Hi Colebatch,
You do not have to ask me twice, I would love to go back.

My problem is I still have a list of places to go and ride and although that list is getting smaller, the list of places to go back to is getting bigger. There is a danger I could disappear up my own exhaust.

Debra and I are riding Alaska to Argentina early next year and we don't plan to be back before spring 2009.

Anyway judging by our miserable failure to meet up for a beer at the HU rally it's better we don't try and get organized. :)

Steve

BAM riding
 

July 2009?

Chris Scott warned me that you were lurking.....

Note, I have the local Russian maps (1:50,000) that show ALL of the roads and tracks and they are shown all the way along the BAM to Port Vanino.

Let me know!

Adrian .... you are in. And you better get a-scannin on those maps

July 2009 it is

When I was hanging around Baikal I met a guy who'd just been over the northern side. Riding a standard Honda XLV400 Transalp (sound familiar Walter?) He rode from Skovodrino to Tynda then across the northern side along the BAM and back down the western side earlier this year. He had some great photos. Looked tough but doable. Good luck!

I had an atlas with gas stations on it for that area, but unfortunately not any more.

Cheers.

Thanks Mate,

If its doable on a 400cc Transalp with dual purpose tyres then on something like a DRZ400 with knobblies, it should be no problem ... weather depending of course.

btw ... Tried to catch up with you last month mate... but couldnt find you in that packed bar

Yeah, no hope in hell in that bar...

Anyway, maybe we could meet up another time. Expect to be in London from 24 to 30 November. I'm trying to sort out my photos from my Russian trip now and applying for some jobs.

Anyway better quit the thread hijack. :offtopic:


I'll have a look for the guy's email, but I don't recal if he gave it to me or not.

The road immediately to the east of Baikal looks a lot tougher than Skovo - Tynda etc.

North of Bajkal
 

Helo Chris!
1. Don´t believe any maps from Russia!
2. In my information north of Baikal is road but not bridges across Angara river. You must use train bridges and tunnels.
3. One possibility is flow by boat from Ust-Kut (Bratsk) by Lena river to Jakutsk.

Main road in Russia are in good condition, but small road are only mud. North from Bajkal are only swamps.
But Bajkal, Tuva and Burjatia republic are nice place on world. People are very hospitable, but have a lot problems with alcohol.

The road immediately to the east of Baikal looks a lot tougher than Skovo - Tynda etc.

Yes that was my instinctive impression.

1. Don´t believe any maps from Russia!
Same goes for many maps rtw. I think you have to compare map depictions to actual known routes (such as RoB) and then guestimate.

2. In my information north of Baikal is road but not bridges across Angara river. You must use train bridges and tunnels.

Well according to GE it looks like something has been built in parrallel to something older over the river at Novy Ouyan (N56 11 W111 38) and as we hear Trannie Man managed it.
There is a kilometre long bridge over a reservoir 300km west of Tynda which looks kind of exposed. And there is the 16km long Severo' tunnel after Angara. I suppose best would be follow a train through - or take the bypass.

Main road in Russia are in good condition, but small road are only mud. North from Bajkal are only swamps.


Yes I would guess the network of backroads on an atlas gives a false impression of rideable possibilities but the railway is there for sure and with some sort of quickly-deployable amphibious element you wonder why there aren't queues forming already!

But Bajkal, Tuva and Burjatia republic are nice place on world. People are very hospitable, but have a lot problems with alcohol.

Even with the drunks I think the social aspect would be part of the appeal of FE Russia, so it would be a shame to rush the BAM, even if you could...

Ch

Every train bridges and tunnels in Russia are strictly watched by solders. I think that money is best solutions. But I afraid that solders will be too hungry.
I am not visiting this region, but three years ago I thinking about this trip. My friends did this trip. They had to go from Bratsk to Jakutsk by boat, because there are absolutely no roads only train bank.
Do you know story about Russian girl with motorbike on this road? She went by railway bank all way. Around rail road are only swamp. She has russian motorbike IZ and three month free time. I not remember all, but I think that she crossed this long bridge. And she pass tunnel by platelayer (small train? train with one wagon with motor?). But she was Russian people.

Your plane is very interesting for me.....
I very like Russia and I would like come back to Bajkal/Siberia region.
This summer I was in Mongolia. I went by train with motorbike from Moscow to Novosibirsk and back from Irkutsk to Moscow. Russia is very nice country.

Correct bridge coordinate near Uoyan is: N56 11.000 E111 38.000.
Do you know Scottish mosquitoes? They are small and absolutely peaceful in comparison to Siberian!
Your plane is absolutely crazy. I will go with you!

I add link to very good map of Bajkal:
Mapový server — mapy.mk.cvut.cz

I ask my friend from Moscow. It is not problem cross this river by wood camion.

Hey guys,

I have about the same plan in mind, along the BAM, up to yakutsk and then east to Magadan. Only, this would be by car, so being rescued by the train is not an option. I have met this german-russian couple who did exacly that route 2 years ago by pushbike. They definitely had to cross railway bridges (some unpassable by car) and didn't see a soul guarding those... Looking at their pictures, it looks like in spring/early summer, most of the roads were mud, but you still see the occasional UAZ getting through. So I thinks it is not true to say that the whole trip is done on the train track, but definitely it is a rough one.

Oh and yes, they WERE bitten by the bloody tick!

Chris: where does this raft-surrounded landy picture come from? If I can get hold of that kind of equipment, my plans would definitely look more possible to me!

BTW, you guys fancy escorting a pair of swiss-belgians in a 2 wheel drive in summer 2009?

Chris, probably not you, I know what you think of 2cv's from what you wrote in your first sahara book ;-)

Cheers, Seb

Picures of the Lena Highway in summer
 

This is on my list of roads to do but alas I think only in winter in a truck with a bike in the back seems viable judging by these pictures of the road in summer. Perhaps you could bypass the bad bits by off roading it through the woods but I want to experience "ryskaya zima" anyway so if and when I get there I want it to be winter - lethal on a bike in those temperatures!

Check out the pics - my particular favourite is the blonde in her 350Z in white heels and cocktail dress!

Russian Highway from Hell

Just for clarity ... the Lena Highway is not the same as the Lensky Trakt. The Lena highway with all the pics above is the "highway" from Tynda to Yakutsk. Lena Highway (the M56) is a pretty well used road these days, and I would suggest that those fotos are taken immediately after particularly bad weather, and are definately not typical of the road.

Everyone I know who has ridden the Lena Highway (including film footage by Ewan and Charley) have never mentioned any difficulties at all on that road.

Car?
 

I think by car you'd want one of these... Russian built, Lada based so spares should be available and amphibious and surprisingly cheap too.