Feat: crosses the Bering Strait in a Land Rover Defender

Before getting into the details, for those whose geography is a weak point, the Bering Strait is the closest point between Eurasia (the region formed by the continents of Europe and Asia) and America. Its location also makes it one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, since it is relatively close to the North Pole.

Politically, it separates Alaska (United States) from Russia, and the shortest distance to cross it lies between Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales: 64 kilometres. However, the route taken by Steve Burgess – a farmer from West Yorkshire, United Kingdom – covered 84 kilometres up to that last cape, so he does not appear to have chosen the shortest way.

It sends shivers down your spine to think that he crossed the waters in a road-going vehicle over that distance, with temperatures as low as -46ºC. And yet he chose the perfect time of year, summer; in earlier attempts, others did it over winter ice but didn’t fare very well: 4x4s are not exactly light…

It is also surprising that Steve did not go all the way to that end of Russia just to complete this feat alone. No. He drove from Moscow and now intends to cross the entire Americas until reaching Cape Horn (Chile).

From here we wish him the best of luck, since he certainly doesn’t seem short of enthusiasm to tackle the more than 48,000 kilometres he will cover in total. Moreover, for now the Defender’s traction seems to be delighting him, and he is very satisfied with the model.

P.S.: I think they at Top Gear could take note of all this.

Source | Car Advice