Chara Sands, Siberia, Russia VR 360

In 2010, a contest was held to select seven “wonders” of the Zabaikalsky Krai, and one of its winners was the Charinskie Sands. This is an impressive 30 km² sand massif located in the Charinskaya Basin. Thousands of years ago, a huge glacier that came down from the mountains brought with it millions of tons of sand, clay and mud. When the ice age ended, the glacier melted, forming a lake, and the Chara River flowing northward emerged at the junction of the Kodar and Udokan Ranges. Over time, the lake dried up and the sediments at its bottom came to the surface. The wind has formed dunes of unique shapes, giving this place a special charm.We had originally planned to visit this place last year, but other projects distracted us. When I finally had some free time, I set out to explore the area to enjoy the sands against the snowy scenery and appreciate the conditions. The road to the Chara sands was not easy: I could have flown to Chara from Chita or Irkutsk, but a more economical option would have been to get to Krasnoyarsk and then take a two-day train trip to Novaya Chara station, which is only 20 kilometers from the village of Chara. If it was a matter of flying, tickets could be bought the same day. However, the situation with the train was more complicated: at this time of year there was only one train a day, and tickets for it sold out quickly.