wildernessLectures
On Thin Ice: a winter's walk in Siberia on 17th January, 2024
by Charlie Walker
Event Details
In February 2022 Charlie travelled to the Arctic in Far East Russia to undertake a 600-mile hike along the frozen surface of a remote river. The goal was to visit and learn about the indigenous Siberian peoples living along the route: horse breeders, fur trappers and reindeer herders.
However, once Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine, Charlie found himself with a unique opportunity to see what ordinary Russians - far from the front lines - thought about the war their countrymen were now fighting. The expedition grew increasingly precarious as the authorities started to closely scrutinise his movements and motives. Ultimately, being a Westerner inside Russia became an even greater challenge than surviving and camping in the extreme cold temperatures.

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Charlie Walker
Charlie Walker is an adventurer and writer specialising in long-distance, human-powered expeditions to develop an intimate understanding of the world’s most remote communities. This focus has taken him to places as varied as the Tibetan plateau, the Mongolian steppe, the Congolese jungle, Arctic tundra, the highlands of New Guinea and numerous deserts in between. He has travelled ove...
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