Exploration, expeditions, personality training
I am interested in solving difficult and multifaceted problems in exploratory mountaineering and in polar exploration in the coldest and the most remote & hard-to-reach mountain ranges and plateaus. In practice, this usually means organizing and executing expeditions rich in logistical, physical, mental, and intellectual challenges; goals of such expeditions are usually climbing unclimbed mountains and crossing uncrossed plateaus and ranges. I target (1) the coldest peaks in the coldest time of the year, where absolute temperatures can drop to -70 C, and (2) the most remote and hard-to-reach places in absolute wastelands which can be more than 500 kilometers away from nearest human outposts. Finally, almost all my expeditions are solo, unsupported, and unassisted, which in practice means relying only on one's own resources and strength in the field.
In addition to being interested in exploration for the sake of it, I also use expeditions as a driver of more effective and efficient research. Specifically, my expeditions develop personality strength, mental resilience, perseverance and tenacity, resourcefulness, resistance to stress, and leadership skills. They have greatly enhanced my research activities: all the mental and psychological resources developed and trained in very hostile environments can be directly reused when tackling demanding deadlines and any other research challenges. The expeditions are also a great lesson in efficient risk management and decision making: one must learn how to quickly and efficiently make many decisions that may have important consequences: a bad decision may lead to death, a good decision may save one's life. Here, solo expeditions are of particular value: one learns how to fully rely on oneself, not take anything and anyone for granted, and take full responsibility for one's actions.
While I am interested in several very remote and cold regions of the world, which still offer numerous unresolved serious exploratory problems, so far I have mostly focused on the mountains and plateaus of North Siberia and Siberian Arctic. This is because this is an extremely hostile and unyielding environment, very challenging, virtually unexplored, and completely pristine in most parts. Both summers and winters come with numerous mental and physical challenges related to weather, climate, terrain, for example: deep valleys full of swampy and impassable taiga forests, vast, gloomy, and severe plateaus with ferocious winds, unexplored crevassed glaciers, violent and wide rivers, grey and bleak polar deserts, endless marshy tundra, sheer cliffs and deep canyons (sometimes deeper than 1000 meters), technically demanding mountain ridges and faces, temperatures as low as -70 C (without the windchill factor, it can get much colder than that with the wind) and as high as +40 C, deep, soft, and unstable snow, vast fields of sharp stones, wild animals, ultimate isolation and solitude, and many others.
Finally, I also work scientifically on enhancing the general efficiency and effectiveness of a broad range of exploratory undertakings (scientific expeditions, athletic expeditions, any other ventures related to off-road hostile terrain and settings etc.) with computing and deep learning.
The most interesting expeditions so far are detailed in the CV.
Awards and honors related to exploration are also listed in the CV.
A summary of my expeditions and their objectives:
Some selected impressions and situations:
