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2001 EXPEDITIONS
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Year 1999, 2000
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Joint British Army and Russian Emercom adventure expedition
to North Eastern Siberia
Excercise SIBERIAN CHALLENGE is a Royal Logistics Corps sponsored mountaineering expedition to the Cherskiy Mountain Range in Yakutia (North-Eastern Siberia) in the late summer of 2001.
The expedition will involve Russian Emercom elements and British soldiers in both Support and Mountaineering Teams. The Expedition aims to establish relations between Russian and British Mountain Rescue Teams as well as to encourage young mountaineers within the RLC and EMERCOM.
The expedition has received political approval from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and support from such organizations as:
On 12-17 November 2000, an official committee from EMERCOM (Russian Ministry for Emergencies) and Wild Russia visited London to meet with officials from the RLC and MOD. The aim of the visit was to establish formal relations between both parties. It was agreed following the meeting between the MOD and EMERCOM that the Expedition will take place in July and August 2001. It was also agreed to organise joint training in Scotland in February 2001 in order to improve communication and mountain skills between the Russian and British Teams prior to the main Expedition in North Eastern Siberia. Click here to view pictures from this visit.
The Russian Team from EMERCOM visited Edinburgh on 2 February 2001 to
meet MOD officials. Click here to view pictures from this visit. The Russian Team then travelled further north where they met members of the British Team to conduct training in the Cairngorm Mountains.
There then followed a period of training with the Glen Coe Mountain Rescue Team. Pictures from this training will be available shortly.
Why was it decided to conduct such an expedition?
Representatives from ORT, NTV, RTR and ITAR-TASS have visited Glen Coe on Tuesday 13 February 2001 to report on a joint exercise between EMERCOM and the Glen Coe Mountain Rescue Team. This exercise was supported by Royal Navy Search and Rescue helicopters.
This exercise was also covered by Scottish TV (STV) and ITN as well as the local Scottish press.
Any enquiries or comments can be sent to Major Tim Smith at
tim@smitht11.freeserve.co.uk