An inexperienced tour guide abandoned Russian tourist Elena Burvan and her boyfriend Fyodor without food or medicine in the mountains of Buryatia after she was bitten by a tick and developed a high fever, according to news outlet KP.RU.
Burvan, a resident of Novosibirsk, had traveled to the Shumak Valley in Eastern Siberia alongside her boyfriend, their guide Yuri, and two of his friends. The couple paid 32,000 rubles per person for the commercial hike after finding an advertisement on a social network, and brought an additional 4,000 rubles in cash.
The Shumak Valley is a remote mountain territory located in the Republic of Buryatia in Siberian Russia, near Lake Baikal. Known for its natural mineral springs, the valley is accessible primarily via mountain trails where hikers face rugged terrain and Siberian wildlife.
Flooded rivers and bear warnings
The hike proceeded without incident for the first three days, though Burvan, an experienced trekker, noted that the guide repeatedly ran far ahead and left the group out of sight. On the third day, the group stopped at a winter shelter, where other tourists informed them that the Kyngarga River had flooded further along the trail, making the route impassable.
Despite the warning, Yuri decided to lead the group forward anyway, though he offered those who disagreed the option to turn back. Burvan complained that the guide conducted no excursions, explained nothing about the local springs, and failed to provide sufficient food. The tourists later discovered that Yuri was traveling the mountain route for the first time.
Before setting out the following morning, a tourist from another group warned them that bears had been spotted on the trail. Yuri apologized to his group and claimed he would find horses to transport everyone down the mountain.
Stranded without food or medicine
Along the route, Burvan was bitten by a tick and developed a fever. When she informed Yuri of her condition, the guide stated that the couple would have to rent the horses using their own money.
Because Burvan and Fyodor had limited cash, other tourists shared money with them and assisted in searching for horses. The couple was also forced to search through winter log cabins along the trail to find antibiotics to ease her condition. Following their independent descent down the mountain, Yuri never contacted the Novosibirsk residents again.
Burvan is now working to give the situation maximum publicity. The incident follows a previous case in Vietnam, where Russian guides abandoned a tourist who suffered a head injury during an excursion, refusing to offer aid or refund his money.
