COGH: Kolyma Lowlands and Argakhtakh

[GailXrunning]

Irish-John imagined our ultra-relay as ‘fun and intriguing’, and I’m definitely becoming obsessed: refreshing our progress map, checking the overall run stats, and with finding out what I can about the areas we’re traveling through. This is for anyone who shares my obsession.

After our highland crossings before Cherskiy, we’re now traversing the Kolyma Lowlands between the rivers Kolyma and Alazeya on our way to the village of Argakhtakh. Finding images of our route here isn’t easy (for me, at least, as I don’t read Cyrillic), but there is a scientific research paper and a few reports that offer some insightful photos (links below).

A big theme is climate change. We’re running-walking our relay in the snow, but in summer the area we’re now in is subject to flooding. It’s an interesting contrast to the summer dessication wildfires, ground fires and recent winter ‘zombie’ fires that have extended their range northwards (see report on the COGH page for Cherskiy.)

Our running progress map shows lots of small lakes, ‘thermokarsts’, formed in hollows from permafrost meltwater. (See also COGH page on Woolly Mammoths.) The melt is speeding with climate change; the region is warming at 2-3 times the global average. Rainfall is rising with the temperature, adding to the problems. Although a normal feature of tundra landscape, the lakes can further exacerbate the permafrost degradation, increasing surfaces exposed to melting and erosion; occasionally the lakesides collapse and the waters empty out across the surrounding landscape. The Kolyma Lowlands have barely any elevation differential, so waters are largely trapped, with floodwaters sitting for several months.

Just as well that we are running here during the deep freeze?

PHOTOS: This is a specialist science paper, which has some images (for the photos, press the green rectangle to ‘Browse figures’). Among them is one of Argakhtakh during the floods of 2007 + a spontaneously drained lake + maps showing the flooded areas. mdpi.com/2072-4292/8/11/971

PHOTO: Argakhtakh 2017 flood: earth-chronicles.com/natura...

PHOTOS: Argakhtakh 2018 flood recovery and evacuation of children to emergency summer camp. It’s worth blowing up the photo of the rescue worker’s blue and yellow jacket: news.myseldon.com/en/news/i...

[Over62]

Amazing research of where we are and where we are going and I thought I was just on ice. I had been querying with myself if there was any habitation along the route.

I think the team are looking for more research support on the journey for the next stages.

Yes we are in a fascinating part of the world thank you for the information.

🌍👍👏

[GailXrunning in reply to Over62]

And we’ve now passed Argakhtakh! Just no stopping this incredible relay team, is there?! Heading south, still in the Kolyma Lowlands until we rejoin the Kolyma River at Srednekolmynsk.

[JaySeeSkinny Graduate10]

This is fantastic! It makes everything come to life. I saw all the little lakes on the map, but didn’t realise how they developed and how watery the region is. There is no way on earth that I would want to live there. 16 degrees is a heat wave and you’re eaten alive in the process. It really is good that we’re running in winter, we have to keep moving at -31 degrees!

[GailXrunning in reply to JaySeeSkinny]

😁 Pictures not as impressive as the ones for Cherskiy, but that was the realm of art-photography. Still, I’m finding it fascinating to see glimpses of the landscape in the news reports and to get some sense of how everyday life proceeds.

[RunaroundSue Graduate10]

Thank you for this, very interesting. I noticed lots of wet looking areas on the map when I logged my walk today.

[GailXrunning in reply to RunaroundSue]

I think there’s more of these wet areas to come in our next leg, although I imagine they’re currently frozen.🥶❄️

[HevvyH Graduate10]

Thank you for all the time you are spending finding out all about our route. Really interesting. Saw the photo with the jacket covered in mosquitoes . Hope everyone packed their repellent. 😆

[GailXrunning in reply to HevvyH]

Doubt the repellent will do much against those beasts!🦟🦟🦟

[Oldgirlruns Graduate10 in reply to GailXrunning]

I think the Kolyma river has metres of thick ice so I’m glad I packed my vest! But mozzies as well, ugh! I’ve been in the soft south too long!

[GailXrunning in reply to Oldgirlruns]

Not a place for popping out in shorts.

[LottieMW Ambassador]

Thanks for this Gail 😊

[SueAppleRun Graduate10 60minGraduate]

That’s so interesting and I keep looking up wildlife so it’s good that you keep us up to date on where we are thanks

[GailXrunning in reply to SueAppleRun]

Give a girl shin splints....