Home

Bikes-on-Ice Expedition across Lake Baikal

The first expedition to cycle 200 km (125 miles) south to north of Lake Baikal (Russia)

This is the first time bikers team intends to cover 200 kilometers on Lake Baikal ice surface. The expedition starts in Listvyanka settlement (nr. Irkutsk, Russia) on March 16, 2004. Ice bikers plan to reach Olkhon Island, the largest island on Lake Baikal and a famous center of Buryat shamanism, in four days but this would largely depend on weather and ice conditions. Bikers will stay in hunterslog cabins or in tents for overnight. The explorers may face deep snowdrifts or holes in 1.5 meter thick ice. The event is held within Winterida International Baikal Nordic Games Festival

Green Express Travel Company will provide up to 20 mountain bicycles with special tires adapted to cycle on snow and ice. We will outfit the participants with winter gear and all the necessary equipment except for warm sleeping bags. We may stay in tents right on ice surface for overnight so everyone should bring his own sleeping bag or rent it here. The participant may also bring their own bikes in case those are equipped for winter cycling.

We will organize all meals, transfers and accommodation as well as visa support for participants from other counties. This is fully supported expedition. Rescuers from Irkutsk detachment of Ministry for Emergency Situations will follow the entire track.

Normally we have very mild winter weather in March. The temperature varies -8&-12 C (+10&+17 F). It may be very windy in spring. Because of severe winter ice is about 1.5 meters (4 feet) thick and is covered with snow. The ice is mostly snow along the Lake shores but away from the shores it may be mostly ice due to the wind. If it is too windy in early winter months ice may break and then freeze all over again. By March the lake surface may be rather rough with cracks and holes in ice.

The goal of this adventure is to give people opportunity to see the beauty of winter Lake Baikal and explore the lake using various means of transportations including ecologically clean ones.

For more information go to: www.winteriada.ru

Or e-mail: