Polish Cyclist Dies in Yakutia on Journey to Cold Pole
A tourist from Poland, 52-year-old Adam Borejko, has died in Yakutia without reaching Oymyakon by bicycle. His body was discovered in a hotel room in the settlement of Khandyga on February 1. The cyclist had previously registered with the Yakutia Rescue Service and received a briefing, with rescuers tracking him via a GPS tracker. This was reported on February 2 by the department«s Telegram channel.
«He checked into the hotel, went to sleep, did not come out of his room in the morning, and at 17:10 it was discovered he was dead. Investigative authorities are working on the scene,» the Yakutia Rescue Service reported.
Adam Borejko was an experienced bicycle traveler, although he had only gotten behind the handlebars of his two-wheeled friend 11 years ago. He set himself the goal of overcoming heat, altitude, and cold. In the last two years, he crossed the Sahara and the High Atlas mountains in Morocco, traveled the length of India from south to north to the Himalayas, conquering several passes above 5000 meters (16,404 feet). His final dream was to travel from Yakutsk to Oymyakon—914 kilometers (568 miles)—to the coldest inhabited point on Earth.
It took him a year and a half to prepare all the documents and obtain permission to enter Russia.
«Finally, I have been allowed into Russia and can set off on my journey to Yakutia. I feel excitement combined with great respect. I know that a very powerful and complex experience awaits me, one I cannot even imagine. We are going to the planet»s coldest and harshest conditions. So let the one I believe in, whom I believe in and love, lead the way. If God is for us, who can be against us?« he wrote on his Instagram page (an extremist organization, banned in Russia).
He arrived in Yakutsk on January 18, took part in Epiphany bathing (a traditional Russian Orthodox winter plunge), and on January 25 at 08:30 a.m., set off from the zero-kilometer marker on Ordzhonikidze Square towards the Pole of Cold. At the same time, the cyclist wrote that he understood the full difficulty of the expedition—he spent two days overnight in a tent on the Lena River to prepare mentally and physically.
«I already know that this will not be easy and it will be the hardest experience of my life. I have some minor health problems. God grant that I return in one piece. In 9 hours I get on the bicycle and set off, Yakutsk—Oymyakon,» Adam wrote in his blog.
On his way, he met kind people who helped him. He admitted that adapting to the frost was difficult, and at times his bicycle broke down. The first night in Tyungyulyu, he spent at a roadside bar and hotel. The next day in the village of Nuoragana, he was fed and treated to tea at the school.
«I dried my things and rested a bit. They asked me to tell the children about my journey. About 15 kilometers (9 miles) after leaving the school, my pedal broke. Standing there, I was freezing and thinking about what to do,» he wrote on Instagram (an extremist organization, banned in Russia).
A truck driver then helped him get to Churapcha. There, the tourist was sheltered by the family of Yulia and Grigory, about whom he wrote: «Exceptionally beautiful people with four children. They treated me like royalty. I repaired my bicycle and talked with the children. I also visited two museums. In exactly 7 hours, I will be getting up and riding again. May God bless you for meeting such people on the road and in your life.»
On January 31, Adam Borejko reached Khandyga, checked into a hotel, and published a story: «9.5 hours on a gravel road, 406 kilometers (252 miles) covered. I am in Khandyga!» And went to sleep. As it turned out, forever.
According to available information, Adam was alone in the room. He was found on February 1 without signs of life. The hotel staff declined to comment on the details to a 14.RU correspondent: «Call law enforcement agencies, and we will not give any comments, nothing, because we consider it unlawful and incorrect.»
Adam Borejko«s tour was supposed to end on February 18. The Polish traveler is survived by four children—three sons and a daughter.
In his last post, he wrote: «In March 2023, I made the decision to change my life. I bought the bicycle of my dreams and set off on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill my dreams. I am not rich. I lost my home and material things, but I found myself, faith, and inner freedom. And that is enough for me. I am inexplicably drawn to Siberia, to Yakutia. Sometimes I feel that the Yakut people are spiritually closer to me than modern Europe. I am grateful for the opportunity to be here. Thank you to the people of Yakutia for their open hearts and hospitality.»
The body of Polish tourist Adam Borejko will be sent from Khandyga to Yakutsk on February 2, where a forensic medical examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death.
