/via @julianreischl

I would love to know how visible these cameras have been, especially at his Bicep. But I don't have time to check this now, I'm out to pump iron! ;)

/via Max

For those who got sick of standart excursions with boring guides and always the same routes – a 4-day walking tour to Pripyat.

The Zone of Alienation (or simply the Zone) of the Chernobyl NPP is a closed area exposed to the pollution of long-lived radionuclides as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

The village of Gubin is a perfect place for illegal entry to the Zone. Here is only one row of barbed wire which is very easy to walk through.

The closer to the Zone, the uglier the trees. The average background radiation is 30-40 mcR/h.

As in any forest, here is a great number of mosquitoes and gnats. A lot of wild animals and their tracks (paw prints and excriment). The lack of people allowed them to breed in a massive scale.

Most of the forests are artificial, planted in neat rows, separated by cuttings. Some cuttings are fresh, some are piled with garbage and branches. In general, the places are very beautiful.

Countless power lines stretch throughout the entire area.

23 km to Pripyat. The village of Yampol and the first night in the forest.

25 years since the Chernobyl accident did their job – now this place is inhabited by different hosts. Houses, sidewalks, lampposts, streets – everything is in the power of plants. A dosimeter shows minor deviations from the norm.

Inside of some houses you can still see stoves and the remains of the interior.

The first serious obstacle is the bridge over the Uzh river. Only 100 meters of straight road, excellent visibility, very heavy traffic and a zero possibility to jump into the bushes in order not to be noticed.

The water in the river is amazingly clear. Soft sand at the bottom and the background is only 51 mcR/h. Very hard to resist the wish to bathe.

The remains of a destroyed village and a fire tower.

Chernobyl grapes, om nom nom nom. Only 37 mcR/h.

Apples, 47 mcR/h and a sea of vitamins.

A nice picture not far away from the cemetery.

The hills in the picture are buried houses the background of which exceeded the norm.

And this is 100 m genius of the Soviet radio engineering – the over-the-horizon radar system “Duga”.

It’s better not to pick up mushrooms here…

The cemetery of the locals.

A herd of Przewalski’s Horses.

The entrance is strictly forbidden!

Background – 80 mcR/h.

A building near “Duga”.

About 300 meters in length.

Huge antennas.

100 meters in height.

Familiar landscapes.

Such wastelands are often met in this pine forest. Its background is 250-300mcR/h.

The moss is also radiactive. In general, the background in the forest is 2 – 2,5 times higher than on the wastelands.

The remains of  channels for land reclamation (in this case it’s a narrow strip of water 4 meters wide) can turn out to be serious obstacles.

The territory of the red forest which some time ago was cut down, buried and planted with new trees. The background in this place is 2200 mcR/h. Just 110 times higher than normal.

The place of burial is fenced with relatively fresh barbed wire.

Very close to Pripyat.

Houses and half ruined barns.

Many hills with protruding from them plates.

The so-called “Bridge of Death” received a large dose after the accident. Now its background is about 60 mcR/h.

The beginning of a railway station.

Pripyat welcomes you with its ragged five-story buildings and overgrown streets.

The view of the station.

The sixteen-story house is the highest in the city.

The main entrance is overgrown but it’s still easy to find.

Spending the night on a roof with the great view of the Chernobyl NPP, a Soviet emblem on the building, the setting sun and the background of only 45 mcR/h… What can be better?

Location: Pripyat

/via @holgr