Written by:In February 2020, Gaëlle Bojko spent a month cycling across frozen Lake Baikal in Russia, drawn there by the cold, the ice and the snow. ‘I can’t explain precisely why I enjoy being in these landscapes so much but I feel comfortable in these wintery places’, Gaëlle explains, ‘despite the cold, the harshness and the solitude. I love the silence, the muffled sounds, the light, the seeming steadiness that I find very soothing.’
Lake Bilal is in southern central Russia
Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world. It’s around 650 kilometres long by 70 kilometres wide and is located in Siberia (Russia), North of Mongolia. It also is the deepest lake worldwide and hosts an incredible biodiversity. During three weeks, I cycled from the North end to Irkutsk, the largest city around it.
There’s certainly more kit needed for conditions like these
Cycling in a cold environment requires many adaptations but the essence of bike touring/riding/packing stays the same : discovering places, cultures, people. While I was alone most of the time, I also met some wonderful people who brought a lot of happy memories and warmth.
A cold and lonely landscape
How to depict these very emotional encounters when I barely have a photo of them? How to transcribe the intensity of a smile after being on your own for several days? We’re social beings and spending some time alone is, to me, a great reminder of how precious these interactions are.
An alternative method of water sourcing
Check out Gaëlle’s full trip journal on Bikepacking.com.
Last modified: 22nd March 2021
