RSA Russian Geographic Society
Regional Public Fund for Support of Expedition Activity ЌArctica"
Expedition Program
"Bicycle Marathon for Peace"
International Transamerica Bicycle Expedition
President of the Association of Russian Polarists
F. N. Chilingarov
President of the National Tourist Association
Y. A. Senkevitch
Foreword
Regional Public Fund for Support of Expedition Activity "Arctica" is organizing an International Transamerica Bicycle Expedition.
It is supposed that conduction of the International Transamerica Bicycle Expedition from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego in the frames of the UNO program "March for Peace г a way to the third millennium" will contribute to the development and spreading of the ideas of humanism, peaceful co-existence of different countries, mutual understanding between nations. Representatives of various countries will go together by the route from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, overcoming difficulties - and themselves г in the close interaction. Understanding of diversity of the world, acceptance of different ethical and moral rules in the frames of peace and friendship, negation of violence and force influence (except one on oneself) helps to develop the philosophy of multi-polar world, mutual concern and understanding. And vice versa, irreconcilability towards different views is denied, if only these views do not include elements of force influence or evil in its manifestations towards others. Everyone has both good and bad in himself, and we may allow ourselves to demonstrate evil only to ourselves, if any. It pertains both to the attitude of man to man, and of man to society.
Another important issue is attitude of man towards nature. Bicycle is an ecologically pure transport, and it has been chosen as the means to cover the distance between Alaska and Tierra del Fuego by purpose. Bicycle expedition demonstrates humane attitude to nature. Bicycle here is a symbol of civilized attitude to the environment in which and in close interaction with which human civilization develops. It is also a symbol of civilized attitude to human health, since physical activity together with high spiritual goals forms physically and psychically healthy person. We hope to attract public attention to the problems of nature as a whole through environmental problems of the countries, through which the expedition route will pass. Thus, three main constituents of our world - man, society and nature г will be linked together in the frames of Transamerica Bicycle Expedition by ties of peace, good and love.
Organizers and participants of the expedition
Expedition Program "Bicycle Peace Marathon" was developed and prepared by Regional Public Fund for Support of Expedition Activity "Arctica" of Russian Geographical Society, with the support of Russian Geographical Society, Association of Russian Polarists, Geography Faculty of Lomonosov Moscow State University, and International Center of Rerikhs.
Expedition Center (EC) "Arctica" was founded in 1992 on the basis of a research & sports expedition of the same name, which prepared and carried out trips and expeditions in remote, hard-accessible and extreme regions of the planet, mainly in the Far North, including water area of Arctic Ocean and Antarctica.
Every year, from 1982, EC "Arctica" carries out complex and unique journeys for travelers with excellent physical and special background, experience in sports trips, will power and other moral qualities necessary in the extreme environment. In all, route groups of the EC "Arctica" walked over 25 thousand kilometers by Arctic coast, islands, archipelagos and drifting ice of the Arctic Ocean, and by Polar plateau of Antarctica.
Expedition Center "Arctica" has successfully conducted four international parachute expeditions to the North Pole (1992,1997, 1998, 2000). В 1994 a ski team of eight persons managed to reach the North Pole in absolutely autonomous mode - first in the world practice of polar trips. In 1998 the team of EC "Arctica" consisting of four participants managed to carry out a unique by difficulty ski march from Russian coast to Canada via the North Pole.
Famous foreign travelers, acknowledged authorities in extreme traveling and sports: Tur Chejerdal, (Norway), Edmund Hillary (New Zealand), Jeff Sammers (Great Britain), Reinhold Messner (Italy) and other have given high evaluation of the EC "Arctica" activity.
Expedition projects of EC "Arctica" are supported by "ExplorersЊ Club" (USA).
Preparation of expedition program "Bicycle Peace Marathon" is conducted under the patronage of the UNO Chairman Cofe Anan and Vice Chairman of the State Duma of RF Federal Assembly, Hero of the Soviet Union, academician Arthur Chilingarov.
The President of EC "Arctica", Honored Master of Sports Vladimir Chukov, and Vice-President of EC "Arctica", Ph.D. in geography, Master of Sports Valery Fyodorov, leads the expedition program.
Chairman of organization committee of the expedition is Master of Sports Alexander Samofalov, members of the committee are: Victor Smirnov, Vyatcheslav Gosudarev, Alexander Rumyantsev, Sergey Chepelev, Alexander Novitchkov, Marina Baranova, Ilyas Barijev.
Applications of participants of the expedition will be considered till 1.03.2001 (resumes).
Founders and general sponsors of the project "Bicycle Marathon for Peace" will have an opportunity to participate in the development, preparation and conduction of advertising campaign at all stages of the expedition.
Goals and tasks of the expedition are
- to carry through the American continent the state flags of participating countries, the Peace Banner of Rerikhs, the UNO flag, as the symbols of peace and friendship between nations;
- to carry to the nations "Appeal to the Mankind" from the UNO program "March for Peace г a way to the third millennium";
- to conduct field trials of bicycles and hiking equipment in various natural and climate conditions and long (both in space and time) route;
- to lay a new Transamerica tourist bicycle route, which may become a regular "Peace Bicycle Marathon" in future;
- to conduct complex medical & biological, psychological observations and field research;
- to execute ecological, biological, geographical research programs and projects concerning the research of the nature of Earth;
- to make new films and photo albums, to publish articles about the route, people, nature and ecology of western regions of the North and South America;
- to carry out information & advertising campaign in the interests of the sponsoring companies and organizations.
Time and route of the expedition
The start is scheduled for May 15, 2001. The expedition will begin at Anchorage (USA) and finish approximately in early September at Punta Arenas (Chile). Total length of the route makes about 12 thousand kilometers. The route will cross the following countries: USA, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa-Rica, Panama, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile. Interesting nature objects are located near the expedition route.
In the North America:
Mount McKinley - peak 6 194 m (Alaska), waterfalls Yosemite (height 739 m), Ribbon (491 м), Death Valley (-86 м), the largest gorge on the Earth г the Big Canyon, Arizona (length 349 km, width 6-21 km, depth - 1,6 km), the deepest gorge on the Earth г Health Canyon, river Snake, Idaho, depth 2408 m.
In the South America:
The most dry place on the Earth г Atacama desert, Chile. There are actually no sediments (no sediments registered at Kalama during observations), the highest mountain village Acuankilcha, Chile - 5334 м, mount Aconcagua 6960 г the highest one in the South America.
It is planned to cover 150-200 km a day. Night stops in hotels, campings, tent camps.
During the entire route support cars will escort the expedition: road safety patrol car, ambulance, technical assistance.
After a preliminary study (August - September 2000) the route will be divided into stages, with the indication of difficulty and detailed description. It will be possible to participate both during the entire route, and on separate stages. Information on the length, time, technical and other conditions of the stages will be available at the web-server of Expedition Center "Arctica" starting from September 2000. Applications for participation in the expedition will be considered from 1.10.2000 till 1.03.2001.