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There are many reasons to praise our lives, and one of the most undeniable is the ability to make friends. In August 2006, the “ZOZH” newsletter published an article by V. A. Nevsky “I celebrate anniversaries on mountain passes.”

Soon letters began to arrive at my address — reviews from readers. Among them was a letter from Valery Alekseevich Oltu from Yamal. Valera is a geologist, known in her city Muravlenko as a collector of Yamal gems. By the time of our correspondence, he had worked in the North for more than 12 years.

And this is what Valera writes in her letter: “My acquaintance with you changed everything in me. I felt younger and more obsessed. A lot depends on the upcoming trip to East Sayan and Baikal…”

That year Valera walked the planned route in Khamar-Daban. In August 2007, we received a telegram from him: “I walked Khamar-Daban Patov alone, I’m going to the Circum-Baikal Railway Valera…”. This is how our friendship gradually arose… About his journey along the Circum-Baikal Railway, he wrote an article “Golden buckle on the steel belt of Russia”, which was published in the magazine “World of Baikal”.

It must be said that Valera is a good photographer, and upon his return, Muravlenko organized a photo exhibition in his city dedicated to his trip to the Baikal region. Every year, the love of travel captured me more and more, and became part of my lifestyle. Khamar-Daban, Svyatoy Nos and Chivyrkuisky Bay were passed, Olkhon Island was explored. The years passed — their succession replaced each other.

In 2009, the cycling route went to Altai along the famous Chuysky tract with a visit to the house museum of Vasily Shukshin, the decoration of the Altai Mountains, Lake Teletskoye and other attractions. This time Valera was accompanied by our good friend Stanislav Konstantinenko, a passionate bicycle lover who rode both in summer and winter, clocking up 2,000 kilometers. So, gradually Valera made friends who served as a reliable support group. It was from us that he received recharge from this great source called “the energy of friendship.”

And the years didn’t go by, they just flew by. I remember the year 2011. Valera returned from a trip to the Eastern Sayan, where he again walked alone along the popular route to Topographers Peak — the heart of the Big Sayan — and climbed to the top of the 3,044-meter high peak. We met him in a country house, this time with a group of 6 people - 6 like-minded people.

At the end of 2012, he unexpectedly wrote to us that he was already feeling cramped here. “I want to go to Kamchatka,” Valera said. I managed to visit Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands in 1965. Having collected the surviving material, we sent it to him.

And the journey took place. Again he brought a huge mass of photographs, from which it was possible to arrange the photo exhibition “Land of Fire and Ice”. And Valera repeated the trip to Kamchatka the following year. In 2015, Valery Alekseevich celebrated his 60th birthday.

The celebration took place in Ulan-Ude among friends. This year Valera, like a meteor, swept over our city. We met and saw him off with a team of nine people. As you can see, we are growing.

After Valera’s departure, in our country house the visitor’s eye is pleased with a photo exhibition entitled “The Stone Fairy Tale”, its authors are Vera Lubsanova and Valery Oltu. See you again, friends. Let’s just say without fail that an old friend is the most faithful, reliable friend.