In Search of Shambala: The Search4Paradise Expedition

So many expeditions that we read about today are focused on visiting some remote place, usually in an effort to raise awareness (and usually funds!) for a cause. While those are certainly noble endeavors, and regular readers know that I don't shy away from writing about them, sometimes it's nice to see an expedition that is being undertaken for the exploration and sheer sense of adventure. The Search4Pardise expedition, led by Arita Baaijens, is a perfect example of just such a journey.

Baaijens is certainly no stranger to challenging journeys. Born and raised in the Netherlands, she spent much of her life caught up in the daily grind, just like the rest of us. However, in 1990, she quit her job as a consultant, bought a small caravan of camels, and began a nomadic life, spending most of the past twenty years wandering the Sahara Desert in Egypt and the Sudan. During that time, she has written a number of books, become an accomplished photographer, and a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

After spending the better part of two decades in the desert, Arita is turning her attention elsewhere. She intends to travel through Russia, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, on horseback, in search of the mythical and mystical Kingdom of Shambala, a place that holds deep meaning for Buddhists around the globe.

The legends that surround Shambala are fantastical to say the least. They speak of an idyllic place, hidden somewhere in the vicinity of the region that Baaijens and her team will be exploring, that is said to be a veritable paradise, although there is some debate, even amongst scholars, if Shambala is an actual place or a state of being. The Dalai Lama is one person who does believe it exists, but in order to enter this "Pure Land," one needs to have achieved an enlightened state. And like all good myths, there are accounts to back it up, including some explorers claiming to have found the place, hidden away in a maze of canyons and mountains somewhere in Inner Asia, although no one can ever seem to remember the route in.

Arita is in the process of finishing up a 10 week long reconnaissance expedition in advance of the real exploration mission that is set to go down in 2011, when she will return to the remote, and largely uncharted, Altai Mountains to really begin the search.

For centuries, man has tried to find "paradise" which is defined quite differently in many cultures. It is interesting that even now, in the 21st Century, we continue that search. It should be interesting to see if they find anything on their journey, as it is quite possible that the Shambala myth is based on some ancient, and mostly unknown, civilization that existed in that part of the world hundreds of years ago.

I'm definitely intrigued.

7 Summits, 7 Flights Update: One Down!

Last week I posted a story about the Seven Summits, Seven Flights Team, who were just setting off on their quest to climb the Seven Summit and then paraglide off of each of them. They had hoped to begin with Denali in June, but were denied access because of permit issues, but were instead en route to Russia, where they would attempt Elbrus.

According to the expedition's blog, the team reached the summit of Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, on Tuesday, and did indeed fly off the summit. Reading the story however, it seems like it was much tougher than they expected, both on the climb and then the takeoff of the flight as well. During the climb the team suffered the usual issues with altitude, including headaches, nausea, etc., but despite all of that they reached the 18,510 foot summit by 11 AM local time.

The blog entry also says that it was a clear, beautiful day for a climb, but not so much for a flight. There was zero wind, which made it very difficult for them to get up to speed and lift off in their paraglider. They had to run quite quickly to achieve flight, and anyone who has ever tried to run at altitude can tell that isn't easy to do. Despite those challenges however, they did manage to get airborne and successfully fly from the summit, which means they have one summit down, and six to go.

Yesterday, the team posted another blog entry, this time sharing their thoughts and feeling on reaching their first goal. As you might expect, they seem tired, recovering from the altitude, but generally in good spirits and happy to have made the first climb.

No word on which of the Summits is next, but a hearty congratulations to the team for getting off to a good start.

Siberian Express: Kevin and Ray Are Done Too!

Another epic adventure came to a close yesterday, as Kevin Vallely and Ray Zahab completed their Siberian Express Expedition, running the length of Lake Baikal, and setting a new speed record in the process.

The pair set out on their ultrarun two weeks ago, dragging their gear laden sleds behind them, and traveling south to north across the largest freshwater lake in the world. As has been a trend in recent adventure activities, they were running to raise awareness of growing concerns of the global clean water crisis, and specifically they were hoping to raise funds for the Ryan's Well and Giving Water organizations. Over the past 13 days, they have battled extreme cold, high winds, and widely varying conditions, while covering amazing distances each day, despite their weary bodies and heavy loads. In the end, it seems to have paid off in a big way.

According to the team's blog, the team not only beat the old record for a speed crossing of the 400+ mile journey, they down right smashed it! While no official time has been posted yet, it appears that Kevin and Ray have beaten the old time by more than a week. Very impressive stuff from two very impressive guys.

The blog also says that we can expect more information, including videos and photos, in the days ahead. As you can imagine, the guys are probably exhausted at the moment, and are hopefully resting some place warm and cozy. Congrats to Kevin, Ray, and the entire impossible2Possible team for another job well done.

Siberian Express: Five Days In!

As expected, the Siberian Express Expedition got off and running earlier this week, with Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely beginning their attempt to set a speed record for crossing Lake Baikal in Russia's Siberia. The lake is the largest single source of freshwater in the world, stretching more than 400 miles across, and reaching depths of over a mile down.

According to Ray and Kevin's updates, the expedition has been a mixed bag so far. High winds have been common, with both men saying that it feels like they're back in Antarctica again. (Ray and Kevin made a speed record to the South Pole last year as well) Despite those winds however, they have made good progress racking up 22 miles, 27 miles, and 28.5 miles on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, wile adding another 26 today. While those numbers are impressive, they are well below the 35-38 miles per day that they were hoping to average across the entire length of the lake.

The two endurance athletes are making this impressive run to raise awareness of the growing global water crisis. They also hope to raise funds to complete two clean water drinking projects in conjunction with the Ryan's Well Foundation and GivingWater.org. They are also reaching out to thousands of school children from around the globe as part of the impossible2Possible educational programs too.

In the four-and-a-half days that they've been out on the ice, Ray and Kevin have covered more than 125 miles in extremely challenging conditions. It remains to be seen if they can get the speed record, but they are certainly giving it all they can. For more on the project, be sure to catch ExWeb's interview with Ray, which can be found by clicking here.

Siberian Express Expedition Set To Begin Monday!

Speaking of icy adventures, the Siberian Express team of Ray Zahab and Kevin Vallely set off from Vancouver yesterday on their way to Siberia, where they hope to begin their expedition on Monday, March 1st.

You may recall, I wrote about this expedition a month back when Ray and Kevin were deep into their training. They will be making an attempt at a speed record for crossing Lake Baikal, the largest and deepest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is frozen this time of the year, making it a perfect opportunity to try to make the 400+ mile journey along its entire length. Despite the fact that they'll be going in unsupported fashion, pulling their gear behind them on sleds, they still intended to cover roughly 40 miles per day.

The expedition has some larger goals beyond the speed record as well. They hope to raise funds for the Ryan's Well Foundation and givingwater.org to help complete clean water projects in Africa. They'll also be connecting with thousands of students across the globe, as part of the impossible2Possible educational outreach programs.

While they're not heading to the North Pole, this is still a tremendous undertaking in a very harsh climate. The Siberian winters are brutal, and they'll be completely exposed out on the ice of the lake, which is gigantic in size. Not only does it cover more than 12,200 square miles of area, it actually reaches 5390 feet in depth as well. Those are staggering numbers for any body of water, let alone a freshwater lake.

impossible2Possible Team Prepares For Siberian Express!

Polar explorer, endurance athlete, and all around adventurer Ray Zahab is preparing to set out on yet another expedition. Ray will be joined by Kevin Vallely, who has an equally impressive adventure resume, as the duo take on one of the most remote and harshest environments on the planet in a bid to raise funds for water projects in Africa, while connecting with thousands of students in the process, all as a part of the amazing impossible2Possible organization.

The expedition is dubbed the Siberian Express and it will see Ray and Kevin running the length of Lake Baikal, a distance of more than 650km (403 miles). The two men will be making the journey unsupported, which means they'll be pulling all of their gear and supplies behind them, but despite those heavy loads, they expect to travel somewhere between 65 and 70 km per day, or about 40 miles, over the frozen lake, which sits in Russia's southern Siberia region.

The goal of the expedition is two fold. First, they hope to raise enough funds to complete two clean drinking water projects in Africa, working in conjunction with the Ryan's Well Foundation and GivingWater.org. The second goal is to educate and engage students about the water crisis, and get them to help in the process. By the time the expedition gets underway, the i2P Experiential Learning Program expects to be in contact with between 8000-10,000 students from around the world through educational modules, live streaming video conferences, and Q&A sessions. Those same students will be the ones helping with the fundraising efforts by organizing their own bake sales, raffles, car washes, and so on.

The site of the expedition, Lake Baikal, is the largest freshwater lake in the world, covering some 12,248 square miles of area. It is also the deepest lake as well, averaging 2442 feet of depth and stretching as far down as 5390 feet down at its deepest point. Baikal holds roughly 20% of the world's freshwater, and in the very cold Siberian winters, it freezes solid, allowing expeditions such as this one to traverse it's length.

As if this expedition wasn't enough, i2P is also busy putting together the second leg of the Word Expedition that will have a team of youth adventurers running across Tunisia. Stay tuned for more information on that project in the future as well.