In our view, it was the greatest achievement in the history of all the challenges to Mother Nature which can be compared to first conquering the Everest Mountain, though nobody knows if there will be somebody else in the nearest future to be able to swim across the lake for 15 hours and 45 minutes in water temperatures of 9-11 degrees Celsius (48-52 Farenheit).

 Ikarasi Ken has reach experience in swimming across different water reservoirs: he has set several records by swimming across Pas de Calais, the 28-kilometer long Tatar Strait, the 40-kilometer strait between Hokkaido and Sakhalin, Lake Biwa-ko in Japan, and also the straight between Korea and Japan. However Ikarasi Ken admitted that Lake Baikal was most difficult for him to swim across.
As a place for basic camp and training site “Baikal Discovery” chose “Imenie Zarechnoe” situated in Buguldeika village.  During first days of stay on Baikal shores the lake’s side looked very unfriendly, strong Baikal winds were constanltly alternating. Another unpleasant surprise for Ikarasi Ken and his team was water temperature: instead of +11 degrees Celsius characteristic for that period (August, 12), the water turned out to be only +6-7.
The weather changed only on August 12, at night after some special sacrifice ceremony organized by “Baikal Discovery” in order to win the local spirits and mighty Baikal over. In the morning Ikarasi Ken began swimming across Lake Baikal from Cape Sredny to a bay near the community of Buguldeika on the lake's western coast.

“I've paddled in Lake Baikal, and I can confirm that the water is not just cold - its bloody cold. I think I lasted about five minutes before I had to leave and wrap my feet in a towel. And although many Russians will go for a quick swim, even the hardiest seldom stay in the water for more than a few minutes. So, we take our hats off to Ikarashi Ken - a great achievement!”