Maps and Mapping software for Silk Route?
 

Hi all,

Please forgive me, I'm a newbie here, could do with some help. I'm hoping to do the Silk Route with my boyfriend in April/May/June. He's doing the car (Landcruiser 80 series) and visas, I have to do the route planning and navigation, but I'm a bit stuck.

We plan to go through Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, (Caspian), Turknenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China maybe Mongolia on the way out and return north of the Black Sea via Russia and Ukraine.

Anyone know what digital maps/mapping software is the best for this area? We have used Fugawi in the past, but they have no maps of this area. I don't really want to scan loads of paper maps unless I have to, so does anyone know of anything readily available in digital form?

Can anyone help please? Also, anyone done it? Any tips? Unmissable places or great routes?

Thanks,

Julie

There are a bunch of digital maps available for that part of the world, although in my experience they are not always much use (you come to a t-junction, dig out the GPS and hey presto, apparently I'm hundreds of miles from the nearest road or feature of any kind. I only used mine once though to be fair). I used a cut out section from a world wall map which was great, rolled up nicely, fitted in my pocket and I only ended up in the wrong country once....

You might want to check the logistics of entering China - this will likely dictate a large chunk of your route. Are you planning on entering down the Torugart pass and down to Kashgar, with a guide?

The burning gas craters in the desert (TM) at Darvaza are a must see! Buchara and Samarkand are stunning old cities of the Silk Road and v. nice. You'll hear a lot of bad things about KZ on the road but ignore them - no-one likes their neighbours!

This thread may get moved or deleted - not sure how HU feels about cross-posting.

There are a bunch of threads with info about everywhere you've mentioned, you've come to the right site and welcome to what is without doubt THE BEST adventure/overland information resource (not the biggest, just the best!)

This is crossposted in the Navigation forum.
Do you really want to try to hold the same conversation in three different places at once??
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...lk-route-55308

Thanks
It seems China may be more difficult than I thought. Yes that was the route I was planning, but a guide is a problem - no spare seat. How does this guide thing work? Bikes have no spare seat either?
The gas craters are already on the list, good to have it confirmed. I did read they may be planning to extinguish them?