Road to Baikal

Nomadic Road's March 2019 Road to Baikal expedition took a group of overlanders 2,000 kilometres across Siberia over nine days, with the bulk of the route running across the frozen surface of Lake Baikal itself. Baikal is the deepest and oldest freshwater lake in the world, and in late winter the southern half freezes solid enough to support a convoy of 4x4 vehicles, including in places where the ice is more than a metre thick and so clear you can see straight down into the dark water below. March is the last reliable window of the year for driving on Baikal. Temperatures still dropped sharply at night, sometimes below -25°C, and the days carried the kind of pale, brittle winter light that photographers travel a long way to find. The route worked along the southern shore, out onto the ice, and across to Olkhon Island, the spiritual heart of the lake for the local Buryat community. Driving on ice is not normal driving. The convoy moved at controlled speeds, kept distance between vehicles, and respected the constant cracking sounds that come with any thick lake ice. Several stretches involved the vehicle reflections sitting clearly on the polished black surface. Stops included natural ice formations, ice caves at the edges of the lake, and small fishing villages along the shore. Evenings were spent in heated lodges and traditional Russian wooden cabins, with banya sessions and shared meals. The March 2019 Road to Baikal expedition delivered one of the most singular winter overland experiences Nomadic Road runs.