A legendary tourist has died in Sverdlovsk Oblast.

      Vitaly Teploukhov has passed away in Pervouralsk — a well-known Russian traveler, coach and one of the founders of sport tourism in the country. He developed a safety system and a number of special techniques that are still used by competitors and tourists in field conditions. The Federation of Sports Tourism of the Sverdlovsk Region reported this.

      He long ago became a true legend of sport tourism. His 1990 Manual for Judges and Participants of Competitions on the Techniques of Hiking and Ski Tourism became the key document for organizing competitions for decades. In the 1990s and 2000s Teploukhov was the country’s leading course director in tourist all-around competitions, and his courses were regarded as the standard by specialists.

      Thanks to his energy, constant search and experiments, the courses became more dynamic and difficult, encouraging athletes to develop new tactics and techniques for overcoming obstacles. Many still remember the large-scale projects "Autumn Marathon" and the two-day ski courses. In recent years Teploukhov led the work on creating routes for military tourism multi-event competitions over 100 kilometers long. The phrase "We work by Teploukhov" is still often heard at informal tourist starts.

      Vitaly Viktorovich’s active life position had a noticeable impact on those around him: his wife Tatyana became a Master of Sport in sport tourism, his team almost entirely received Master of Sport titles, and his sons continue to be actively involved in sports, including tourism. Teploukhov also developed a comprehensive safety system in sport tourism and was the author of that very Manual for Judges and Participants of Competitions on the Techniques of Hiking and Ski Tourism, which formed the foundation of training for several generations of tourists.

      A farewell to Vitaly Teploukhov will be held on November 16 in Pervouralsk.