Frozen ship on lake Baikal - Image via: Jim Linwood
Containing nearly 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater, Lake Baikal in Siberia is the most voluminous freshwater lake in the world. At its deepest Lake Baikal drops 5,390 ft — over three thousand feet deeper than the maximum diving depth of nuclear power attack subs, and over two thousand feet deeper than oceanic Bathypelagic Zones, where light cannot penetrate and strange-looking creatures eke out a mysterious existence by eating detritus that falls from the levels above.
That’s a lot of water. Now try to wrap your mind around this: Siberia gets so cold that the massive lake actually freezes for around five months per year, during which time intrepid explorers and dog-mushing teams from around the world make their way to Russia to tempt fate by crossing its icy expanse.
Starting Tuesday, the Czech Bergans Baikal 2010 expedition, which includes polar explorer Vaclav Sura and programmer Pavel Blazek, will attempt to trek more than 400 miles across the frozen surface of Lake Baikal in Siberia, without the use of any aids such as motorized sleds or a team of dogs.
“We have two pairs of skis, two sledges and piles of luggage. We have 90 kilos to check in each,” Sura told CTK.
Members of the expedition team estimate it will take them 35 days to complete their route across the lake from its southern shore to Nizhneangarsk, located at the tip of the northern shore.
Bergans Baikal 2010 is the first Czech expedition that will try to cross the lake in length without a dog team or any other aids, said Sura, who reached the North Pole in the past.
According to Sura, the men, who will drag their equipment behind them on expedition sleds, will not throw anything out during the journey.
[Via: Prague Daily Monitor], [Image via Jim Linwood]
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Fascinating post, Kyle. And a reminder that there are still plenty of big adventures out there, even if the world is getting smaller.
Wow, not sure this is the kind of adventure I would ever want to undertake. The frigid monotony of crossing a large frozen lake on foot is just not my cup of tea. But I’m glad that some people have that type of spirit of adventure. After all, that’s how so many fascinating discoveries have been made. I wish the best of luck to the Czech Bergans Baikal 2010 expedition team.