ASTANA – Clear ice that stretches as far as the eyes can see, a vast horizon, and the feeling of complete freedom — what more could you ask from a cycling ice venture across a frozen lake? In February, two Polish cyclists Ryszard Jakubowski and Jakub Rybicki set out to ride the entire length of Lake Balkhash in two weeks.
Ryszard Jakubowski and Jakub Rybicki on a frozen Balkhash Lake. Photo credit: Jakub Rybicki
In an interview with The Astana Times, they recounted their experience, the challenges they faced along the way, and the warm encounters with locals that made the journey worthwhile.
Lake Balkhash, located in southeastern Kazakhstan, is one of the largest lakes in Central Asia, characterized by a unique natural phenomenon: its western part contains fresh water, while the eastern part is saline. In the winter months, Lake Balkhash completely freezes, solid enough for people to ski, run across, and bike through.
Journey to Balkhash
Rybicki has always been on the lookout for large lakes to cycle across. Lake Balkhash was a natural choice.
“Another big lake, which is frozen and which is relatively easy to get to, and nobody has cycled it before. There were a few people, as far as I know, who have tried to cycle all of Balkhash, but nobody succeeded in cycling its whole length. Of course, we also didn’t succeed in that, but we lost with a style,” said Rybicki.
When they tried the first coast-to-coast crossing of the Balkhash Lake by bicycle, Jakubowski and Rybicki thought they had prepared for everything, except snow.
Stars shine brightly on a cold winter night over the frozen surface of Lake Balkhash. Photo credit: Jakub Rybicki
Their journey began in mid-February at the northern shore of Lake Balkhash, near the village of Aktogai. But from the very start, they saw that a thick layer of snow was blanketing the ice. Weeks of planning and preparation were in jeopardy.
“Our bikes were prepared for ice. We didn’t have ‘fatbikes,’ but the tire was wide enough to be comfortable cycling on clean ice, but with the layer of snow, it was hard, and then it became impossible,” said Jakubowski.
After pushing the bikes for around 40-60 kilometers on a thick snow layer, they had to abandon the idea of cycling through Balkhash.
“We spent one day cycling, and the second day the whole day for eight or 10 hours, we were just pushing the bikes, doing close to none of progress. After the second day of pushing the bikes and suffering, we went on the road because the conditions were not changing, and we decided to cycle on the road and check if in the next 50-100 kilometers the situation is changing,” Jakubowski said.
“The snow is the main challenge,” Rybicki agreed. “Because cycling around a lake is, I think, the most easy thing, which people consider extreme. But actually it’s not very extreme – the temperatures may be extreme, but if you have good clothes, it is easy to deal with.”
How did it all start?
Jakubowski has walked thousands of kilometers over deserts in Jordan, picturesque trails in the Balkans and through high mountains before trying cycling.
“My journey with the bicycle started when I was doing a trip around Poland. I decided that before I go abroad, it would be nice to see my own country. So I did two walking trails around 1,000 kilometers long, then I used a canoe and paddled along the western border with Germany and on the Baltic Sea, and then I did over 1,000 kilometers on a bicycle. This was my first longer experience with the bicycle,” Jakubowski said.
Cycling through a frozen lake was the first experience for him, unlike his companion Rybicki, who had cycled across the deepest lake in the world before.
Clear ice, a vast horizon, and the feeling of complete freedom are what attracts two Polish cyclists Ryszard Jakubowski and Jakub Rybicki to cycle on frozen lakes. Photo credit: Jakub Rybicki
“I’ve cycled roughly most of Europe by bike. In 2009, we made the trip from Poland to Greece, which was around 3,000 kilometers. It was August, it was crazy hot – like 40 degrees hot. The asphalt was melting under our tires. After that trip, together with my friend, we decided that our next destination should be the polar circle, and we cycled to Murmansk the next year. It was also August, but it was like 80 degrees behind the polar circle, so it was cool. We decided that we prefer this kind of weather,” said Rybicki.
When he realized he enjoyed cycling in chilly conditions, it sparked a passion that would ultimately define his entire approach to adventure travel.
“For the next trip, we decided to go to an even colder region, and it was Baikal Lake in Siberia. We cycled roughly 900 kilometers around Baikal Lake. It is 636 kilometers long, but we made lots of detours,” said Rybicki.
“After crossing the deepest lake on the planet, we decided it would be cool to cross the ocean, so we went to Greenland. We were cycling the Arctic Circle trail on the fjords. It was an ocean, technically, but also the mountains and lakes of frozen Greenland. After that, we went to Kungsleden, which is a very cool trail in Swedish Lapland behind the polar circle as well,” he added.
Most memorable moments
For Jakubowski, cycling through Lake Balkhash delivered maximum scenic delights as a first-time experience.
“I loved the vast spaces of Balkhash and the experience of being alone with such a huge lake, sleeping in a tent, spending a night on the lake – that was something nice! Cycling in buran [snowstorm], that was also something I never experienced before,” said Jakubowski.
Beyond the landscape, interacting with local people is what travellers remember with warmth. One of those encounters was with Andrey, a former soldier from Priozyorsk who had served in Poland. Their shared connection to the country sparked long conversations and left a lasting impression.
Interacting with local people is what travelers remember with warmth. Photo credit: Jakub Rybicki
“After the second day, we slept over at Andrey’s house, we started moving forward, but then buran [snowstorm] started and Andrey kind of saved us, because he came with his car. We were already almost at the highway when he came and said: ‘Come on, guys, it’s not reasonable to cycle in this weather.’ And he was right,” Jakubowski said.
Locals were mainly surprised to learn the reason for their visit to Balkhash.
“We also met some Polish people, descendants of Polish people who were moved to Kazakhstan during World War II,” he added.
For Rybicki, it is about harvesting kilometers on pure ice.
“I really enjoyed the first day of actual cycling, when we started from the city of Balkhash, and we could really do cycling – that was what I expected from that trip. The vast space, some ice hills made of crushing ice parts, and this feeling of pure freedom – that was cool,” said Rybicki.
“It’s a beautiful big lake and the possibilities of cycling on the pure ice were tempting. We didn’t have a lot of pure ice, but when you try it for once, finding yourself on one huge iceskating rink, then you become addicted to this kind of adventure,” he added.
Plans for ice cycling
There are many lakes suitable for cycling, but it can be a complex process: from ensuring the necessary conditions are met for cycling to transporting all the equipment and bikes.
“I’m considering right now, North America, Canada. There’s Alaska as well. There are some polar regions that I’m really looking forward to cycling in. I’m also thinking about doing some trips on the skis. Where it’s impossible to ride a bike, you can ski, right?” said Rybicki.
Jakubowski also said that he is now hooked on ice cycling and hopes to take on new trips in the future.
