Duo complete epic trek in Siberia
TWO Brits - including a Loughborough University academic - have completed an epic 634km walk across Lake Baikal in Siberia, the world’s oldest, deepest, and largest lake.
British adventurers Ash Routen, an academic at Loughborough University with a PhD in physical activity and public health, and Phil Sturgeon, from Southwell in Nottinghamshire, in partnership with Sub Zero and SIGG successfully completed the expedition to walk across Lake Baikal on March 18 after 19 days in the wilderness.
The successful crossing makes Ash the youngest Briton to have walked Baikal entirely on foot.
At 634km long, the route taken by the team is equivalent to walking from London to Edinburgh, or doing 15 back-to-back marathons.
Ash said: “We had a truly amazing experience. The scale, extremes of weather, and creaking and groaning of the ice on Lake Baikal were mind-blowing.
“It’s an extremely beautiful place, and the Siberian people were so welcoming and supportive. It was difficult and humbling, and we now know a lot more about ourselves and our own capabilities.
“We’re extremely grateful for the support of Sub Zero and SIGG to help equip us for the trip, and we’re now very excited to share our story through writing and talks.”
Departing from the southern shores of Lake Baikal at Listvyanka, they walked along the western coast of the lake, before negotiating Olkhon island, and finishing in Severobaikalsk at the top of the lake. From here they took a two-day train journey across Siberia back to the city of Irkutsk and their departure point.
Walking for between eight and 12 hours per day, Ash and Phil experienced temperatures down to -35 and below with wind chill. They consumed around 5,000 calories per day to maintain the necessary strength to pull the two sledges each, which contained around 80kg of supplies to complete the journey.
They walked across large areas of uncovered ice and negotiated small sections of open water, as well as ice rubble formed by colliding sheets of ice.
They also stayed in a series of remote huts, and saw a bear who was scared off with gunfire by a local ranger.