Land of the Wind – Trans-East Expedition Stage 3
Cycling adventures through Russia, Kazakhstan and Siberia
“It’s a fantastic world we live in, a world full of secrets to be discovered.” Denis Katzer
Tanja and Denis Katzer report on their breathtaking journey from western Russia, through the vastness of the Kazakh steppes and southern Siberia. You experience fabulous hospitality, spending the night in run-down accommodation, in monasteries, with locals and in tents. Although their bikes and trailers weigh up to 130 kilograms, they are forced to cover more than 120 kilometers on some days. The extreme cyclists are constantly exposed to the adversities of the capricious weather: In the treeless, dry and endless Kazakh steppe, nature pushes them to the edge of what is humanly possible: 55 degree heat, water shortages, over 3,000 kilometers of merciless headwinds, violent summer thunderstorms and seemingly endless trails over the foothills of the Ural Mountains. The contrast to this is the constant rain of southern Siberia, whose low-lying walls of cloud soak up the land and herald the approach of winter with nightly sub-zero temperatures. Wet clothes, ticks and millions of mosquitoes are a constant challenge. Nevertheless, every day is a gift for Tanja and Denis. Because they also experience enchanting sunsets, nocturnal concerts of steppe birds, colorful seas of flowers and pleasantly fragrant grasslands, make extraordinary friendships and become one with Mother Earth.
