An Eastern Orthodox priest is attempting to break the world record for a round-the-world hot air balloon trip. Fr Fedor Konyukhov, an explorer who was ordained in 2010, set off on Tuesday from western Australia.
Fr Konyukhov is hoping to beat the time of 13 and a half days, set by the American Steve Fossett in 2002. Fossett’s journey remains the only successful round-the-world balloon trip.
In a long career of exploration, Fr Konyukhov has been to both the North and South Pole, climbed Mt Everest, and sailed around the world three times. He holds the world record for crossing the Atlantic in a rowing boat, in a design he came up with himself, which has since been adopted by others.
