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Hello Siberia! Wrap-Up on Bog, Rats, and Terrorist Charges
Nov 3, 2004 19: 01 EST
Published on October 29, 2004
With all the South- and North Pole action in the past week, we've neglected our explorers in Siberia. Here goes a wrap-up om Tim and Colin, Mike Horn and the Contact 3.0 expedition Siberia by Johan and Micke.
Vancouver to Moscow: No escaping the bog
The team spent most of the week in Konergino waiting for the fisherman who agreed to let them row his boat across the bay. A mere 40km and 10 hours of rowing would take them across the inlet and save weeks of agonizing trudging through bog.
The fisherman changed his mind. On the first day of ideal weather, he said he needed a rest day from the fishing trip he had just returned from. However, his frequent references to vodka suggested other intents. The following day, he claimed that his motor needed repair (although the team would row across, he would have to motor back). Then on the third day, other feeble excuses made it clear that he had changed his mind but didn't want to admit it.
Time is crucial now, each day winter creeps closer and temperatures are already -20°C. They are already behind schedule - they should have been skiing out of Anadyr today. Instead, they will need to hike an additional 200km to go around the inlet that's keeping them from Anadyr. Because they'll need skis for the part, and the skis are in Anadyr, the took a flight there to fetch them, and when they arrive back in Kenergino, they will continue the overland hike.
Mike Horn - Cape Horn at last
It didn't go down easy but finally Mike arrived back at the North Cape, Norway.
Expedition Siberia - Accused of terrorism
Johan and Mikael are getting their gear together in Zyryanka, preparing for the winter leg of their Siberian crossing. Busy catching rats and fleeing local authorities, Micke states; "There's no doubt that Johan and myself have one of the most fortunate life's one can have."
"The Siberian is a true fighter and survivor," dispatch the explorers, determined to paint a more positive picture of Siberia than the usual gloomy version offered by media. That's tough enough though, as the Russians themselves accuse the guys to be too rosy:
"At times it have been difficult to understand some of their constant worries. The lack of security, that they're often mentioning. 'I can't imagine a safer place!', I've expressed. We did understand this past Friday. We had forgot about the small popes."
Contact 3.0 test results: Terrorist charges and cheap vodka!
This is the scoop: As the guys are sorting out the winter gear, they are also checking their technology and that's when they had their "small pope" encounter:
"Johan have spent a lot of time outdoors in the freezing cold with the satellite phone and the rest of the transmitting equipment. Calling and sending E-mails. On Friday night, when doing this, he got aggressively attacked by the local police passing by in a dark vehicle, accused of being a spy and a terrorist. It would have been manageable, since we know and understand the worry over terrorist attacks which runs through the whole country, if it hadn't been for that the police in charge was drunk and stinking of cheap vodka!"
A phone call to the teams old friend Sergei sorted it out, and the guys went on a rat hunt to calm down. Reports Johan:
On our way hunting Bison rats in 20 below
"Mikael and me, donned with two thick pairs of warm longjohns, set off midday, sitting on a shaky sledge behind one of the typical Russian snowmobiles on our way hunting Bison rats with the yakut Anatolij and his father. They set of in the same manner as every day, with dogs and sledges, to check their traps and, despite the low temperature (-25C), today was no exception.
At home, in the safety minded Sweden, it is not many that would travel with a snowmobile when it is colder than -20°C. It's considered dangerous.
His father, 81, was coming behind on a handmade sledge
Anatolij and his father, who only spoke yakut and no Russian, was wearing traditional Siberian clothing, such as a thick fur hat, a well used handkerchief, a warm thick coat and warm felt boots and his hands were kept warm by mittens sewed from dog fur.
His father, 81 years old, but still healthy and strong, was coming behind us riding on a handmade sledge pulled by three enthusiastic dogs that was doing everything they could to pass us. All the way to the small lake were they had sat their traps.
Traps marked by dogs
The traps looked almost like a specific type of cage that we use to catch fish with back home in Sweden, with a small opening at the top on one side. This cage, though, they placed in a hole, in the ice, that the bison rats had made themselves.
These rat made holes had earlier been discovered and marked by one of the dogs, and once this was done, the holes were covered with mud and snow. A job done after a cage was placed in the hole. It was left like this overnight.
15 big ones
Today the first trap we checked, was full of rats. 15 big ones with big tails and sharp claws. The second one turns out the more normal catch, 5 fat ones. But the total catch satisfied the yakuts. Hunting is important for the Yakut and the money that they get from the fur trade is a well needed addition to their rather bleak economy.
The Bison rat is not endemic to the Kolyma region. It is only 40 years since it arrived here from North America. Since then it have spread fast and widely and can now be found in huge numbers. Anatolij and his father captures around 4000 rats during one year.
A warm soup
After we placed traps in new holes we headed back home towards their house and ate a warm soup. This is another experience which have given me new perspective on life and one thing is for sure: We have a lot to learn from the people around Kolyma. Especially when it comes to cold climates!"
Live image of Anatolij and one of his 20 rats, transmitted over Contact 3.0, courtesy Expedition
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| OneWorld expedition: It's over Jun 3, 2005 | | Vancouver to Moscow - 1 year anniversary! Jun 2, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: The Single ski Weight Watchers Greenland program Jun 1, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Rain and world record May 31, 2005 | | ExplorersWeb Week in Review May 30, 2005 | | 12 year old doing well on Greenland ice cap crossing May 27, 2005 | | Vagabond update - Polar bears, 200 candles and ice melting in Inglefieldbukta May 26, 2005 | | Arctic wrap-up: Polar hygiene, and Napoleon on ice May 26, 2005 | | Contact GEO hits Greenland May 25, 2005 | | Iridium: "Invalid battery - matches found, 0" May 24, 2005 |
| | Arctic wrap-up: Adventure family kites 162 km, reaches halfway point May 23, 2005 |
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2004
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