural reservoir of potable water, because Ecotourism makes the money, which is definitely needed to preserve the lake's ecosystem. This is a great idea!!!
Adelbert.

I took part in 3 GBT work camps around lake Baikal in 2006 and 2007 which were a very exciting experience. I learned a lot about this project, about this region and its unique environmental status and about the people living there.
In my opinion GBT does an excellent work not only in trail building and organizing very special international work camps but also in co-working with local people, park services and local institutions. GBT succeeded in helping to develope ecotourism which is important for this region and they are contributing a lot to environmental educatiion.
I highly recommend taking part in GBT work camps and I would like to thank the GBT-team for creating this very special atmosphere on their work camps giving me the chance to experience lake Baikal, the surrounding mountain ranges and to meet many very nice peole. Spassibo vam!! Vsego haroshego!!

In 2007 we spent two wonderful weeks at the lake Baikal.We met friends from Russia,USA,GB. We have got, like the organistors, experiences for our lifetime.
If we find the possibility we will take part in the GBT project twice in wintertime.

Egbert & Simone Leibner
Germany

I have taken part in a GBT project in the summer of 2008. It was the first project we have done in Siberia. The youth group I took to Bolshoe Goloustnoe loved every minute of their stay in the village and the trail-building activity. Everything was well organized, the GBT volunteers well prepared and the interaction with the host families in the town made it a truely intercultural experience. Taking part in a project with GBT is probably the best and most unique way to get to know Lake Baikal and Siberia. Thanks for opening all our eyes.

It is one of the few volunteer organizations in Lake Baikal region and I think the best one. I’ve chosen it 5 years ago and still taking part in trail building projects as well as in other different volunteer activities. For me GBT it is a good friends, nature and always new impressions.

I am very pleased to see an entry for the Great Baikal Trail Association. Baikal is a natural treasure, not just for Russia but for the Earth, and we need more people to take that perspective to heart. Working on a GBT project was a great experience, and I hope to work on another soon. (And not just because it provides great stories for my geography classes)

I had 7 or 8 projects on GBT since 2005. my last one finished 2 days ago. And I can say that it was the best one! (It' my opinion after almost each GBT's project). Just beautiful people, nature and culture with adventures and great help for environmentally friendly tourism - this is GBT. and I love it!

I am a volunteer of the Great Baikal Trail (GBT). I am going to participate in the project at Lake Baikal. All projects of the GBT are very useful, interesting, funny, but the most important thing is that it is environmental friendly! Join the GBT and you will see not only the most beautiful lake in the world but also help develop ecotourism, make new friends and enjoy your vacation.

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Nastasia

GBT is the best organization!!!

So! Good luck guys! Hope you will win! Great Work!

Once i heard such a phrase: "you work for free?! you are either fool or a sectant"
it hurts... i want to make people a bit more happy, and they don't understand
but sometimes i can hear "well done" and it makes me strong for more trailbuilding and volunteering ))

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Yeah, i do smoke ))

It was greatest weeks ever! Fun, sun and work, which makes you feel usefull!

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Yeah, i do smoke ))

Elisabeth, what do you think about the future of the Great Baikal Trail. Will ever the government or business take part in this project or for russian it is not so important to save the nature?

I have been a volunteer with GBT for a few years now, and in that short time I have been fortunate to watch it not only build trails, but also young leaders, environmentalists, and world citizens. Irkutsk needs more organizations like this!

Elisabeth Kruger

So, 500 km of trails are more then just work of thousands of volunteers. It is the kilometers of saved nature and thanks of tourist who can hike comfortable and safe. I can say it as a real tourist. Two years of work on the GBT's projects changed my mind on the ecological way. Now I understand how it is important to save the deepest lake in the world!

The Great Baikal Trail organizations projects are fostering youth leadership and community spirit in Siberia. This is an amazing program, worthy of significant attention and support!

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Jennifer Smith-Lee
Tahoe-Baikal Institute

Great Baikal Trail is more than just building trails in the surrounding areas around Lake Baikal. Its projects promote environmental education, international cooperation, and ecotourism. GBT is a great asset to the region and has an enormous positive impact on its people and environment. As an international volunteer, I can say with pride that GBT is changing the way that people think about ecotourism and their surrounding environment. I highly recommend that you consider joining a summer project and/or tell your friends about GBT. It is an experience of a lifetime, volunteering for a good cause and contributing to your growth as a global citizen. Vote for us!!

Being a GBT volunteer for 4 years I can say that it's the most important experience of my life.

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Anya B