A new icy adventure for The Adventurists | Xtremesport

They are more comfortable in sticky, sweltering heat, so this adventure is going to be a first in more ways than one… Siberia… in winter. Only The Adventurists could think up something as totally batty as this exploit – The Ice Run.

“Their brand new adventure slips, skids and slides out of Irbit, Russia on Monday. The Ice Run will take the teams 2,500 km across the frozen wastes of Siberia on old school Ural motorbikes with sidecars to the only town in the world sitting on the Arctic Circle. They will be battling temperatures as low as -52C at which point metal snaps, oil solidifies, the moisture in your nose freezes and your eyelashes fuse together.

This has never before been attempted so nobody knows what adventuring absurdity will ensue.”

I think you can take that as a warning.

The Siberian Ice Race begins on the Southern end of the River Ob and end in the North Siberian town of Salekhard, on the Arctic Circle. As per normal on an Adventurists adventure, there is no route. Salekhard is usually reached by plane or boat, but in winter the only way to cross this icy wilderness is by a network of ice roads. These little transportation wonders are paths of occasionaly flattened snow that snake over and alongside the frozen rivers. They tend The Adventurists put it, “navigating your way to the finish line will be some of the most excellent fun in the world.”

Monitoring the temperature last week,  it was noted that  at the finish line in Salekhard the temperature hit a frost-bitingly low -34°C at night, -18°C during the day and that’s not taking into account the numbing effects of wind. When driving at a leisurely 30mph through -32C, it will feel more like -52C.  To give you a picturesque understanding of this temperature … it’s where boiling water turns to snow instantly – if you don’t believe that then just watch the next video:

However, that is not going to deter 12 adventurous teams from being the guinea pigs for this, the first of the Siberian Ice Runs.

This crazy race begins on Monday, 13th February, but next year you too can do it if you get your name in on time!

The Adventurists will be posting updates on the blog throughout the adventure so if you’d like to know who’s just taken an unintentional dip in the River Ob or frozen their you-know-whats to their something-elses then return to The Jibber.