Dimitri Kieffer is currently in the middle of a human powered expedition around the world which he started in Anchorage, Alaska, USA in February 2005.
Since his departure, he has walked across Alaska from Anchorage to Wales and then proceeded to swim, walk and ski across the Bering Strait to land in Russia at Uelen, Chukotka Okrug in April 2006.
He then continued to trek and ski, progressing southwest through Egvekinot, Anadyr, (Chukotka Okrug), Kamenskoye, Manily, Paren, (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug), Evensk and finally Omsukchan (Magadanskaya Oblast).
In August 2011, Dimitri returned to Omsukchan, where he started to cycle westbound in company of his girlfriend Gulnara Miftakhova, who since then has become his wife. Together, they cycled 1962 kms to reach Nizhny Bestyakh (Yakutsk) on the Kolyma Highway, also known as the "road of bones".
Summers 2012, 2013 and 2014, Dimitri cycled further southwest a total amount of 10,472 kms (6506 miles) from Yakutsk, Russia to Bukhara, Uzbekistan. He was accompanied by his wife Gulnara Kieffer for some of these sections.
Total Mileage covered (as of July 25th 2015):
Dimitri has covered so far 17,812 kms (11,067 miles) since he started, which he has accomplished over the course of 514 days of motion (279 days trekking/skiing/swimming and 235 days cycling/rowing).
- 5228 kms (3248 miles) in 6 winters (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011) while trekking, snowshoeing, skiing and swimming through Alaska, the Bering Strait and Far Eastern Russia.
- 12,584 kms (7,819 miles) in 4 summers (2011, 2012,2013,2014) while cycling through Far Eastern Russia, Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and rowed across the Aldan river in Yakutia/Sakha Republic, Russia.
Summary per year:
2014:
Dimitri and Gulnara cycled 2950 kilometers (1833 miles) across the Central Asian nations of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
They cycled through the famous Pamir Highway (M41), where they climbed through mountain passes as high as 4600 meters (15,000 feet).
Pamir Mountains : mountain range in Central Asia at the junction of the Himalayas with the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains, and since Victorian times, they have been known as the "Roof of the World".
Kyrgyz, Tajik, Pamiri, Afghan sheep/camels/goats/horses/yaks herders
Uzbek melon/watermelons/apple/grapes farmers.
Silk Road Cities of Bukhara and Samarqand: blacksmiths, rug makers, artists, painters, puppet makers
2013:
Dimitri cycled further 3473 kms (2158 miles) from Kharkhorin, Mongolia to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Gulnara was able to join him for 1504 kms (934 miles) from Urumqi, China to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Mongolian steppe, Chinese desert, Mongols, Han Chinese, Uighurs, Hui Chinese, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, sheep/camels/goats/horses/yaks herders, factory workers, miners, farmers, cotton and pimentos hand pickers.
2012:
Cycling 4049 kms (2515 miles) from Yakutsk to Kharkhorin, through Russian Far East and Eastern Mongolia.
Taiga, steppe, sand dunes, Yakuts/ Sakhas, Evens, Buriats, Mongols, lamas, road wokers, miners, herders, Takhi wild horses, camels, yaks, eagles, prairie dogs and reached the first antipode of the expedition.
2011:
Trekking and skiing 595 kms (370 miles) from Paren to Omsukchan through Far Eastern Russian tundra
Cycling 2110 kms ( 1310 miles) from Omsukchan to Kachitkatsy, through the mountainous Omsukchan road and the M 56 Kolyma Highway, aka "Road of Bones", with Gulnara. Gold and Coal mines, Gulag relics, Road workers camps, Sakha farmers and Sakha horses.
Rowed across the Aldan River in Yakutia/ Sakha Republic, Russia.
Rode the last 150 kilometers alone from Nizhny Betyakh to Katchikatsy and had to stop there for the winter because of mechanical failure (broken free hub).
2010:
Back on the Trail! Trekking and skiing 700 kms (430 miles) from Vayegi (Chukotka) to Paren (Kamchatka), Far Eastern Russia, tundra, reindeer herders, trekking in company at first of Nyurgun Efremov and afterwards in company of the dogs Rice, Rex and Dunia.
2009:
Dimitri sustained a tragic accident at home while working on his roof, unsecured.. Fell 15 feet on a concrete floor. Back surgery: split L1 lombar vertebrae and relate joint were successfully fused with T12 and L2 vertebrae with the help of 6 titanium screws and wire, therefore avoiding potential paralysis.
Consequently, Dimitri was forced to take a year of convalescence, wearing a "turtle shell" for the first three months,and reflecting on Kafka's "The Metamorphosis"
Followed intense physical therapy, travelled in europe, hiked the GR20 in Corsica, rode a motorcycle through the continent and met Gulnara Miftakhova while visiting friends in Morocco.
2008:
April: Knee arthroscopy to repair a torn meniscus.
Spring: Trekked and skied 965 kms (600 miles) from Egvekinot to Vayegi, Chukotka.
Fought the Spring conditions: rapid melting snow!
First skiing, then trekking with a backpack and pulling the sled simultaneously then finally swimming and/or using the sled as a kayak while going down remote Chukotkan rivers. Encountered numerous grizzly bears but no humans in a 30 days timeframe!
Late Fall: Returned to Vayegi! Started too early in the season: rivers were not yet solidly frozen, had a limited amount hours of daylight, equipment failure. Therefore aborted after one week and decided to come back in the winter.
2007:
Return in Russia! Trekked and skied 685 kilometers (425 miles) from Uelen to Egvekinot through desolate Chukotkan tundra with Karl Bushby. Reflecting on the Bering Strait, the history of civilization and species migration and recognition from Seattle Metropolitan Magazine...
2006:
Trekked 185 kilometers (115 miles) from Nome to Wales, Alaska with Karl Bushby.
Completed Bering Strait Crossing successfully in 322 kilometers (200 miles) with Karl Bushby, trekking, skiing and swimming from one ice surge to the next, among spotted seals and polar bears. First Eastbound crossing completed in modern times. Recognition from National Geographic, and Seattle declares June 23rd 'Dimitri Kieffer Day'...
2005:
Nexus Expeditions began in February of 2005 at Knik Lake in Alaska. Dimitri Kieffer competed in the Iditarod Invitational Race, traveling 1,770 kilometers (1,100 miles) in 37 days by foot and snowshoe from Knik Lake (near Anchorage) to Nome. He was the 6th person to ever finish this race by foot since the race started in 1989, following the trail of the infamous Iditarod dog race.
As a surprise, his father, Henri, met him near the village of Solomon after flying all the way from France and having travelled on a snowmobile to surprise him.
During the course of the race, Dimitri met Karl Bushy and together they spent the rest of the year for their 2006 Bering Strait crossing.
From this beginning, Dimitri would embark on a human-powered journey to circumnavigate the world.
Stages already completed
First Section:
Knik Lake (near Anchorage, Alaska) - Nome (Alaska)
Feb – April 2005
1100 miles 1770 kilometers in 37 days
Completed by foot (Trekking & Snowshoeing)
Iditarod Trail Invitational race
Second Section:
Nome (Alaska) – Wales (Alaska)
Feb 2006
115 miles 185 kilometers in 9 days
Completed by foot (Trekking & Back Country Skiing)
With Goliath expedition - Karl Bushby
Third Section:
Wales (Alaska) – Uelen (Russia), Bering Strait Crossing
March 17-31 2006
200 miles 322 kilometers, 14 days, 5 days where swimming was required
Completed by foot (Trekking & Back Country Skiing) + Swimming
With Goliath expedition - Karl Bushby
See articles describing the Bering Strait crossing:
Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2003036574_dimitri03m.html
New York Times:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B00E2DB1030F936A35757C0A9609C8B63
Fourth section:
Uelen to Egvekinot (Chukotka, Russia)
April 12- May 16 2007
425 miles 684 kilometers in 34 days
Completed by foot (Back Country Skiing and only trekking after Vastoshisno)
Uelen- Anguema(with Goliath expedition - Karl Bushby)
Anguema- Uelen (solo)
For more information on this 4th section, see:
http://nexusexpeditions.blogspot.com/2007/05/confirmed-dimitri-and-karl-split-routes.html
Fifth section:
Egvekinot to Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia)
April 15- June 7 2008
Approximatively 600 miles / 965 kms in 83 days.
Completed by foot (Back Country Skiing, trekking with a backpack and pulling the sled simultaneously, swimming, using the sled as kayak while going down rivers).
Article on Explorers Web
Sixth section:
Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia)-Paren (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug, Russia
March 11th - May 13th 2010
707 kms completed in 63 days.
For more information on this 6th section, see:
http://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=19375
Seventh section:
Paren (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug, Russia) - Omsukchan (Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia)
March 6th - April 25th 2011
595 kms completed in 51 days (39 trekking days & 12 storm/rest & repair days)
For more information on this 7th section, see:
http://www.explorersweb.com/polar/news.php?id=20123
Eight section:
Omsukchan (Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia) - Yakutsk/ Nizhny Bestyakh (Republic of Sakha, Yakutia)
Aug 13th - Sept 30th 2011
1962 kilometers completed in 49 days (including 7 rest/visiting/repair days) and rowing across the Aldan River in Yakutia / Sakha Republic, Russia.
For more information on this 8th section, see:
http://nexusexpeditions.blogspot.com/2011/10/departing-yakutsk-southbound-on-lena.html
Ninth section:
Yakutsk/ Nizhny Bestyakh (Republic of Sakha, Yakutia) to KM150 marker on Lena Highway between Katchikatsi and Ulu
Oct 10th - 12th 2011 150 kilometers completed in 3 days
For more information on this 9th section, see:
http://nexusexpeditions.blogspot.com/2011/10/nexus-expedition-halted-until-2012.html
Tenth section:
Yakutsk (Republic of Sakha, Yakutia) to Kharkhorin (Mongolia).
June 1st - Oct 31st 2013
4049 kilometers (2515 miles) completed, from Yakutsk to Kharkhorin, through Russian Far East and Eastern Mongolia, cycling for 63 days.
In this section: Taiga, steppe, sand dunes, Yakuts/Sakhas, Evens, Buriats, Mongols, lamas, road wokers, miners, herders, Takhi wild horses, camels, yaks, eagles, prairie dogs and reaching the first antipode of the expedition.
Eleventh section: Kharkhorin (Mongolia) - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.Aug 18th - Dec 18th 2013
Dimitri cycled 3473 kms (2158 miles) from Kharkhorin, Mongolia to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
64 cycling days
Gulnara was able to join him for 30 days: 1504 kms (934 miles) from Urumqi, China to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Mongolian steppe, Chinese desert, Mongols, , Han Chinese, Uighurs, Hui Chinese, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, sheep/camels/goats/horses/yaks herders, factory workers, miners, farmers, cotton and pimentos hand pickers.
Damages caused by Mongolian sandy trails: broken freehub, gear shifter, derailleur and a few flats.
Twelfth section: Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) - Bukhara (Uzbekistan)
2950 kms (1833 miles) 63 cycling days
Dimitri and Gulnara cycled across the Central Asian nations of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
They cycled through the famous Pamir Highway (M41), where they climbed through mountain passes as high as 4600 meters (15,000 feet).
Pamir Mountains : mountain range in Central Asia at the junction of the Himalayas with the Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains, and since Victorian times, they have been known as the "Roof of the World".
Kyrgyz, Tajik, Pamiri, Afghan sheep/camels/goats/horses/yaks herders
Uzbek melon/watermelons/grapes farmers, Silk Road Cities of Bukhara and Samarqand: blacksmiths, rug makers, painters, puppet makers.