Lake Baikal and Crater Lake have many things in common. Baikal is the deepest lake in the world, while Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States. Both have been regarded as sacred sties, and are renowned for their beauty and breathtakingly cold water. But while our trip to circumnavigate Lake Baikal on […]
Axiom Adventures
Lake Baikal pre-trip: south-central Oregon by tandem – part 1
August 17th, 2009Whitehorse: Sometimes, all the planning in the world can’t stop Mother Nature
August 12th, 2009The smoke was so thick in Whitehorse last weekend that you couldn’t see the mountains. Dawson wasn’t much better. In fact, there are 32 forest fires burning right now…the result of a long dry hot summer….and there are countless more fires in Alaska too. Consequently, it made for very tough riding. I had to stop […]
Motivation and Promotion: The Baikal Cause
August 4th, 2009Another factor that has motivated me to plan this trip is my desire to promote and contribute to the efforts of a small but dedicated group of local environmentalists – the non-profit organization Great Baikal Trail (GBT), located in Irkutsk, Russia. GBT is working to preserve Lake Baikal and promote environmental conservation in the region […]
Countdown: two weeks before departure
July 24th, 2009Only a couple of weeks to go until the Dempster….. I am leaving Ontario on Tuesday and heading to the Yukon in Northern Canada. It has been well over a year since this idea first crept its way into my head. I figured I should be doing something significant to mark my 50th year and […]
Lake Baikal: The team
July 21st, 2009I have been very fortunate to assemble a highly motivated and experienced team of athletes for this trip, all of which have extensive experience either climbing or cycling in demanding conditions in remote parts of the world. Venezuelan Maikey Lopera has established new rock and alpine climbing routes in Canada and Venezuela, was a former […]
Countdown: three weeks before departure
July 13th, 2009Three weeks to go and the planning continues… Part of the fun and excitement of going on a bike tour is the preparation. Being properly prepared can make or break your bicycle trip. There are a lot of excellent resources available to help you along the way; most of them can be accessed from the […]
A pre-trip trip: cycling Manitoulin Island
June 30th, 2009Manitoulin is located on the north edge of Georgian Bay, Ontario. It is an extension of the Niagara Escarpment and blessed with beautiful sand beaches and high limestone cliffs. Manitoulin Island is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. It is also our destination for a family bike trip as part of […]
We are expecting to take 43 days to cover 2300 KM
June 25th, 2009We are expecting to take 43 days to cover the 2300 kilometers of Lake Baikal’s shoreline, averaging 55 kilometers per day. Although there are certain to be days where we will ride more than 55 kilometers, we also expect to encounter significant disruptions in the ice, which will impede our progress, as well as inclement […]
Pre-trip: Ride to Conquer Cancer in Toronto
June 23rd, 2009Hello all Throughout the summer and across the country, there are a bunch charity rides to participate in. Last week, I had the opportunity to participate in the Ride to Conquer Cancer; a 2 day 200 km event in support of cancer research at the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. The first day started at […]
It seemed to me to be the best way…
June 19th, 2009It was sometime around the middle of the third day of skiing on the delightfully translucent but relentlessly hard, blue ice of Lake Baikal that I began to think of mountain bikes and studded tires. Thanks to the weight of our packs and the firmness of the ice, the edgeless touring skis that we were […]