Hardy Hikers Weather Rural Russia

What began as an innocent excursion to the countryside for some Moscow-weary hikers had all the elements of an outdoor disaster -- sub-zero temperatures, knee-deep snow and trails leading nowhere. The presence, on the map at least, of bodies of water added a sense of peril and anticipation to the 7 1/2-hour outing.


But a veteran American outdoorsman, John Petroff, successfully led the group of amateur hikers out of perceived peril Sunday and through a remote, pristine area south of Moscow.


"I thought we were all going to disappear," Angela Lovebridge, an Englishwoman, jokingly exclaimed. "But we survived."


Lovebridge, an English teacher in Moscow, was one of a group of six hikers taking part in the latest in a series of weekly expeditions organized by Petroff and undertaken mostly by expatriates.


Sunday's outing was more physically challenging than most, said Petroff, who began the informal excursions in November and has seen them grow quickly in popularity. Up to 15 people participate on some Sundays. Soon Petroff, 53, plans to lead excursions to suburban Moscow on both Saturdays and Sundays.


"These are flexible because there is no money involved," said Petroff, who only asks people to bring boots and a thermos. "Everybody is welcome."


Petroff, a New Yorker, moved to Moscow five months ago for a job as a teacher of Western banking practices with the U.S.-based Fund for Democracy and Development. After arriving, he placed an announcement in The Moscow Times looking for fellow "hikers, walkers and nature lovers" with the idea of giving isolated expatriates an outlet for their love of the outdoors.


"I found that the hiking expeditions in the States were very helpful to me when I was going through my divorce two years ago. The people in the groups were like a family for me," he said with a touch of sadness. "By doing this I wanted to give some of that back."


Petroff began hiking in the Catskill Mountains north of New York City and eventually ended up joining numerous American outdoor groups like the 3500 Club, the Appalachian Conference and the Adirondacks Mountain Club.


In a foreign country, where foreigners are less likely to venture out on their own, he said the hikes are particularly useful.


"These trips can also be for people who feel isolated or are in need of comfort in a foreign town," said Petroff, the son of Russian immigrants.


The trips are not designed exclusively for expatriates, said Petroff, a fluent Russian speaker, who plans to place advertisements in Russian newspapers. Two Russians took part in Sunday's trek. Such expeditions are not new in Russia but one Russian woman said Sunday that unofficial groups like Petroff's are unusual.


"It is an original idea to go on a day-long hike and to make it a regular thing," said the young woman, an ethnic Mongolian who asked not to be named.


Over the course of the excursion, Petroff, a quiet, unassuming man was gradually transformed into a dynamic leader and compass-bearing navigator who reassured his charges concerned about the elusive trail.


As fat snowflakes began to fall Sunday afternoon, Petroff insisted that a road was to come -- but for a good 30 minutes there remained no trail or anything resembling one in the thick maze of snowladen branches.


Laura Fitton, an American who moved to Moscow in June, judged the situation with mock prudence and said, "There is still enough daylight."


Eventually the group came to a huge clearing -- feared by some to be a large and deep lake covered by only a thin layer of ice. Power lines were proof to the contrary, temporarily assuaging fears of being lost and snowbound until the sight of a gun toting white-clad skier and dog renewed their angst. It was with a sense of relief that the group emerged out of the forest after approximately another half hour of invigorating trudging to see a sign that said: "No Trespassing, Firing Range."


Despite their feigned anxiety, Lovebridge and Fitton, an accomplished rock climber and outdoor expert, both said they planned to join Petroff again.


"It 's great just to get out of the city and to see nature and see some of the country we are living in," said Lovebridge, before the group arrived at Kievsky station after a one-hour elektrichka journey from the village of Seratino, where they had hiked.


Each week, Petroff promises a different expedition. And because of their popularity among the international community, Petroff said he hopes to register the group as an official association with the Justice Ministry. Such a status would enable the group to get access to sites of historical interest -- such as monasteries -- that are often off-limits to casual tourists.