July 2016. There are a lot of places in Siberia, which are difficult to access even to the local people. Tofalaria, located in the Sayan Mountains, western of Irkutsk, is one of them. This is the only place in Russia where Tofa (or Tofalar) people can be found. They are about 700 individuals. The place is one big impassable taiga at an area of 20 000 sq.km. There is no bus or train station and the only way to get there is via special off-road vehicles or Mi-8 helicopters, but the latter fly only four times a month, with a maximum of 20 persons on board and only if the weather is good. It is extremely difficult to get a ticket and local people ride with a preference