Today was as planned a full day of preparation.

Our group left Irkutsk this morning and moved to Bol'shoye Goloustnoye on the shores of Lake Baikal.

They were warmly welcomed and immediately got to work with the massive job of unpacking their expedition equipment and resorting it into their individual sleds. Brecht also provided a final tutorial regarding their MSR stoves.

Tonight our group was treated to an authentic sauna and were even invited to join a local social gathering.

Tomorrow morning their plan is to depart around 10:00 and take their first steps on the frozen lake soon after.

Weather predictions for the next days show variable conditions, with the chance of intermittent snowfall in their early hours of progression. Temperatures on Day 1 are predicted to be around -13°C during the day and should drop to around -20° for their first night on the ice.

You may follow their progression via Expeditions Unlimited with its LiveExplorer feature.