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Fastest crossing of Lake Baikal on foot

Fastest crossing of Lake Baikal on foot
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Who
Michael Stevenson
What
11:14:11 day(s):hour(s):minute(s)
Where
Russian Federation
When
16 March 2020
Age Restriction: Applications for this record title will only be accepted if the applicant is 16 years of age or over.

The fastest time to walk and ski cross the length of the frozen surface of Lake Baikal in southern Siberia, Russia, is 11 days 14 hours 11 minutes by Michael Stevenson (UK). He embarked on his 652.36-km (405.35-mile) solo expedition from Kultuk in the south at the local time of 7:19 a.m. on 25 February 2020 and reached his destination in Nizhneangarsk in the north at 9.30 p.m. on 7 March 2020.

Stevenson – the training Officer and Trustee for Bolton Mountain Rescue – had previously held a record for the fastest crossing of Baikal, completing the expedition in a time of 12 days 21 hours 13 minutes with teammates Scott Gilmour and Rob Trigwell in 2018. He began his bid for the solo record on 25 February at Kultuk, pulling a 67.3-kg (148-lb) pulk of supplies.

Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, extends southwestwards from Irkutsk Oblast to the Buryat Republic and is the world's largest freshwater lake by volume. The surface of the lake freezes for up to five months in winter and spring, with the ice averaging c. 1 m (3 ft) thick. It is also one of the clearest bodies of water, with clarity down to as much as 40 m (130 ft) at certain times of year.

At the beginning of his expedition, Stevenson's 66.3-kg pulk comprised:

8.8 kg snack food

1.6 kg full spare outfit (should he go through the ice)

3.0 kg clothing layering options (inc. gloves/hats)

1.1 kg spikes, yaktrax, goggles, sunglasses

5.8 kg ultra fuel powder, coffee

3.7 kg tent, not including anchors

2.2 kg harness and attachments, poles, tracer

17.3 kg pulk, board, spare tent poles, ice anchors, bit brace, shovel, mats, sleeping bag (inc. bivvi), flasks, bottles

2.0 kg medical supplies, personal hygiene

2.0 kg dried rations

4.6 kg stove, pans, maintenance/repair kit

1.1 kg satellite phone (inc. peli case)

5.0 kg tent bag, electronics (batteries, power banks, camera accessories and cables)

1.2 kg devices (GPS navigator, GPS tracker, Solar panel, torches etc)

4.0 kg fuel

3.0 kg water

On day three, Stevenson's stove flared up and melted part of his tent.