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Northern and Central Asia Topics specific to Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea
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  #1  
Old 18 Nov 2007
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Hi Agzas,

Your project looks good, tho I think your 4 weeks figure is a bit optimistic, as this won't leave really much free time for all the impredictable things that WILL happen en route.

I drove the Aktioubinsk Almaty Route through Aralsk a few years ago and unless it's been rebuilt since (which I'm unaware of), you should take into account that the road is pretty much busted from 100 km after Aktobe to about kyzylorda. If you plan to visit the leninsk base and aral boats, then drive all the way through KZ to Novosibirsk and back, the whole thing in UAZ (which is a brilliant idea, btw, I love those!), you'd better refubish the cars like new and still count on some breakdowns.

We zoomed back from Almaty to Switzerland through Semipalatinsk, Omsk, Moscow, Latvia, Poland and Germany that time, and believe me, it was a race. we managed the 10'000 kms in a month, but w/o seeing much and the roads were far better than around the aral sea!!

Anyway, good luck, and wish we could meet somewhere on the road, this eclipse things appeal a great deal to me!! Cheers, Seb
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  #2  
Old 18 Nov 2007
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Did part of that route in 2005. Went via Ukraina, then along the Volga to Nishnij Novgorod and then the route you want to take.

Potholes are an issue on Russian roads, and even though it gets better in Siberia, it probably will not matter much to you since I remember that the worst bit was just before Omsk. But not too bad really.

I was told to avoid Yekaterinenburg area unless I wanted to go there, because the main road was supposed to be bad and very busy. This was the reason I rode via Perm. The main roads in Ural mountains were generally very good, minor roads could be very bad. Stayed quite a while in Perm area, too, found the area be quite pleasant.

So... - what is the thing about radiation pollution? Do you have any specific infos?

Lars
Last edited by Lars; 18 Nov 2007 at 13:15.
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  #3  
Old 21 Nov 2007
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Originally Posted by Lars View Post
So... - what is the thing about radiation pollution? Do you have any specific infos?

Lars

The area just to the north of Chelyabinsk was (still is?) a plutonium enrichment and nuclear weapons manufacturing plant and has led to the area being highly contaminated. A major nuclear accident in 1957 didn't help in the least. More info at CHELYABINSK "The Most Contaminated Spot on the Planet" - a documentary film by Slawomir Grunberg - Log In Productions - distributed by LogTV LTD. and Mayak - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are no great concerns for a traveller passing through but due care should be taken with local food and water.

Thanks for your other comments, most useful. I think I'll be returning via Volgograd and Ukraine, plus wherever else trip-creep takes me!

Jeremy
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  #4  
Old 21 Nov 2007
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Thanks for the links, I am glad so see that Chelyabinsk is way south (several hundred kilometres) of the route I took. And Mayak is even further south.

Do you have specific reasons for the route Perm-Chelyabinsk-Omsk? As far as I remember, once you are as far north as Perm, it doesn't pay off going that way. I went via Tyumen, IIRC

Lars
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Old 22 Nov 2007
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Originally Posted by Lars View Post
Do you have specific reasons for the route Perm-Chelyabinsk-Omsk? As far as I remember, once you are as far north as Perm, it doesn't pay off going that way. I went via Tyumen, IIRC

Lars
I was just looking for a different return route to the way out there, so I could see a bit more of Russia, and I thought I'd take in St Petersburg on the way home. Now that I'm likely to return via Volgograd and Ukraine I may well visit St Petersburg on the way out and therefore take the more obvious route via Moscow. I'm just getting a general feel for a possible route (and doing a bit of dreaming now we're into the damp UK winter) but once I'm out there I shall be making it up as I go along.

Jeremy
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  #6  
Old 28 Nov 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lars View Post
I was told to avoid Yekaterinenburg area unless I wanted to go there, because the main road was supposed to be bad and very busy. This was the reason I rode via Perm. The main roads in Ural mountains were generally very good, minor roads could be very bad. Stayed quite a while in Perm area, too, found the area be quite pleasant.
Thanks for the info. We though about Perm and Yekaterinburg but chose latter as it is straighter. Now I'll tell your reason to my friends - maybe we should change our planned route.
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Old 10 Jul 2008
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homepage
we have a homepage in English also, now, though without blog. Still, you can get some info there. Welcome!
We're going out next Monday - I hope that everything will be ok


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  #8  
Old 28 Nov 2007
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Originally Posted by sebch View Post
Hi Agzas,

Your project looks good, tho I think your 4 weeks figure is a bit optimistic, as this won't leave really much free time for all the impredictable things that WILL happen en route.
We are aware of that - that's why we don't plan other places to visit or stay. I hope, we could drive ca 1000km a day(I know it's crazy, but I hope we can do it for more than 1 day though), which sums up to about 2weeks, but as there for sure will be impredictable things, the rest 2 weeks are meant as overhead

Quote:
Originally Posted by sebch View Post
I drove the Aktioubinsk Almaty Route through Aralsk a few years ago and unless it's been rebuilt since (which I'm unaware of), you should take into account that the road is pretty much busted from 100 km after Aktobe to about kyzylorda. If you plan to visit the leninsk base and aral boats, then drive all the way through KZ to Novosibirsk and back, the whole thing in UAZ (which is a brilliant idea, btw, I love those!), you'd better refubish the cars like new and still count on some breakdowns.
Yup, we plan April and May for lots of repairworks as well as learning how to repair car on our own. We also plan to take the main spare parts with us.

Now the route has changed as my colleagues wanted to go through Atirau near Caspian sea. The roads from there to Aralsk are printed only in the detailed maps. Though some people say that driving complete off-road through the steppe isn't so bad as in other environments. will see....
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