On our way to Kamchatka, we have made a detour through Yakutsk. It's a good way to get to Kamchatka, as direct flights from Moscow to Petropavlovsk Kamchatskiy are much more expensive. Yakutsk is a good base from which to see the stunning Lena Pillars and then either to move on to Kamchatka or ride the Road of Bones. There were three of us and we booked a tour with local tour operator named Bolot (from Visit Yakutia), who arranged a three-hour return car ride to the bank of Lena River and a boat ride from there.

Overall it takes four hours to reach the small stretch of the vast national park that is actually open to tourists. The first magnificent sights are available as you sail past the massive rock pillars and then you can reach a viewing platform on top of the range through a well-marked wooden hiking path. It's quite steep path in which you climb about 300 metres in two kilometres of hike. It is strenuous but fortunately very short, so definitely doable. From the viewing platform you can observe the pillars on either side of you, the river itself and surrounding landscape. It's beautiful.

Count one whole day for the trip if your starting point is Yakutsk - four hours there, another four hours to get back, three hours on the premises of the park. There isn't much of facilities, so bring your food for the whole day with you. Alternatively, there was a basic eatery on the riverside, so we had an early lunch on arrival waiting for our boat.