Exquisite pictures show gorgeous frosty landscape on 500-mile drive across Frozen Lake Baikal in Siberia

Generally most motorists avoid the roads when they’re icy. However one intrepid traveler has spent a week driving almost 500 miles across the deepest lake in the world, while it was completely frozen, called “adventure of a lifetime”. The brave Alexey Trofimov captured these spectacular pictures as he drove across the 389-mile-long Lake Baikal in Siberia - dodging cracks in the ice up to two metres wide hidden under a blanket of snow. The award-winning photographer braved the daring expedition in an especially adjusted Suzuki Jimny SUV with his friend Nicolas Demin. Both were underwent specialist training for driving on ice.

Replacing the suspension and increasing the ground clearance were necessary adjustments for the dangerous route. The brave friends also fitted extras such as lights and a roof rack to carry their goods. The 43 years old Alexey, said I always love winter photo expeditions the risk, and wildlife, the people you are with and the lack of a complete sense of freedom. I drove approximately 500 miles across the ice and this fantastic journey took a week. Baikal ice is very perilous because of the ice's erratic behavior. The trip needs deep knowledge of ice conditions and the extreme of care. At times we are in the middle of nowhere and more than 100 miles from the nearest town. We knew our families are worried all the time but they really support us in a courageous way. We’re sure, when our children will grow up, we will take them with us to teach them survival in the wild and show them the striking scenery we see. They should know that it is all very brittle and we should relish it.

Fortunately on our trip, it was tranquil and only the sun was shining. The weather conditions are unpredictable, as one moment it was warm and then half an hour later, an icy wind would start blowing and the temperature drops. The duo motorists had to vary their speed from about 60mph on smooth ice to as slow as 2mph on rough passage. When they marked a fresh crack in the ice on Lake Baikal a Unesco Word Heritage site they had to make a detour for anxiety of falling in the freezing water below. His spectacular pictures show snow-topped ice blocks changing from a bright blue glow to a golden glow as the sun sets in the evening.