Expedition 2023: Istanbul to Xian

(en Español - Anuncio de Expedición)

Expedition Announcement - Summary

So after having presented the countries we’ll be travelling through on our expedition, we present our expedition project Stories from the Silk Road. For more details, check out the expedition website at Road of Storytellers

Who we are

We are Marcell Claassen and Claire Francis, both passionate about travel and exploring new places, albeit in our own distinct way until now. It was in West Africa where I (Marcell) was working as a driver/guide on an overland truck and Claire was a client/passenger, and since then we've remained in contact. To see more background on us, check out our bios at Silk Road Expedition 2023 - Crew Intro

When do we leave

With an anticipated starting date of May/June 2023, we (Marcell and Claire) will commence our attempt to walk from Istanbul, Turkey, to Xi’an, China, a distance of 13,000 km (8,100 miles). The route will incorporate various sections of the different overland routes which were collectively part of what’s known as the ancient Silk Road that connected the west with China in the east.

To see more about the countries - Countries of the Silk Road Expedition   

The Route

In addition to some better known and/or UNESCO sites along the route, we will be focusing on getting off the beaten track and walking through lesser-known areas. This will allow us to spend more time with local communities and families; documenting their stories, histories, cultures and traditions and “seeing” if and how these were influenced by the Silk Road trade routes.

What will we do

We will be looking to get involved in community-based projects ranging from education to tourism and conservation. As we will be inviting followers from around the world to join us (limited number per visit of course) for some days, they will be able to participate with us in supporting these projects. In the coming 15-18 months, we will be reviewing a variety of projects we can potentially participate in and/or collaborate with.

Two projects we're already looking at are  The TransCausaian Trail and The Pamir Trail where trails are being developed that involve the local communities along the route whilst taking the visitor off the beaten track.

How you can participate/support the expedition

Thus, we hereby also extend an invitation to interested persons, organisations and businesses who might be interested in supporting the expedition and/or collaborating with us in some way, to contact us. As the planning starts getting more detailed, we will be posting regular updates on the route and places we intend to visit.