The Equites team began preparing for the African "swims" back home
The start of the journey is planned in about three months. In the meantime, for the journalistic fraternity – and, consequently, for our readers and viewers – a program called "Ten Steps to Africa" is being conducted, a kind of prologue to the Equites team's African crossing. During it, we and you will see the preparation of team members – Goltis, Sasha, and Konstantin – for the extreme conditions of the crossing.
So, the first step.
Imagine: winter, frost (it was minus 8 that day), already dark. On the shore of a frozen lake – about a hundred people shifting from foot to foot. Bonfires are burning, African drums are beating, multicolored beams of spotlights illuminate the black rectangles of cut ice holes...
On the ice – a master of ceremonies at the celebration, whose functions are performed by TV show host Igor Molyar with a pretty assistant. Igor scooped a bucket of water from the ice hole and offers us to try its temperature. A life-affirming squeal is heard. One of the female journalists dipped her hand into the bucket.
That evening, we witnessed an unprecedented swim... under the ice of Almaznoye Lake. The objective conditions of this event are as follows: air temperature -5, water +4; ice thickness – 20 centimeters; distance under ice – 35 meters; breath-holding time – 1 minute (doctors claim that the duration of breath-holding in ice water is reduced by four times).
In essence, this event is a dangerous experiment. However, as the guys themselves stated, they are taking this risk quite consciously because Goltis, Sasha, and Kostya are experienced athletes who know how to calculate their strength. With this peculiar trick, they only confirm how serious their preparation for the upcoming journey is.
Frankly speaking, watching three strong guys in swimming trunks and swim caps dive one by one into the black water does not make it any warmer. Many asked themselves: why dive under the ice if a journey through Africa lies ahead? We were explained: in the Kalahari Desert, for example, the daily temperature range is 55-60 degrees Celsius. And the guys promised to show us African snow as well. On TV, of course.
And while the "riders" with torches gave the start to a nice fireworks display, we rejoiced with them that the show was a success, that Goltis, Sasha, and Kostya are truly extraordinary people, and that ahead of us there is still much amazing and interesting.