The Kuril Islands, wild and inhospitable lands, stretch over 1,000 kilometers between Japan and Russia.
An archipelago of still active volcanic islands, it offers a spectacular landscape: steep cliffs plunging into the sea, rugged rocky coasts, smoking volcanoes.
Here is the story of a journey to the end of the world, between sailing, skiing, and surviving in extreme weather conditions.
THIBAUD DUCHOSAL
A former competitor of the Freeride World Tour, Thibaud Duchosal is now a professional freerider. He has managed to turn his passion into a profession: the mountains have become his office.
An adventurous skier, he lives for skiing, wide open spaces, and traveling. What drives him? Discovering landscapes untouched by human traces and leaving his own, as a memory of his passage.
“I will board a sailboat in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk to reach Petropavlovsk-Kamchatski in Kamchatka.
The plan: 15 days of sailing and 7 to 8 days of skiing on different Kuril Islands.
We are only the second known expedition to make this journey!”
FROM PARIS TO YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK
For ten years, Thibaud has been skiing regularly in Russia but mostly in the western part. This time, heading to the Russian Far East. Upon arriving in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, the shock is immediate: here, you are at the end of the world.
The journey is long, the airport basic, the city austere. The weather conditions are harsh and it shows: the buildings are built to withstand snowstorms. No windows on the first floor: proof of the astronomical amounts of snow that sometimes cover the city!
BOARDING FOR THE KURIL ISLANDS
Upon arrival, Thibaud meets the other members of the expedition: photographer Stéphane Godin, two other skiers, and the three Russian sailors who will take them to the islands.
Before setting sail, an entire day is dedicated to preparing equipment and safety checks: bear deterrents, distress flares, fishing waders, etc., because there, the islands are uninhabited and brown bears reign supreme.
The personal ski equipment travels in the hold. Two days after arrival, the group finally discovers their boat... surprise: the Dumbo is a small 11.50 m sailboat. With ten people, space is more than limited. A real game of Tetris ensues to store everything. The skis, due to lack of space, are securely attached to the back of the boat.
LIFE ON BOARD
The first crossing to Kurilsk takes place under perfect weather: calm sea, clear sky, magnificent landscapes. We savor the moment, especially as about forty orcas come to play around the boat for more than two hours. A suspended moment.
But good weather never lasts long here. When the wind picks up, we spend more time inside, discussing, sharing our projects, our adventures, and this common passion for skiing. From time to time, Thibaud takes the helm.
For him, the Kuril Islands represent much more than a trip: it is an exceptional expedition, a chance to do what only four people in the world have accomplished before him, skiing in a totally hostile and isolated territory. In this area, you meet no one. No network, no boats, no landmarks: off the radar, out of time.
Four times a day, the captain receives weather reports by satellite. Storms are frequent and the area is very sparsely navigated. Here, vigilance is a matter of survival. The crew also manages the supplies and energy, as everything is rationed to last until the end of the journey.
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS FOR SKIING
On May 10, the first ski attempt takes place on Paramushir Island, but the expedition quickly turns into chaos. During the landing, the dinghy capsizes: the engine takes on water and the captain panics. Soaked and in shock, he refuses to row back to fetch the four skiers left ashore.
Thibaud tries to take control of the situation, but the captain, hurt in his pride, multiplies bad decisions. The boat hits a shoal, the keel cracks, and the tension rises even more when a brown bear approaches the beach where the skiers are located.
In a final effort, Thibaud takes the oars, swims through the waves, and brings back, one by one, the four skiers aboard. It is only afterward that he learns the waters he just plunged into are infested with great white sharks.
The rest of the journey will be just as challenging: storms, breakdowns, entire days blocked by the weather. It is only on the return, on the last leg of the trip, that the team will finally manage to make a few descents.
With hindsight, Thibaud is aware: they narrowly escaped disaster. In such an isolated territory, at 4 °C in the water and with no boats around, the slightest mistake can be fatal. Here, against the elements, man is not much.
