MOSCOW, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Three Russian enthusiasts have started an expedition on snowmobiles across the Russian Arctic regions, Tass news agency reported Tuesday.
The participants in the Northern Trail 2019 expedition intend to cover 17,000 kilometers from Russia's northwestern city of Murmansk to its far eastern Kamchatka peninsula within three months.
The expedition, which started Friday, is sponsored by the Russian Geographical Society (RGO) and Moscow State University. The three members, who come from the Urals city of Magnitogorsk, are experienced travelers that have made long journeys in the past.
The group started its first Northern Trail expedition in 2013, covering 11,600 kilometers between Murmansk and the far eastern Chukotka peninsula in four months.
The cargo of the current expedition consists mostly of gasoline and spare parts for snowmobiles as the path has been laid away from cities and villages. The travelers also have flare guns with them to scare away polar bears.
The main task of the expedition is to popularize the Russian Arctic and the Russian North. Its members have planned to post diaries, photos and videos of the expedition on Facebook.
In the future, the project may become a regular trans-Russian snowmobile rally, according to the RGO.
The RGO, established in 1845, is one of the oldest geographical societies in the world. Its Board of Trustees is currently headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, while Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu serves as its president.
