It only freezes completely in late February and then begins to melt at the end of March. The ice thickness varies everywhere, from half a meter to several meters.
The most picturesque ice is on and around Olkhon Island. You can find dozens of different types there!
On the rocks - ice surges forged by wind and Baikal waves, some of them giant ice pillars several meters tall.
On the water - hypnotizing patterns of cracks and bubbles. In some places, the water is almost black, as if there is an abyss under your feet, while, in other places, it is light blue, with frozen grains of sand.
During the day, the sun shines brightly and, in the evening, after sunset, the ice cools down sharply and begins to make sounds, as if it is about to open up. But the ice is quite strong and durable, which is why locals have no qualms moving across it by cars (and even take tourists on rides!).
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