MIKAEL STRANDBERG-Swedens internationally celebrated explorer
Mikael Strandberg was born in 1962 in Sweden. He started his professional career as an explorer 19 years ago. The multitalented Mikael is currently working as an explorer, a lecturer and a writer. Mikael has also produced three internationally renowned documentaries for television “PATAGONIA – 3,000 kilometres by horse” and “THE MASAAI PEOPLE – 1,000 kilometres by foot” and his much awarded, “-58 degrees – exploring Siberia on skies.”
Expeditions
1986-1987 Mikael went by bicycle from Chile to Alaska, a distance of 27,500 kilometres. He crossed the El Darién Jungle, 800 kilometres of virgin rainforest between Panama and Colombia, without any roads. He carried his bike through swamps and a dense jungle for a month.
1989-1992 He went by bicycle from Norway to South Africa a distance of 33,000 kilometres, passing through the Sahara Desert. It took 3 months to push the bike through the dessert, with the help of only a manual compass.
1994 –1996 Mikael went by bicycle from New Zealand to Cairo traversing Asia, a distance of 90,000 kilometres.
1997- 1998 As a newly wed man Mikael was accompanied by his wife on his next expedition. This was also their honeymoon. Patagonia 3,000 kilometres by horse through an isolated, windy and painfully cold part of the world.
2000 Mikael walked through Maasailand in Eastern Africa, exploring all clans of the Maasai people.
2004 Mikael explored the unknown Kolyma River in North-Eastern Siberia. 3500 km:s by canoe and by skis. An Expedition which is globally hailed as one of the coldest ever in the history of exploration.
Mikael has written six books and numerous articles. He is frequently used by broadcasters for travel and adventure programmes. In Sweden Mikael has become a household name and Swedish Television SVT and National Geographic have made a documentary about his life.
Mikael is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Explorers’ Club, Travellers Club and the Long Riders Guild.
During the Siberian Expedition they carried Explorer Club´s Flag # 95 as a sign of it’s scientific interest and importance.
He was voted Explorer Hero by the National Geographic 2002.
He´ s an Honorary Ambassador of his native district Älvdalen.
He´ s the first Swede to lecture at the Royal Geographical Society since Charles John Anderson, 1867. And at the Explorers Club in New York, where he has lectured twice.
He was awarded The Determination in the Face of Adversity Medal by the Explorers Club 2005.
The King of Sweden and The Travellers Club of Sweden awarded him the prestigious Silver Medal in 2006.
Travellers Club in Finland awarded Mikael the prestigious Mannerheim Medal at a ceremony in October, 2006.
Mikael is considered as one of the worlds 50 most important and famous explorers by The Royal Geographical Society in London, together with, for example, Sir Edmund Hillary, Jane Goddall, Reinhart Messner, Borge Ousland, Wade Davies, George Schaller and many more. They´re all featured in the book “Faces of Exploration”.
Explorers Club in London considers Mikael “the best contemporary explorer in the world” at the present.
Mikael is at the present explorer-in-residence at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which means he will be part of their lecture and guide team made up of the worlds foremost scientists.
Mikael also works as a freelance media strategic advisor for such global companies as Al Jazeera International, ABC News, Discovery Channel and others.
Mikael has also been included in the pages of Adventurous Dreams, Adventurous Lives, with 120 other outstanding individuals, representing a Who's Who of international exploration, relating those indelible moments in their youth when the dreams that launched their remarkable lives were born.
Mikaels Siberian Journey was picked as one of the most important Expeditions in the 21st Century and was included in Explorers Clubs book, in the autumn of 2007, “They Lived To Tell the Tale – True Stories of Modern Adventure from the Legendary Explorers Club”.
http://www.siberia.nu/
Preparing for the Next Major Expedition Blg

”Ramadan is the best time of the year!” said my teacher Rashad with passion and continued: “It is a time when you get closer to God, when you think about who you are, feel compassion with others and show your most generous side. And it is a time of big co"

Even though I feel completely knackered, since preparing an Expedition takes an enormous amount of concentration, good manners, positive attitude, strong beliefs, little sleep, many worries, well, I am looking forward to going to Yemen more than anything"

Life is very much about taking the right choices, to dare, where others fail to see the possibilities. That is the gut feeling I have about going to Yemen to study Arabic."

I have a long time ago realized that I have to speak as good Arabic as possible, to fully be able to understand the Arab world. Otherwise it is impossible!"

Oman! I have just been back in Sweden for three days and I wish with my heart that I was back in this spectacular country. What then is it I miss and long for?"

”What is her name?” I asked Mussalam Bin Hassan and he forwarded the question immediately to his friend, Mussalam, who shook his head and said in Arabic: “The female camels are all named after their grandmother.”"

I think it will be hard for any future projects to compete with your Kolyma Expedition" , wrote Shane in an email I wrote her regarding assistance to find people with knowledge of camel travel."

Almost as quick as I dropped the news about my next Expedition, I received an email from a young Swedish bloke, who wrote that he for years have dreamt about crossing the Sahara desert from east to west."

“Mike!” Johan whispered anxiously,” Look out!” As I turned around I saw a big brown bear standing on the beach only 20 metres away, between us and our canoe, intensely sniffing and staring at us. It was one of the most beautiful bears I’ve ever seen."

A safari is for many people a lifetime highlight, but if you want to go a bit further, really get a feel for East Africa, the Maasai Mara and it's inhabitants - like the maasai and the lions, do make a visit to Ndarakwa Hills. It's not easy to get to, th…"