COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH
The Russian village where boiling water turns to snow in a SECOND
‘Extreme cold hunter’ Sebastian Balder filmed his visit to Oymyakon in Russia, where average winter temperatures are approximately -46C
IF you think the UK has been cold this winter then spare a thought for people in the Russian village of Oymyakon, where the temperature is so low that boiling water can turn to snow in a SECOND.
Meteorologist and ‘Extreme cold hunter’ Sebastian Balders paid a visit to the tiny hamlet, where average winter temperatures are approximately -46C, with the record low being a chilly -68C.
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Balder spent a few days in the Siberian village, which has a population of 500, to acclimatise to the weather and find out what it is really like to live in the coldest inhabited place on earth.
During his stay, he most of his interactions with local people, including one jaw-dropping moment when a young man demonstrated just how cold temperatures were with a clever experiment.
Standing outside Balders' guesthouse at sunrise, the local man poured boiling water from a kettle into an empty saucepan, before throwing the liquid up into the air.
As soon as the water started to move out of the pan, it transformed into powdery snow.
Speaking to Sun Online, Balders revealed that the temperature was so cold that it had a detrimental effect on his health.
He said: "Feeling what it is like below –50°C is a unique life experience I will never forget.
"I had to wear four layers on my top half at all times and three layers on my legs – thermal long johns, trousers and thick ski trousers.
"The cold is almost impossible to describe - you feel weak and it is hard to move and walk.
"Breathing is also very hard and you constantly have to cough."
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Unsurprisingly, the temperature in Oymyakon throughout winter provides plenty of problems for the local people.
Cars often have to be kept running throughout the night to prevent the car engine from freezing over.
They are also forced to go to the toilet in basic outhouses, because very few of the properties have indoor plumbing.
Balders, who posts films of his 'Extreme Cold Hunting' trips on his page, said: "If you want to go to the toilet at night, you need to wear every layer that you have.
"It is very annoying and to be outside on the toilet at –50°C is not funny at all."
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In an amusing moment, Balders also learns how difficult everyday household chores are during wintertime, when he attempts to dry his freshly-washed underwear outside.
He leaves the boxer shorts outside for ten minutes and then returns to check on them.
The material is frozen so stiff that he can rip the garment into tiny pieces with his bare hands.
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While the people of Oymyakon face extreme struggles every year as a result of where they live, Balders revealed that they were actually some of the nicest people he has ever met.
He said: "Wintertime is dead because most of the people stay inside.
"But they are very warm-hearted and probably the friendliest people I have ever met.
"They are very isolated but they are happy."
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