Aralsk to Atyrau (Gurjev) kazakhstan. Is it rideable?
 

A couple of us (from UK & both on GS bikes) are in the middle of planning our return route from the Stans. Does anybody have experience or knowledge of rideable routes between ARALSK - Kazakhstan - (at the top of what's left of the Aral Sea), and ATYRAU (top of the Caspian Sea - Soviet name - Gurjev)?

Google Earth / Goolgle maps suggest a route - if it exists at all consists of tracks. One map I have of the region shows nothing at all!

Anybody been this way?

Ridable on GS when it will be dry. Anyway you will remember this road better than offroad.

thanks Sambor - have you riden that way yourself? If yes - could you give a little more detail on riding surfaces, and are roads regularly used by 4-wheeled vehicles?

Thanks

road conditions
 

Hi there, We are 4x4 but we did do that route last year and met several riders at Aralsk. For full details of miles, conditions and photo's check out our web site. Open it on Internet explorer 'cos a lot of the text gets hidden behind photo's on Firefox! Click on latest update on home page.
If you need any more detail than that just PM us and we can chat more.
Happy travels!
Rose and Dave
NESSIESADVENTURES:mchappy:

Thanks Rose & Dave! I'll check out your website!

Many people have riden that section. I was planing on doing it on my Burgman June last year but skipped it as my Kazakh visa was running out and I was already having problems with my subframe fracturing due to the bad corrugations on other Kazakh roads.

Best route would be to head north from Aqtirau to Oralsky, then west to Aktjubinsk then south through Chromtau. The direct road from Aqtirau to Aktjubinsk is supposedly the worst road in all of Kazakhstan, and unless you are a masochist, is not worth the trouble.

Garry from Oz.