Definition of the word Nexus
Sunday January 27, 2008 – 47.6097° N, 122.3331° W
nex·us [ néksəss ]
Definition:
1. connection: a connection or link associating two or more people or things
2. connected group: a group or series of connected people or things
3. center: the center or focus of something
[Mid-17th century. Latin nex-, past participle of nectere “bind”
EXPEDITION HISTORY (2005-2011)
2013 Nexus Expeditions Map
1st section: Knik Lake (near Anchorage, Alaska) – Nome (Alaska)
2d section: Nome (Alaska) – Wales (Alaska)
3rd section: Nome (Alaska) – Uelen (Russia) Bering Strait Crossing
4th section: Uelen to Egvekinot (Chukotka, Russia)
5th section: Egvekinot to Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia)
6th section: Vayegi (Chukotka)- Paren (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug)
7th section: Paren (Kamchatka) – Omsukchan (Magadanskaya)
8th section: Omsukchan (Magadanskaya) – Nizhny Bistyekh/ Yakutsk (Yakutia)
9th section Nizhny Bestyakh to KM150 marker on Lena Highway(Republic of Sakha, Yakutia
Tenth section: Summer 2012 Nexus Expedition Route4049 kms / 2515 miles covered
Tenth section: Yakutsk (Russia) – Kharkhorin (Mongolia)
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 proceeds 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.
Together, they cycled 1962kms to reach Nizhny Bestyakh (Yakutsk) on the Kolyma Highway, also known as the “road of bones”.
Dimitri has covered 4468 miles (7190 kms) since he started, which he has accomplished over the course of:
– 1219 miles (1960 kms) in 1 summer (2011) cycling
– 3250 miles (5230 kms) in 6 winters (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011) while trekking, snowshoeing, skiing and swimming
Dimitri returned in Yakutsk in late May 2012 to continue his expedition westbound.
Stages already completed:
First Section:
Knik Lake (near Anchorage, Alaska) – Nome (Alaska)
Feb – April 2005
37 days
1100 miles 1770 kilometers
Completed by foot (trekking & snowshoeing)
the Iditarod Trail Invitational race.
Second Section:
Nome (Alaska) – Wales (Alaska)Feb 2006
9 days
115 miles 185 kilometers
Completed by foot (Trekking & Back Country Skiing)
(with Goliath expedition – Karl Bushby)
2d section: Nome (Alaska) – Wales (Alaska)
Third Section:
Wales (Alaska) – Uelen (Russia)
Bering Strait CrossingMarch 17-31 2006
14 days, 5 days where swimming was required
200 miles 322 kilometers
Completed by foot (Trekking & Back Country Skiing) + Swimming
(with Goliath expedition – Karl Bushby)
You can read more about the Bering Strait Crossing in Karl Bushby’s report.
Fourth section:
Uelen to Egvekinot (Chukotka, Russia)April 12- May 16 2007
34 days
425 miles 684 kilometers
Completed by foot (Back Country Skiing and only trekking after Vastoshisno)
Uelen- Anguema(with Goliath expedition – Karl Bushby)
Anguema- Uelen (solo)
For more details on this section, please consult: 2007 Route completed – Uelen – Egvekinot 425 miles.
Fifth section:
Egvekinot to Vayegi (Chukotka, Russi
a)
April 15- June 7 2008
Approximatively 600 miles / 965 kms
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).
For more details on this section, please consult:
2008 Route completed – Egvekinot – Vayegi
Report provided by explorersweb.com
Sixth section:
Vayegi (Chukotka, Russia)-Paren (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug, Russia)March 11th – May 13th 2010
707 kms completed, 63 days.
For more details on this section, please consult: 2010 Route completed Vayegi – Paren
Report provided by explorersweb.com
ction: Vayegi (Chukotka) – Paren (Kamchatka)
Seventh section:Paren (Kamchatka Koryak Okrug, Russia) – Omsukchan (Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia)March 6th – April 25th 2011
595 kms completed, 51 days (39 trekking days & 12
storm/rest & repair days)
For more details on this section, please consult:
2011 Done with the Missing Link!
2011 Route completed Paren-Omsukc
han (Report provided by explorersweb.com)
Eight section:Omsukchan (Magadanskaya Oblast, Russia) – Yakutsk/ Nizhny Bestyakh (Republic of Sakha, Yakutia)
Aug 13th – Sept 30th 2011
1962 kilometers completed, 49 days ( including 7 rest/visiting/repair days)
For more details on this section, please consult: 2011 Nexus Expedition Summer Cycling section
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, 3 days.
For more details on this section, please consult:
2011 Nizhny Bestyakh – Km marker 150 on Lena Highway
Total Mileage Completed:
Approximatively 4468 miles / 7190 kilometers
3249 miles trekking & 1219 miles cycling
5228 kilometers trekking & 1962 kilometers cycling343 daysThe expedition started on February 26th 2005 at Knik Lake, near Anchorage, Alaska. Dimitri completed in 37 days by foot and snowshoe the Iditarod Invitational race from Knik Lake to Nome (1100 miles / 1770 kms). He was the 6th person to ever finish this race by foot, following the trail of the infamous Iditarod dog race. During the race, he met with Karl Bushby with whom he joined the Goliath expedition and continued North West from Nome to Wales in Feb 2006 completing the 115miles (185 km) in 9 days.
In March 2006, he was able to complete the first successful Westbound crossing of the Bering Strait between Wales, Alaska and Uelen, Russia covering 200 miles (322kms) in 14 days, with Karl Bushby as part of the Goliath Expedition while swimming, trekking and skiing between and on ice floes.
See article describing the Bering Strait crossing: Seattle Times, New York Times.
In April 2007, he continued his human powered Nexus expedition in Chukotka, Russia, starting in Uelen where he was last stopped after having crossed the Bering Strait. He covered 425 miles (684 kms) in 34 days from Uelen to Egvekinot by foot and skis while pulling a sled along the Siberian coast and across the frozen tundra with Karl Bushby.
In April 2008, Dimitri continued his expedition solo, in Chukotka, Russia, starting in Egvekinot where he had last stopped and covered approximately 600 miles.
He completed this section by foot and skis while pulling a sled along the Siberian coast and river beds. As the spring advanced and the snow started to rapidly melt, Dimitri had to trek some of the last hundred miles with a backpack and pulling the sled simultaneously, swimming, and finally using the sled as a kayak and a shovel as a paddle while going down rivers.
In January 2009, Dimitri accidentally fractured his L1 vertebrae while being back home in Seattle, USA.
As a result, he underwent a successful Posterior Spinal Instrumental fusion surgery, which thankfully allows him to fully function today, after having taken a required 1 year sabbatical “vacation” from the expedition.
In March 2010, Dimitri returned to the village of Vayegi and continued by foot and skis while pulling a sled moving Southwest towards Kamchatka. He completed the first month in company of Yakut trekker Nyurgun Efremov who stopped in the village of Slautnoye, Kamchatka.
From there on, Dimitri completed the next 200 kms in company of three beautiful erring dogs and reach Kamenskoye. After having left the 3 canines in good company, he continued solo, mostly following the coastline where he could still find barely enough ice to slide his sled on, swimming and backpacking along the way and was finally able to reach the remote koryak fishing village of Paren.
Dimitri was also enthused to be able to meet and stay for a few days along the way with two different “brigades” of reindeer herders, a chukchi one and a koryak one where he was able to learn about and appreciate their nomadic culture.
In February 2011, Dimitri returned to Kamchatka to continue trekking and skiing 595kms from Paren in Kamchtaka Koryak Okrug to Omsukchan in Magadanskaya Oblast.
In August 2011, Dimitri returned to Omsukchan, where he started to cycle westbound in company of his girlfriend Gulnara Miftakhova. Together, they cycled 1962kms to reach Nizhny Bestyakh (Yakutsk) on the Kolyma Highway, also known as the “road of bones”.
Dimitri plans to return to Yakutia with his girlfriend Gulnara and continue to ride together towards China, Mongolia and central Asia.
Dimitri plans to have completed the entire expedition by 2016, upon reaching Knik Lake, after having circumnavigated the globe via human power.