Hiker crossing the Bering Straits

[woodsy]

Way to go guys! Beer's on the house!

Congratulations!

[sdoownek]

In 1987 Lynne Cox swam across the berring straits in less then 3 hours in 38 degree water. It took her years to get her body able to adjust to this cold water. A normal person would be dead in less then 30 minutes in water that cold.

In the interests of giving credit where credit is due, it should be noted that she "only" swam between Little Diomede and Big Diomede Islands, a distance of roughly 2.7 miles, in two hours and six minutes. While in no way am I trying to discredit her achievement, it's vastly different than being the first modern man to cross the full 56 mile width of the Bering Strait in winter on foot.

While I don't want to have this thread degrade into an anthropological discussion about the validity of the Bering Strait theory versus the Solutrean theory, the Bushby crossing does provide proof that peoples could have crossed over the Strait.

Local news story covering the crossing is located here.

[Snow Stomp]

CURRENT LOCATION: Lavrentiya , Russia

11 April 2006

E-mails have been received from both Karl and Dimitri, still in Lavrentiya (population 1200). It would appear that within the next day or two a Russian federal judge will decide if and when this case will be brought to court. The charge will be entering the country at a non authorised entry point. They have a local lawyer to defend them and also a translator.

Some of their possessions have been returned to them, including their passports (unstamped). However, all their electrical equipment, as well as skis, poles, dry suits, underwater gloves and sled have been retained for examination. These will be examined by experts as part of the current investigation.

K and D state that they are OK and get lovely home-made meals from their friend Father Leonid, the Orthodox priest who gave them a place to stay. They have managed to find a radio station from Anadyr that plays a mixture of Russian/ US rock n roll which helps to pass the time. They are progressively learning Russian in order to be able to adapt to their new surroundings, relying heavily on a phrase book and dictionary borrowed from the local library.

[Snow Stomp]

You can read the updates every couple of days on his webpage:

http://goliath.mail2web.com

[calearn]

it's vastly different than being the first modern man to cross the full 56 mile width of the Bering Strait in winter on foot.

This is not the first Bering Strait crossing on foot. The following story is copied here because the URL http://www.news-star.com/stories/032...e_russian.html now requires registration and log-in.
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Thursday, March 26, 1998
Russian duo skis across the Bering Strait
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Last modified at 11:21 a.m. on Thursday, March 26, 1998
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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- A Russian father and son team braved close encounters with polar bears and a plunge through the sea ice to complete the first known crossing of the Bering Strait on skis.

Dmitry Shparo, 56, and Matvey Shparo, 24, left Uelen on the eastern coast of Siberia on March 1 and arrived Saturday, nearly three weeks later, at Cape Thompson, 150 miles to the east.

This attempt to cross the frozen Chukchi Sea went smoother than efforts in the previous two years, which ended with helicopter rescues.

The two said from Anchorage Tuesday that they saw polar bears each day, including one that stuck its huge nose in their tent the night of March 5.

The Shparos believe the polar bear was hunting them and they were saved by headlamps switched on when they heard footsteps. The bear ran off after the younger Shparo fired a warning shot with a rifle.

"All next nights, we sleep not well," Dmitry said. "Wind all the time, and many sounds outside the tent. We think again steps, again steps."
At one point, they broke through the ice.

"No good for us because impossible to dry boots," Dmitry said. "Fortunately, it was not very cold."

Still, they stuck to their schedule of traveling from daylight to dusk every day, checking their coordinates with a handheld Global Positioning System receiver and tracking due east -- even as the ice moved them constantly north and made them walk a total of 300 miles.

Gordon Thomas, a coordinator for the duo's crossing, said adventurers may have skied the three miles between the Russian Island of Big Diomede and Alaska's Little Diomede island, but none have trekked so far across the Chukchi Sea.
---------------------------------------
Another link is http://www.shparo.com/Bering/bering_main.htm

[weggers]

From the Anchorage Daily News. I'm including the text, so you don't have to sign up for an account (although it is free).


http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story...-7540496c.html

Russians order man who crossed Bering Strait deported

APPEAL: Setback would stop adventurer's planned walk around the world.
By JUDITH INGRAM
The Associated Press
<!--start /published/index.comp --> Published: April 15, 2006
Last Modified: April 15, 2006 at 02:29 AM <!-- end /published/index.comp -->
<!-- Component: ADN : component/redesign/modules/primcol/story/storyhead.comp --> <!-- Component: ADN : component/redesign/modules/primcol/story/inset.comp -->
<!-- Component: ADN : component/redesign/modules/primcol/story/inset.comp --> MOSCOW -- A court in the Russian Far East region of Chukotka ordered the deportation of a British explorer who walked to Russia across the Bering Strait for entering Russia without going through a border checkpoint.
The court also fined Karl Bushby, who made the trek as part of an effort to walk around the world, and his French fellow-traveler Dimitry Kieffer 2,000 rubles (U.S. $72), Bushby's father Keith told The Associated Press by telephone.
Bushby and Kieffer, a U.S. resident, have 10 days to appeal, and Keith Bushby said his son would do that in the hope of saving his quest.
"Oh, God, yeah, it's not over yet," the elder Bushby said in a telephone interview. "He didn't come all this way to just give in easily."
The two have been staying in the remote village of Lavrenty, 500 miles northeast of the provincial capital, Anadyr, since arriving in Russia April 1 and being detained. It took them 15 days to make the trek on foot across a 56-mile stretch of the Bering Strait.
Bushby is a former paratrooper who made the Bering Strait crossing from Alaska to Chukotka as part of a round-the-world walk that began in 1998 at the southern tip of South America. He wants to be the first person to walk all the way around the world.
Since the beginning of his journey on Nov. 1, 1998, he has covered 17,000 miles, walking through South, Central and North America. Kieffer accompanied him on the Bering Strait leg.
Bushby said that his son was not surprised by the conviction, but that he had hoped that "given the unique circumstances, the court might have shown some leniency.
"But it's just the carte blanche guillotine, i.e., 'go away and don't come back,' " he said.
Bushby said Russian officials had told Karl he would not be permitted to return to Russia for at least another five years -- a development that would end his round-the-world quest.
"The full enormity of the situation hasn't struck him, I think," Bushby said. "It's like the death of a loved one, it takes time to sink in. You can sit by the bed of a loved one for months, but when they die it's still a shock."
The appeal process could take up to four months to work its way through the court system.

[erichlf]

That sucks.

[TOW]

wow....what a story....wow.....i'm gonna tell you something, this guy ain't gonna give in....i bet he will enter in thru the back door at some later time and just do that section and probably with alot of support from within....

[sleepy]

It seems strange to me that he didn't make some immigration arrangements beforehand.

[Bjorkin]

It seems strange to me that he didn't make some immigration arrangements beforehand.

Yeah, walking into Russia is not a place where the saying, "It's easier to get forgiveness than permission." applies.

I'd like to know what his thoughts were on getting thru Russia without prior permission. Did something fall thru or did he just he just think it would work itself out?

[erichlf]

He is apealing the decision of the Russian courts. This story was just on CNN.

[quote="Bjorkin"]I'd like to know what his thoughts were on getting thru Russia without prior permission. Did something fall thru or did he just he just think it would work itself out?[quote]
They had permission to enter Russia. He had a visa. The problem was that he did not enter Russia at an official border crossing.

[Panzer1]

It seems strange to me that he didn't make some immigration arrangements beforehand.

They tried, but got nowhere..

Panzer

[Snow Stomp]

Bushby said Russian officials had told Karl he would not be permitted to return to Russia for at least another five years -- a development that would end his round-the-world quest.

I was thinking they'd deport him but allow him to come back in through a proper port of entry, and pick up where he left off. I hope this is not as inflexible as it seems. A five year bannishment is extreme, and Russia could gets lots of good publicity from letting him back in after six months or a year to finish his trek.

[Snow Stomp]

I predict that in less than a year, when the media spotlight is off, a deal will be negotiated that will let Karl back in. Right now, Russia has to appear tough in defending its very extensive borders. Especially with all the illegal immigration and terrorist threats today.

I also bet that every Russian official who was involved in this decision secretly admires these two guys tremendously, and would like to let them through. But they can't, due to political realities. Not right now, anyway.

[Spirit Walker]

I really admire Karl's attempt - but I'm not that surprised at this Visa problem. He's had problems with bureaucracy all the way. He had to leave the US for a few months because his Visa had expired and he discovered he couldn't just renew it en route, then he had problems in Canada. He lost several months trying to get his girlfriend into the US and Canada (finally gave up, I think). I had a feeling that they hadn't made solid arrangements for this ahead of time. Getting a tourist Visa isn't the same thing as saying "I plan to spend a year walking across your country - any problems with that?" He seems like the kind who likes to just wing it - and bureaucrats aren't set up for that kind of attitude. He should have had this one set in stone before he left England. What he has accomplished is terrific - but it really would be a shame to not be able to continue because they didn't make sure of the entry issue ahead of time.

[erichlf]

Well at the time he was crossing into the USA, it would have been really hard to do without a proper visa. But I am not going to start on that topic...

[the goat]

He had to leave the US for a few months because his Visa had expired and he discovered he couldn't just renew it en route,

that's amazing, i live surrounded by people who never even had a visa in the first place, yet they crossed our borders and still live here, day-in and day-out....
hell, if busby would've just taken his sweet ass time crossing the US, we'd have made him a citizen at some point!

[Snow Stomp]

From his website, it appears he's maintaining a positive attitude and plans to continue even if it's five years from now. As to an appeal, the decision has already been made in Moscow and an appeal will only generate more publicity.

CURRENT LOCATION: Lavrentiya , Russia

17 April 2006


At this time Karl and Dimitri are still in Lavrentiya. As a good number of you will know. the result of the court case was a disaster, especially for Karl. Both K & D are to be fined 2000 roubles ($72 / £41) and deported from Russia. It was stated that they would be given leave to apply for re-entry in five years' time. I received a telephone call this morning, (17th April), from Karl stating that they will lodge an appeal on Wednesday. Two weeks after that they have to move down to Anadyr, the provincial capital, as this is where the case will be heard. There is a good chance that will take place within a month of the appeal being lodged.


Dimitri will launch an appeal as he wishes to return to Uelen in March 2007 to ski / make his way on foot to Magadan, some 2,500 kms / 1550 miles to the south. From there he wishes to take a cycle westwards.


Karl states that life's a bit of a roller-coaster at the moment with one day seeming quite positive and the following negative and full of confusion. Consequently, he's decided to take it just one day at a time, but remains resolute that one day he will walk back onto English soil.

[Tha Wookie]

man, what a tough thing to face after so many miles.

It's a shame political boundaries can stop this great walk. I am amazed that they are deporting him.

It has been a great hike nonetheless!

[sleepy]

Initially at least, this is the way Karl and Dimitri appeared to the Russians when they were arrested (off the website):

"They also had with them detailed maps, navigation equipment and a handgun, as well as satellite communications and a digital video camera."

In all fairness, that would tend to arouse the suspicions of border police.