Tag Archives: Baikal

Day: 8
Current Location: Buguldeika N 52 31.785 E 106 02.979

Finished a long day at a slightly exposed area near the village of Buguldeika

Looking forward to dinner and a good rest..it’s been a long day….

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Bill

Day 8 Start

day 8 Artistry on the ice

Day 8 Sunrise

Day 8 Baikal March morning

Day 8

Day SIX

There is no more email connection so communication will continue using a satellite phone.

Editor’s note: This also means that sending photos is more difficult, but Bill will send them when he can.

Today was a full-on day.
Snow and white-out conditions, making navigation difficult.
Worked my way through ice fields; pulling the sled through snow slows down everything.
Did see some animal tracks; ended up at the end of the day camping in a nice spot on the ice near some trees, protected from the wind.
Making an attempt to find a more direct and energy-saving route.

This is truly a magical place!
Let’s see what tomorrow will bring.
Bill

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Day: 4 

Current Location: Listvayanka

Camped on night 3 on the edge (literally) of Listvayanka on the ice
In front of a derelict building but in view of a high end hotel complex.

Which of the 3 options would you choose?

Met a Chinese tourist in the morning.

Some hovercrafts on the ice.

Warm, heavy conditions all day.

Travelling through snow up to the last hour.

Camped at a lovely spot on the ice near a dock.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Bill 

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Day THREE
Current Location: Listvayanka
Distance Traveled: 32.6 KM

Ice Crack

Good visibility, light wind but lots of heavy ploughing through sticky snow..no ice at all today.

Pressure Cracks

The ice makes for much faster travel..

 
My sled “Scellig” wasn’t so happy either.

Pressure Cracks

Started out route finding through a section of broken ice.

Pressure Cracks

Took a chance at staying closer to the shoreline.
It paid off today.

Section of Broken Ice

Met a few ice fishermen along the way.

Summer cottage Lake Baikal

Walked for 12 hrs today because of the slow progress through the heavy snow.

Summer cottage Lake Baikal

Summer cottage Lake Baikal

Covered 32.6 km.

Now camped close to Listvayanka.

Wanted to cross the bay and get more protection from the wind.

The wind has really picked up over the past few hours.
Definitely looking forward to dinner this evening.

Baikal walk morning light day 3

Saw some attention focusing ice cracks today and some neat ice formations.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings…

Bill

Day TWO 

These longer expeditions require some basic things to survive

Good shelter, food, fuel to melt snow/ice , foot care and attention and a positive attitude

These essentials are interdependent and could make a difference between life and death.

Right, left or straight ahead?

Travelling in a new part of the world requires a lot of dependency on the knowledge and experience of the local people.

Some in the past have ignored this to their detriment.

I am very fortunate to have the support and advice of some great local people from the Baikal area including Anna( friend of Elena) and Eugene.

So far the unleaded petrol is working.. fingers crossed….

Decided against the paint thinner.
No white gas available in this area.

Starting a new day soon…Day 3

Let’s see what today brings….

Bill

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Day TWO

Mild at present minus 15.
Little wind .. a gift of nature.
Early Light comes closer to 7.30 am.
Shorter days compared to Greenland and especially Antarctica.
The light here is very special.
Hope to touch base this evening.
Thanks to all of you who are following this journey in such a magical place.

Bill

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Day: ONE

Current Location: 
Zultuk

Distance Traveled: 
28 km

Started out the day with some fresh snow in Irkutsk and treacherous roads over the passes to Zultuk, the southern end of the lake.
The weather and visibility improved as the day progressed.
Covered 28 km despite the late start, heavy snow and heavy sled.
Just finished supper and settled down for the night in a quiet bay.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings!!

Best wishes,
Bill

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Warm this am with light snow.

Baikal walk / Kultuk starting point

It has been a warmer than average winter here so far with a recent dump of snow
The warmer temperatures over the next few days are welcome except for the fact there will be more drag on my 75 kg sled and tougher to pull especially with more weight at the start of the trip.

Baikal walk Kultuk starting point

Good excuse to eat lots over the next few days.
Hope to consume around 5000 Calories/ day.
Guilt free chocolate consumption is a big part of long expeditions.
Problem is stopping when one gets home!

So happy to be among the Lake Baikal people and culture.

Hobnail Boots

Just screwed studs into my boots and thinking of Shackleton and team wearing hob nail boots to cross the glaciers of South Georgia to get to Stromness.

Driving from Irkutsk to Kultuk at the bottom of the lake in a short while.

Then the walk northwards begins.

Best wishes to you all.

Bill

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

Irkutsk, Siberia February 26th 2017

Arrived from Moscow around 8.20 am..no bags or sled..However all showed up on the next Aeroflot flight from Moscow.

 
Met Eugene at the airport and while waiting for the delayed baggage did a tour of Irkutsk.

 
It was a special celebration of Masleniza today in Irkutsk celebrating the transition from winter into spring.
Some early pagan rituals are carried out.
It reminded me of Wren’s day in Dingle.
It was a very emotional time passing through the village of Anascaul, Co Kerry last Friday night on my way to Baikal.
Lots of thoughts of Tom Crean and the many Irish who left its shores on their way to explore many parts of the world.
I thought also of Dervla Murphy getting on her bike in Lismore in the 1960s and cycling to Delhi with such a great spirit, little money and an enduring desire for travel and adventure.
This upcoming trip has lots of uncertainties as the adventure begins.
It’s not about breaking records, being the fastest or the slowest , it’s more about creating records of life experience and passing the knowledge onto others and learning from others.
It is more about building bridges, not walls.

The adventure begins on the ice tomorrow.

Irkutsk 

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.

In an attempt to further highlight the health care needs of communities living in remote places across the globe, Dr Bill Hanlon is planning a 700 km, unsupported, solo expedition on ice from the southern tip to the northern tip of Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia in late February 2017.

Lake Baikal is 640 km long, 80 km wide, is the world’s largest (by volume), oldest (25-30 million years) and deepest (5387 ft) freshwater lake.
It contains 20% of the world’s unfrozen, surface fresh water and is surrounded by beautiful mountains.
The walk will likely be over 700 km as navigation will require travelling around large areas of broken ice, pressure ridges, ice cracks/ pools etc. and the challenges of a frequent, powerful headwind.

Dr Bill will be travelling very simply with a small tent, basic food, fuel, and clothing; all being pulled by a sled on the ice and snow.
Lake Baikal was formed as part of an ancient rift valley with a long crescent shape and a surface area of 31,722 square km. The lake is geothermally very active with a resultant rich biodiversity of flora and fauna, hosting more than 1,000 species of plants and 2,500 species of animals, many of which are unique to this area.

The Baikal area has a long history of human habitation with the Han dynasty defeating the Xiongnu in the 2nd century BC and the Kurykans (6th century AD) preceding the Buryats and Yakuts.

The diversity of people and cultures in the area parallels the biodiversity of it’s natural world.

The confluence, interaction and coexistence of shamanic, buddhist and christian communities in one area makes Baikal very unique.

This upcoming “pilgrimage” is mainly about connecting with these remote communities, sharing and developing a better understanding of their health practices + needs and learning more from their unique spiritual and healing connection to the natural world.

Basic Health International would like to thank the following for their support on this adventure:

Keith & Jeri Michalak and the entire Icespike family

Mink Hollow Media, Ltd.

Mountain Equipment Coop

To see the full photo gallery from this trip, look here.