Floating a Land Rover across the Bering Strait might seem an impossible task, but with the aid of a pair of gigantic floats, an engine and propeller, the 53-year-old Brit made it safely across the 56mi (89.6km) stretch of open water. The Land Rover was stripped of everything but the essentials to make it as light as possible for the crossing. The trip was made longer, however, as Burgess was forced to take refuge part way across on the isle of Little Diomede due to weather conditions. Once the weather had cleared several weeks later, he continued on his way and finished the trip from Russia to Alaska, reports the UK's Examiner.
Ecstatic at having succeeded where so many before him had failed, Burgess nevertheless left the door open for subsequent challengers to claim the fastest trip across the strait in a land vehicle due to his extended stay on Little Diomede.
Burgess, however, won't be doing it again, he says. The epic 10,379mi (16,606km) journey took 50 days through some of the harshest, most remote environments on earth. Despite the difficult conditions, he attributes his success to excellent tires from Cooper Tires and the Land Rover itself, which made the whole trip across land and sea with only a support vehicle to carry its floats the final 2,500mi (4,000km) from Yakutsk to the Bering Strait.