On May 1, 2025, Georgios Ardavanis, from Pelion, Greece, will attempt to cross the Gobi Desert in Mongolia on foot.

The steppes and grasslands of Mongolia, as well as the Altai Mountains, encircle the desert. Georgios Ardavanis’s planned route over the Gobi Desert is roughly 1,700 kilometers long and spans 1,300,000 km². The largest desert in Asia and the fifth largest on Earth is the Gobi Desert. This EXTREME expedition’s route will begin at the Mukhart Oasis, which is west of the Gobi, and end at Tsagaan Suvarga, which is east of the Gobi. It will take about 60 days to complete, which equates to 30 to 35 kilometers of hiking every day.

By alone, Georgios Ardavanis will traverse the hostile Gobi Desert. This EXTREME adventure will experience temperatures ranging from -10°C to +40°C. In addition to the unfathomably vast distances, the Gobi Desert’s dust and the merciless, unrelenting wind present additional difficulties for this journey. Combining the two above puts us in the midst of a severe sandstorm where you are being flung pebbles and camel dung while being carried away by the wind like a feather. In general, crossing a large desert puts one to the test in one of the harshest environments on earth. Lack of water, extreme heat, sudden drops in temperature during the night below freezing, combined with rough, disorienting terrain can put hikers in danger within minutes.

The goal of this mission is for Georgios Ardavanis to become the first Greek to cross the Gobi Desert. This XTREME mission is dedicated to the memory of his beloved parents and of course to his fellow citizens in Drakia Pelion and Volos.