Yekaterinburg off-road drivers to celebrate New Year on the Pole of Cold

Yekaterinburg Off-Road Drivers Club with the help of Krasnoles Motor Center arranged Expedition to the Pole of Cold .

On December 20, four Land Rover off-road vehicles (precisely Defender 90 , Discovery 2 , and two Defenders 110 ) with Toyota LC Prado started a long-distance trip to Oymyakon, the coldest place in the Northern hemisphere.

Last year Yekaterinburg drivers successfully tested Land Rovers by low temperatures in the Arctic zone. This time expedition members are going to withstand heavier duty. They are heading for the place where to live seems impossible.

The final destination is the absolute Pole of Cold located in the Oymyakonsky region, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The average January temperature is -50ºC (while it is -48.6ºC in Verkhoyansk), the absolute lowest temperature was registered at -67.7ºC (-67.8ºC in Verkhoyansk). There is another figure – minus 71.2ºC. The degree was registered in Tomtor by Academic S.Obruchev in 1926 with antiquated method.

The expedition team consists of 13 members, including 3 females. The total distance is about 15,000 km . The total run is expected to take 22 days – 20 days on the route, 19 days in driving. Adventurers plan to overcome 600 or 900 km per day.

Main criteria are vehicle reliability, accurate run schedule following, observance of winter roads and general traffic regulations.

Expedition news is available on the sponsor's website . Regular reports might be found on Yekaterinburg Off-Road Drivers Club's Forum .

On December 30, the adventurers have already left Yakutsk for Tomtor to celebrate New Year on the Pole of Cold.

// Dec. 30, 2006