The Lena Pillars are one of the strangest sights in Siberia, a wall of spires and towers rising from the bank of the Lena River in the Sakha Republic. The rock is Cambrian limestone, laid down hundreds of millions of years ago, and frost, water and time have carved it into columns that reach up to a hundred metres or more above the water. The pillars are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the park that protects them is one of the largest natural reserves in the region. Most visitors reach them by boat, and this approach is the land side of that journey.
The road leads to the Lena near Mokhsogollokh and Pokrovsk, the nearest towns of any size, some twenty-four and thirty-seven kilometres away. Mokhsogollokh has nearly seven thousand people and Pokrovsk almost ten thousand, so fuel, food and supplies should be bought in one of them. The last stretch to the water is a mix of asphalt and gravel, with ruts and dust in summer and mud after rain. Bends are gentle, the land is flat and the biggest hazards are trucks and animals, along with the usual mosquitoes. Check the schedule for boats and ferries before you go, as they depend on water levels and weather.
The Lena itself is the real star. It is one of the longest rivers in the world, flowing more than four thousand kilometres from near Lake Baikal to the Arctic Ocean, and at this point it is broad, slow and the colour of strong tea. Permafrost lies beneath the forest floor, the larches grow thin and straight, and in winter the river freezes into a highway for lorries. Summer is short and intense, with long days and a lot of insects, so bring repellent and a head net.
A boat trip along the river reveals the cliffs at their best, with the light changing from white to gold as the day goes on. If you are lucky you may see a Yakutian horse, a small, tough breed that grazes outdoors through winters of minus fifty. Take warm clothing even in July, because the wind on the water is cold, and keep your camera ready for the moment the pillars appear around a bend. They are a landscape that makes you feel very small, and very glad to have come.