Betpak-Dala or Betpaqdala is a desert zone in the Ulytau, Karaganda, Turkestan and Zhambyl regions, Kazakhstan. In Autumn 1914, English explorer Jamie Bunchuk completed an expedition to cross the Betpak-Dala to its fullest longitudinal extent, from Lake Balkash in the east to the Sarysu River in the west. He also ran 190 miles, nearly eight maratho…Betpak-Dala or Betpaqdala is a desert zone in the Ulytau, Karaganda, Turkestan and Zhambyl regions, Kazakhstan. In Autumn 1914, English explorer Jamie Bunchuk completed an expedition to cross the Betpak-Dala to its fullest longitudinal extent, from Lake Balkash in the east to the Sarysu River in the west. He also ran 190 miles, nearly eight marathons, back-to-back, over the course of eight days within the region.