12 years, 36,000 miles, 4 continents, 25 countries, crossing a frozen sea, 6 deserts, 7 mountain ranges
The ‘visa dance’ continues, though there was always going to be this period of ‘downtime’ while Karl waits for winter. The area in Chukotka which Karl will have to walk through on the next leg is a mass of large rivers and swamps and virtually impossible on foot in summer. Walking in winter is the [...]
Karl returned to Russia on 16th April 2008 and by the end of April, using various means, he had made his way to the Dvoynoye mining camp and the start of the new walking phase. Delays in obtaining a visa meant a late start this year and although the snow and conditions were good at [...]
What would it take to forge an unbroken footpath from the bottom of South America back to London? This, remember, was the question that gave birth to this expedition. Nearly ten years later and we are still learning what this question entails. Over the last few years we have learned very interesting lessons while traveling [...]
The expedition has been using multi entry year long business visas for the last couple of years in Russia, but at the same time crippled by the very restrictive special travel permits required in the Chukotka region. Now, as we are about to leave Chukotka, the Russian Government has recently changed its visa procedure [...]
Well, February has come and gone and unfortunately Karl is still in Alaska. The extensive preparations for the return to Russia are now complete and he is only waiting for the six-month permit to re-enter Chukotka (which is expected soon), and the one-year visa. Regrettably it appears that the goalposts have been moved for obtaining a visa and it’s going [...]
Karl managed to get a flight from Chukotka (Anadyr) on the 13th December, having spent a month making his way back from the furthest point along his route west (Dvoynoye mining camp). Bad-weather and cancelled flights have meant a lot of sitting about waiting. He is now in Fairbanks, Alaska where he will renew his [...]
I found camp Dvoynoye having depleted all my gas and food. From here I need to switch focus and start thinking about getting back to Alaska with sufficient time to obtain a new passport, new visa and propusk (permit) then return with enough winter left, (hopefully late February) to allow me reach the ‘Road [...]
In a sat-phone call from Karl on Sunday 4th Nov he stated that the sled that had been made in Pevek for this next leg had been virtually destroyed by the end of the first day. Pressed for time, he had left Komsomolskiy hoping that the snow would be deep and firm enough for the [...]
It’s believed that Karl left Pevek / Komsomolskiy on Sunday 28th October after the start being delayed for a number of days because of bad storms. The next leg will take him 500km to the town of Bilibino. While in Pevek Karl has been extremely well treated by the townsfolk, especially the representatives of the [...]
On Saturday 6th October Karl arrived at Komsomolskiy after walking the 474 km / 295 miles from his last waypoint at the Valinistiy mining camp. The track created for the mining trucks had been a lot better than expected and Karl had been able to maintain a reasonable pace, although carrying all his equipment and [...]