Mikael Strandberg Completes Expedition Extreme Cold

Back in January I told you about explorer Mikael Strandberg's latest adventure which he had dubbed Expedition Extreme Cold. That seemed like a fitting name considering he planned on traveling through one of the coldest and most demanding environments on the planet. Mikael's journey would start in Oymyakon, Siberia and cover more than 500 km (310 miles) before ending at the Sea of Okhotsk. Along the way, he would face temperatures that could routinely plunge to -60ºC/-76ºF while exploring a vast wilderness with the indigenous inhabitants know as the Eveny or Reindeer People.

Yesterday, Mikael posted an update from the field saying that the expedition had come to an end several weeks earlier than expected. He had originally expected the journey to take until mid-April or so, but he and his team, which consisted of photographers Yuri Berezhnov and Misja and Keisja Alexandrov, along with their Eveny guides, made better time than they expected. They arrived in the village of Arkah over the weekend where they were greeted by the entire population. Word of their arrival had proceeded them by days and everyone was eager to greet them.

Mikael documented the entire journey on his blog, sharing his experiences from the remote wilderness that remains seldom visited by outsiders even in the 21st century. Along the way, he and his team also gathered video footage that will also serve as the basis for an upcoming documentary for OutWild TV on the region and the hardy Reindeer People who have lived there for centuries. He also hoped to study the Eveny and learn how they have adapted to survive in such harsh conditions.

Strandberg says that he is content that he has reached the end of his journey, yet he is eager to tell more stories of the Eveny and the amazing landscapes that they inhabit. Look for more of those stories to come soon and watch for the full documentary down the line.

Congratulations to Mikael and company on a job well done.

Update: As you'll see in the comments below, Mikael himself has posted a little update from Siberia. He wanted to point out that his full team consisted of Egor Makarov, Yura Stepanovich Berezhnev, Bolot Bochkarev, the Eveyns Slava Sergovich, Vika Andrejevna, Tolya Andrejev and Yura Grigorovich Osenin.