Magadan then what ?
 

Hi guys,

happy 2009 to all :)

Still planning my route for the "long way home" (from Melbourne to Brussels, back home in six months). So far I used GoogleMap and got to pretty much everywhere I needed... Until I reached Magadan.

So I'm stuck there, and I need to push further. How do you get out of there once you've done the Kolyma from Yakutsk ? There seems to be NO roads at all further east ?

To give you an idea, check my itinerary : Google Maps

Has anyone found a way east from Magadan ? Is the only option a ferry or a plane ?

thanks guys.

houston we have a problem
 

the most stupid road map i've ever seen
russian part i mean
sorry

all the roads in syberia are perfectly seen in google
if you don't see one - there is no any road

not brilliant BUT....
 

Try this...

http://reissner.ucd.ie/estiu2006.htm

This is very interesting but probably a bit out of date.

Hey Boags,

Planning is half the fun:)

It's a bit tough to go further east from Magadan as there are indeed no roads as that entire area is an incredibly vast expanse of rugged wilderness. (There are roads on the Kamchatka but you have to fly into the penninsula to access them.)

You have to try to fly out or catch a boat out of Magadan, all time consuming, expensive and hard to accomplish. As there is little predictable or low cost transportation from Magadan, the vast majority of bikers in these last few years ride to Vladivostok along Trans Siberian and then from there usually hop a ferry to Korea, etc.

Have fun.

Thanks guys :)

yeah planning is actually fun :clap:

The more I read the more I see that driving in summer is next to impossible so it's actually easier to drive on the rivers in winter as snow is easier than mud.

Yes it will be -40 on a good day but did I mention I'm in a landcruiser ? I can't ride bikes anymore after my last accident, so I gotta do it on 4 wheels... Still fun I reckon.

Anyone done it in winter ?

If you are going to do it in winter I would suggest late March, not this time of year. It was -97 F. (-72 C.) somewhere in Siberia (Kajlastuj) yesterday. No matter what vehicle you are in, those kind of temperatures will lead quickly to the demise of the vehicle and then your demise. In late March you might get -40 but probably not colder. Even that is very cold, too cold to start a "cold-soaked" vehicle, perhaps even with a Webasto pre-heater.
Two Australian vehicles (Isuzu and Mits.) with campers did it about 2 summers ago. There were some water crossings, a bit of winching, sketchy wooden bridges and tire problems for the guy that was unlucky enough to use 18" Mickey Thompsons, none for the vehicle with 255/100R16 Michelins.
It would probably be more prudent to have at least one accompanying vehicle.

Charlie

Mmh, late winter instead of early winter.... may solve my issue of starting off in the Monsoon in Vietnam then... good thinking.

Any HUBBies in Melbourne area for a drink ?

I've got the itenary sorted out almost all the way, just struggling for the far east...:helpsmilie:

Try this Post
 

As I mentioned in the post below, you might want to look up the story of Stefania Zini, who drove in March (2000) to Uelen, the furtherest East you can go on the Eurasian mainland.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...075#post202027

I repeat, you just cannot imagine the number of things that will go wrong with a vehicle in extreme cold. Just this AM, starting a cold-soaked BMW at -28 C. (nothing compared to Siberian conditions), the lights were blinking on and off because the relays were malfunctioning, until the engine compartment warmed up a bit. If something can break, it will break in extreme cold.

Charlie

I know. I'm gathering all the info I can on the effect of frost on the rubbers, the joint, the platsics, the metal etc before I take my decision..

Seems doable as I'm not the firt one who attempts this obviously

Just note that even tho Zini did the Magadan - Uelen job in March, she still abandoned her initial plan of doing it in a Land Rover !!

She ended up changing her plans to the big Russian 6WD trucks instead. They (the ZiLs and KaMAZs) are designed and built so that every component is suitable for operating in -50 degrees C.

But they are big and heavy (overengineered for durability) and they guzzle fuel

yeah I know she did it in a ZIL, I'd love to as well but they drink about 50l per 100k where as mine drinks "only" 16 in 4wd an 12 in 2wd so that's kinda okay.

I don't know yet what I'll do about the far east, I really really want to go but yeah there are risks....
well, I still have a couple of years to figure this out I guess :)

Last night it was -80 F. (-62 C.) in a place in Alaska, Tetlin Wildlife Refuge, near Northway, Tetlin and Tok (close to the Yukon border). People report that petrol powered vehicles stop running due to petrol (in addition to diesel!) gelling. One man has a battery, engine block, oil pan and transmission heater to be able to run his ute. Tires reach their "glass point" at temps well above this point and crack when they should flex.
There's no practical way to preheat U-joints and diffs except for storage in a heated building.
The "pour point" of Mobil synthetic Delvac Arctic transmission lube is -51 C., and synthetic 75W-90 gear oil only -48 C.
I'm really sorry to be a nag but you can't find these polar conditions anywhere in Australia and it's like being on a different planet.

Charlie

Well thanks Charlie I'm not Australian and I know what to expect. ;)
Though from Belgium, I've already experienced -25 and driving on snow/ice, and +50 on sand/mud. I know Russia goes far below -25 but I'm not a fool either, I won't wear just flipflops and a tshirt and expect a walk in the park :)

No offense taken though, I'm easy :) And besides, this is still early stage of planning, yay !

I'm still determined to reach Uelen somehow but I may have to find alternative ways. I'm corresponding with a guy in Vladivostok at the moment who's getting me interesting information, I'll relay what's worth here FYI.

Minus 80 ? Wow that's pretty damn cold...:eek3:

Well, good news for those heading that way, well sort off.

There is indeed no road further that Magadan, but that will change. The Chukotsk region has been granted funds that will allow roadwork for the four seasons (right now only winter roads exists, which are basically the frozen rivers you drive).

As far as getting back is concerned, there is a road from Cherskiy to Yakutsk, another one from Bilibino to Cherskiy and a third from Bilibino-Pevek-Komsomolsky-Egvekinot. The rest is being built at the moment or just finished and very soon it will be possible to to Yakust-Cherskiy-Egvekinot then Uelen.

As for Yakust-Moscow that's easy :)

I'll keep you posted, the info is from a guy in Vladivostok who's got access apparently to the city council plans and so on so he knows about roads and things.

Yay !

Hi from New Zealand/russia , Have a couple of links re motorcycles to magadan
666 MotoSiberia Evil
worldadventuretour: Russia: Zarubino to Vladivostok July 7-20.
Here is a link totheMagadan FWD club , russian only
ôîðóì NORD TROPHY - Ãëàâíàÿ ñòðàíèöà

they would have info etc, can you manage Russian? I could ask them if you want re the "way" east

Understand it might be a bit of a restricted area relink National Parks type thing etc but as its russia you only need to Know the "right" People

hey thanks for the info, i'll have a read

Heard there is road construction there but not much, crisis has grabbed the money (such as it is)
I have a link somewhere to russians in a truck in the winter but too cold
Would be impossible without solid road as tundra / taigia would be a swamp with big mozzies biggerthan OZzie!!! Problemwith roads if built, who will maintain them over such a great distance
I will search more russian sites this week
I remember someone was walking from Alaska and got arrested when landing as ordinary Visa does not work in the area as it is restricted,
Ambramovich of Chelsea soccer club was the governor then and got a permit real quick are you a chelsea fan?!!

You can buy very detailed road atlas in Russian bookshops very cheap say US$20.00 ,depending on the scale it would be thicker than the a whole encyopedia set, we did get a unoffical garmin map for sat nav in moscow las June, Garmin is best known there and maps for europe available on torrent downloads
couple more links
The Wunderlust Logs

Magadan to Istanbul
Landing In vlad it can take you three hours or two weeks depending on luck to sort out the paperwork
Road from Vlad to Moscow easy, they drive japanese import cars there all the time, know people who did it.
Should be fun!! even the traffic police when they want "lunch money"!!!

Just my 2 cents but I went to Nordkapp in Feb'07 and it was only minus 42*c and that was cold enough to start getting gearbox problems until the oil had warmed also the oil in the diff was playing up a little. The wipers stopped working as the motor couldn't turn so that was fun.

If you are sure you want to do this and I respect you for doing it as I'd love to do it but getting stuck in Norway at minus 42*c was pretty scary especially as I was on my own, I'd make sure you are equipped to spend a night in the cold without heat. As your car may break down or get stuck and you'll have to find a way to survive until someone is available to assist.

Good luck and make sure you take PLENTY of photos, I love the arctic!

Motosiberia one of the group managed to get to chukotka which is 600km north east of Magadan.

you can read about it here

3 x KTM GO EAST - Page 32 - ADVrider


I'm pondering if I should go to Magadan as I'll have to do the road of bones TWICE which will add 3400km to my trip.

Hah! I just found a Kamaz 6x6 lorry for £13000 for sale in Warsaw, now THAT might make one helluva overlander and get you all the way across siberia easy.

Yes a little way in but still a long way to go east!!!

They didnt get to Chukhotka

2 of the guys made it to Magadan by road of bones and then had to fly back, and Mac made it solo to Omsukchan ... The end of the road.

Mac is trying again this year to get further ... Motosyberia 2.0 ... flying lightweight dirt bikes into Magadan before heading out for Kamchatka overland or Chukhotka.

Omsukchan is for all intents and purposes, as far East -155.80 degrees East - that anyone has ridden to (that obviously excludes bikes shipped or flown into Kamchatka)

Now there's an old post I haven't quite updated in a while :oops2:

So, two years later, what's the status ? Magadan is the end of the road still ? I still have no bloody idea how to reach Uelen but I still want to try. I am aware of the cold tho, maybe I'm wreckless...

Anyhow, if anyone has found a way to go further east and willing to share the tips... ta for that !

Yes, Mac went back in Summer 2009 and found a route to Egvekinot, but it involves a very long, irregular and unscheduled barge trip, 100 km north form Seymchan.

See my other post in response to a similar question on another thread for more detail.

I see, a barge ? for bikes only or cars too ? I'll be driving a Landcruiser...

I'm stubborn I know :) Just the thought of "there's a way" makes me want to try...:rolleyes2: