by Sheila Mackie, 07 December 2001

Cycling across China, through the deserts of Iran and up Scotland's Ben Nevis are just a few of the biking expeditions done by Dutchman and adventure cyclist, Ralph Tuijn. This December sees the start of his newest expedition, a world record attempt to cycle across the longest totally frozen river in the world. This trek across the Lena River in Siberia is certainly no mean feat, as Ralph hopes to return to The Netherlands by the middle of April, before the ice starts to melt! The Lena River in Siberia, Russia is a total of 4400 kilometres long and it is totally frozen between December and April. The thickness of ice along the river can vary between two and ten metres. Temperature, being a major factor this far north, can drop during a hash winter to minus sixty degrees Celsius. Ralph says, "The danger will not be that I fall through the ice.

The danger is more like the frostbite." So far north in Siberia though, he could come across other problems, "near the northern Ice Sea there are polar bears. I've not been so far north before in Siberia as this time, so I'm quite afraid of that." Just Another AdventureRalph Tuijn has had many an adventure in far flung places across the globe. Over the last ten years he has mountain biked up Scotland's Ben Nevis, cycled 24,000 km across China, travelled the deserts of Iran, mountain climbed in Nepal, cycled through India on a rick-shaw and covered every corner of Europe on his bike. For Ralph, injury and sickness are a small price to pay for his adventures. He says, "I had food poisoning and dehydration in Iran, so I had to spend a week in the hospital there. I had pneumonia while mountain climbing in Nepal. I had mushroom poisoning in Siberia…It has to happen a lot more before I stop". The FutureWhen Ralph completes this adventure successfully he will find there is a place for him in the Guinness Book of World Records. He will not be basking in the glory for long though, as three weeks after his return he will be joining a British expedition to cross the Greenland ice cap. Nothing seems to stop this man. As long as he is fit he wants to travel like this forever. To keep track of Ralph Tuijn on his journey check out his website, www.ralphtuijn.nl (Dutch only, some English), where you will find regular updates on his ice biking expedition.

Source of the text: http://www.rnw.nl/lifestyle/html/siberia011205.html

Ralph Tuijn is on lake Baikal