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A Siberian Winter's Tale - Cycling to the Edge of Insanity and the End of the World by Helen Lloyd
A Journey of Discovery driven by the Call of the Wild. In the depth of winter, Helen Lloyd spent three months cycling solo across one of the most remote, coldest inhabited regions of the planet - Siberia. In temperatures down to -50°C, she battled against the cold, overcoming her fear of wolves and falling through the ice of a frozen lake. Alone in a hibernating land with little to stimulate the senses, the biggest challenges were with her mind as she struggled with the solitude. With flashes of humour and riveting, graphic descriptions that will have you living each moment with her, Helen Lloyd describes the fear, uncertainty and joy of riding through a frozen, icy world. Yet, A Siberian Winter’s Tale is a touching story full of warm-hearted moments that are gifted to Helen by strangers along the Road of Bones.
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About the author
Helen Lloyd
5 books13 followersIt all started when I quit my job in 2009 with the plan to cycle from home to Cape Town. Two years and 25,000km later, I made it. After that, I cycled through Canada, US and Central America.
Then I wrote Desert Snow, my first book, about the ride through Africa. That of course did not earn me money, so I worked a real job too.
Now I'm travelling through Asia - still with the bike. Maybe I will ride a horse somewhere too.
Then I wrote Desert Snow, my first book, about the ride through Africa. That of course did not earn me money, so I worked a real job too.
Now I'm travelling through Asia - still with the bike. Maybe I will ride a horse somewhere too.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 24, 2020
Physical feats and triumphs of the mind and body flood the Internet and television in our modern times. Watching bits of the Tour de France, Red Bull Rampage or Olympic Weightlifting is effortless and mostly 'uneventful' for the viewer. It's only when you actually practice something yourself and establish a scale of difficulty that you begin to truly appreciate just how good and how unbelievable some peoples' achievements really are. My personal beacon of reference started in early summer of 2015 when I decided to tackle riding my bike a bit more seriously, pushing the distance, the pace and the elevation with each ride. Failing at adding frequency to intensity, and consequently drawing my own learning curve and voyage of two-wheeled self-discovery. And so it was with great enthusiasm that I began reading Helen's book. Because she is one of those people making it all look too easy.
Told in the first person and based on her journal, A Siberian Winter's Tale is pleasant cocktail of stories and personal insights that hardship and challenging environments often tend to bring out in people, for example:
"We have been taught to fear death - health and safety and a compensation culture. We have been taught to revere immortality - the dream of eternal youth sold to us by airbrushed models through anti-ageing creams, super-foods and diet pills, making us feel guilty about any small pleasure in life that is only a risk to longevity when taken in excess. But those who fear death become scared to live."
Her descriptions were also beautiful:
"As I cycled out of town, tiny flecks of ice crystals floated in the air, sparkling like glitter. It was magical and mesmerizing like walking through a fairy tale. No one else took any notice."
I admired her courage as a woman alone in a very remote and male dominated environment. And despite several unsavory encounters she maintained her sense of proportion in terms of her attitude towards the truckers, miners and so on that she continually met along the way. That said, I did find myself wondering if as a man you would be treated the same way. Russia is after all a very macho country, where men save face by being 'strong'. Even so, she was often invited to tea or rest without the other person knowing she was a woman, because of her face mask and hat so I don't know how true this would ring. Still, whether experiencing this as a man or a woman takes some serious mettle - a sense of which the book definitely conveys in the small daily struggles like getting out of your sleeping bag to pee when it's minus 40 degrees.
A lot of people will be able to identify with this book and Helen's stories and observations. I had to laugh at her frustration at constantly being stopped by all and sundry which would trigger a vicious circle of getting cold, having to add layers which meant getting too warm again when cycling, having to stop to remove a layer only to be interrupted again by a passing vehicle! At the same time though, this was a testament to the kindness and generosity of the people there - a kind of solidarity against the elements.
I'll leave you with this nice observation from Helen:
"Nomadic lifestyles intrigue me. I am as a cycle-tourer, a kind of twenty-first-century nomad. What is it about this transient way of life that is so compelling to those restless among us who are unable to remain content when settled?...But my time in Siberia was not being spent amongst the traditionally nomadic people; it was spent with the nomads of the modern world - the truck drivers and migrant workers and with settled people."
I enjoyed it, you might too!
Told in the first person and based on her journal, A Siberian Winter's Tale is pleasant cocktail of stories and personal insights that hardship and challenging environments often tend to bring out in people, for example:
"We have been taught to fear death - health and safety and a compensation culture. We have been taught to revere immortality - the dream of eternal youth sold to us by airbrushed models through anti-ageing creams, super-foods and diet pills, making us feel guilty about any small pleasure in life that is only a risk to longevity when taken in excess. But those who fear death become scared to live."
Her descriptions were also beautiful:
"As I cycled out of town, tiny flecks of ice crystals floated in the air, sparkling like glitter. It was magical and mesmerizing like walking through a fairy tale. No one else took any notice."
I admired her courage as a woman alone in a very remote and male dominated environment. And despite several unsavory encounters she maintained her sense of proportion in terms of her attitude towards the truckers, miners and so on that she continually met along the way. That said, I did find myself wondering if as a man you would be treated the same way. Russia is after all a very macho country, where men save face by being 'strong'. Even so, she was often invited to tea or rest without the other person knowing she was a woman, because of her face mask and hat so I don't know how true this would ring. Still, whether experiencing this as a man or a woman takes some serious mettle - a sense of which the book definitely conveys in the small daily struggles like getting out of your sleeping bag to pee when it's minus 40 degrees.
A lot of people will be able to identify with this book and Helen's stories and observations. I had to laugh at her frustration at constantly being stopped by all and sundry which would trigger a vicious circle of getting cold, having to add layers which meant getting too warm again when cycling, having to stop to remove a layer only to be interrupted again by a passing vehicle! At the same time though, this was a testament to the kindness and generosity of the people there - a kind of solidarity against the elements.
I'll leave you with this nice observation from Helen:
"Nomadic lifestyles intrigue me. I am as a cycle-tourer, a kind of twenty-first-century nomad. What is it about this transient way of life that is so compelling to those restless among us who are unable to remain content when settled?...But my time in Siberia was not being spent amongst the traditionally nomadic people; it was spent with the nomads of the modern world - the truck drivers and migrant workers and with settled people."
I enjoyed it, you might too!
February 28, 2018
I loved Helen's account of cycling the length of Africa in Desert Snow so was really looking forward to reading this one. I'd give her five stars for her guts in cycling across one of the coldest places on the planet during winter, but as a read, it was a bit dull at times. Siberia is huge but the variation in geography and people seemed small.
October 6, 2016
Thank you !
I have enjoyed reading Helen's book immensely. I most definitely recommend others to get a copy.
I shall be reading more from this gutsy author and wish her well for hopefully many more journeys in the future.
I have enjoyed reading Helen's book immensely. I most definitely recommend others to get a copy.
I shall be reading more from this gutsy author and wish her well for hopefully many more journeys in the future.
December 5, 2023
A fascinating journey through ice and snow and through Helen’s own consciousness as her thoughts wander along with her pedalling in the frozen wastelands of Northern Russia.
If someone had suggested cycling through Siberia, one of the most inhospitable places on earth, I would have laughed them off as crazy. But that is exactly what Helen Lloyd did. A Siberian Winter’s Tale is the masterful result; a great read, well-crafted and intensely gripping. Not simply a memoir of a two-wheeled traverse of this huge region, Helen spends much of her cycling time (when not fixing punctures in minus impossible temperatures, taking occasional scalding baths, fighting off advances from amorous males, or trying to light recalcitrant stoves) reflecting on her own life choices and her sanity. She worries about the solitude pushing her close to an edge where ‘maybe something snaps and frees you forever to wander as far from reality as you dare’.
Brief encounters with amazing strangers-become-friends and Helen’s own swirling thoughts elevate this book above the average travel book. At one point, the author says she hopes to write ‘a good book (which) may bring joy or happiness or inspiration to someone’. Helen, you succeeded.
If someone had suggested cycling through Siberia, one of the most inhospitable places on earth, I would have laughed them off as crazy. But that is exactly what Helen Lloyd did. A Siberian Winter’s Tale is the masterful result; a great read, well-crafted and intensely gripping. Not simply a memoir of a two-wheeled traverse of this huge region, Helen spends much of her cycling time (when not fixing punctures in minus impossible temperatures, taking occasional scalding baths, fighting off advances from amorous males, or trying to light recalcitrant stoves) reflecting on her own life choices and her sanity. She worries about the solitude pushing her close to an edge where ‘maybe something snaps and frees you forever to wander as far from reality as you dare’.
Brief encounters with amazing strangers-become-friends and Helen’s own swirling thoughts elevate this book above the average travel book. At one point, the author says she hopes to write ‘a good book (which) may bring joy or happiness or inspiration to someone’. Helen, you succeeded.
November 13, 2023
I won this book on my favourite FB group, "We Love Memoirs" (Thank you !!) Helen Lloyd you are one brave and crazy lady !!! What a well written account of a travel-adventure memoir like none other!! Who would even think of cycling across Siberia, alone and in the middle of winter (often in temps below minus 40'C)....okay apparently Helen is not the first but certainly one of the very few. I have experienced minus 30'C while on a short trip the view the aurora in Yellowknife, Northern Canada and I know how literally painful it can be when you have your gloves off for just a couple of minutes, so I'm in awe of Helen's achievement. I loved the wonderful descriptions of her surroundings, the (mostly) kind people she met along the way and her musings. I was "Googling" these unheard of "towns", some of which barely existed as I travelled along from my warm cozy couch !
December 6, 2023
I really loved this memoir. The story of a remarkable cycling journey across Siberia over the winter. Following Helen's journey one cannot help be amazed at her resilience, her daring, her determination.
Looked at from the outside, it was sheer madness to travel at that time of year, although Helen had her reasons. Ice can be traversed on wheels and water cannot. People opened their homes to her, lorry drivers became her salvation -although several had other thoughts in mind. Scary moments abounded but Helen was nothing if not practical and resourceful. Wanting to do the journey alone, it was loneliness that ended up rocking her sanity, along with the cold. For Helen, the journey helped her to understand herself and her motive for choosing the life she leads.
Looked at from the outside, it was sheer madness to travel at that time of year, although Helen had her reasons. Ice can be traversed on wheels and water cannot. People opened their homes to her, lorry drivers became her salvation -although several had other thoughts in mind. Scary moments abounded but Helen was nothing if not practical and resourceful. Wanting to do the journey alone, it was loneliness that ended up rocking her sanity, along with the cold. For Helen, the journey helped her to understand herself and her motive for choosing the life she leads.
May 4, 2017
Enjoyable
I did enjoy this book. I read it because I read Desert Snow and loved it, so I can't help but compare the two. I think I would recommend Desert Snow to a friend before this, only because it flows better as a story. I reckon this has a lot to do with the environment the author was travelling through and the hardship Siberia presented to her on the way, physically and mentally, fascinating stuff.
I do love how this author tells a story, she is a joy to read and I am looking forward to the next book.
I only gave it three stars, because I gave Desert Snow four and I liked that one better, but it's a strong three (and a half).
I did enjoy this book. I read it because I read Desert Snow and loved it, so I can't help but compare the two. I think I would recommend Desert Snow to a friend before this, only because it flows better as a story. I reckon this has a lot to do with the environment the author was travelling through and the hardship Siberia presented to her on the way, physically and mentally, fascinating stuff.
I do love how this author tells a story, she is a joy to read and I am looking forward to the next book.
I only gave it three stars, because I gave Desert Snow four and I liked that one better, but it's a strong three (and a half).
May 30, 2018
Conceiving an adventure that is totally beyond the realm of most peoples' imagination, surviving it and writing an open and honest account seems to be a winning formula for a gripping travelogue. Winter life in far-eastern Siberia is not something that most of us in the West ever devote much thought to, so I found Helen's interactions with the people that she met to be eye-opening and touching. Like any good travel book should, it made me want to go and see for myself (maybe in summer, though).
January 23, 2023
I find the idea of winter cycling in Siberia really bold. However I find the title of this book misleading. In my opinion, there were too much hitchiking for a book titled "Cycling to the Edge of the World".
May 31, 2023
I read this after Desert Snow which was one of the best cycle touring books I've read. A Siberian Winter's Tale was enjoyable, but there were times that it was repetitive. There was also a section where she lost me. That could have been her intention, but it didn't work for me.
March 7, 2019
What a brilliant read and a very gutsy lady. I must get her other books. Helen really does write extremely well, sitting here in the warm I can still feel the coldness of Siberia.....
January 31, 2020
Fascinating
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. She certainly has some guts to do what she did, make a me feel a real couch potato.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. She certainly has some guts to do what she did, make a me feel a real couch potato.
October 6, 2024
My 5-star review of Helen Lloyd's "A Siberia Winter's Tale".
I was glued to this book about a girl's trip by bicycle across the frozen terrain of Siberia. What made this fascinating was the privation of the sheer cold where exposed skin freezes in seconds, and going down hill chills you after getting warm on the up.
I was even more struck by the utter hospitality of the local people who all bent over backwards to help. It's as much as a book about people, than about going places like all good books.
I was glued to this book about a girl's trip by bicycle across the frozen terrain of Siberia. What made this fascinating was the privation of the sheer cold where exposed skin freezes in seconds, and going down hill chills you after getting warm on the up.
I was even more struck by the utter hospitality of the local people who all bent over backwards to help. It's as much as a book about people, than about going places like all good books.
January 19, 2017
The first half of the book was really interesting. It describes an alien place, in extraordinary conditions and the motivation for her trip. I had trouble putting it down.
Nevertheless, the second half lost me. The writing and the story become confusing and I almost lost all interest. I finished it only to figure out if she would make it to the destination. A couple of the chapters towards the end of the book are really good again, but at that point I was more than ready for the book to finish.
If you want to discover Siberia in winter (surprise: there's more to it than snow, ice and cold!) and make you dream of crazy adventures, this is an interesting book to wet your appetite.
Nevertheless, the second half lost me. The writing and the story become confusing and I almost lost all interest. I finished it only to figure out if she would make it to the destination. A couple of the chapters towards the end of the book are really good again, but at that point I was more than ready for the book to finish.
If you want to discover Siberia in winter (surprise: there's more to it than snow, ice and cold!) and make you dream of crazy adventures, this is an interesting book to wet your appetite.
December 18, 2016
A wonderful, open and honest report of Helen's incredible journey across the harsh and unforgiving Siberian landscape. As with many journeys, even normal ones it's the people that often make the journeys and I found the stories of Helen's interaction with people who were once strangers heart-warming as they went out of their way to help her. Of course there were always going to be a few people with less than good intentions and Helen writes honestly about these as well. Helen has a great sense of humour, I really enjoyed her descriptions of the scenes and people and would happily recommend this story to my friends. I am sure this tale will become a film one day!
February 2, 2017
Enticing
I love travel books and to stumble across this was definitely worthwile. Well written and I learnt so much from it that I really really want to try my own adventure. Maybe there could of been a little more depth into each town as they were all similar and more depth on individuals. In essence a solid, exciting and enticing book.
I love travel books and to stumble across this was definitely worthwile. Well written and I learnt so much from it that I really really want to try my own adventure. Maybe there could of been a little more depth into each town as they were all similar and more depth on individuals. In essence a solid, exciting and enticing book.
April 29, 2021
A feat of stubborn endurance.
May 3, 2017
An excellent evocative read. It helped that I read this in the heat of a Thai summer, the well written descriptions of camping in the minus 30s and 40s helped keep the heat away. Helen sure is a superwoman cyclist. Particularly enjoyed the descriptions of the countryside and townships, helps to put you right in the landscape. Well recommended.
April 7, 2018
A lovely book it made you feel cold
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews