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Russia winter 2018: Magadan, Kolyma, Yakutia, Baikal, Siberia, Arctic, Yamalo-Nenets.
I received a good bit of advice on preparing for a winter trip from a few members on this website, so I wanted to share a brief report of my trip.
The plan: To drive the conventional route across Russia (with a side-trip down to Vladivostok) in summer / autumn 2017 and arrive in Magadan in mid October. Then return in the middle of winter, using ice roads, frozen rivers and generally trying to avoid using the same route as taken on the outward trip. The vehicle: I wanted a strong Toyota 4x4 with a manual transmission and a straight 4, 16 valve, fuel injected petrol engine. This is not an easy set of criteria to fill, but in November 2015 I managed to buy a seriously rare 1996 Toyota Hilux Surf. It was in terrible condition, so a lot of weekends were spent on a total engine rebuild, total replacement of all suspension components, and various other bits. I needed the car to be in perfect condition. I put foil-backed foam insulation behind every internal panel, under the carpet and under the head-lining. I fitted a 2kW Eberspacher Airtronic cabin heater running from a separate internal battery and diesel tank. The engine was running on 0W20 synthetic oil with 2:1 antifreeze mixture. All transmission and axle oils fully synthetic. All external rubber components were replaced prior to leaving. The rear seats were removed and a space-frame luggage rack / sleeping platform bolted down so as to have a heated, insulated sleeping space. I was running Yokohama IceGuard studless snow tyres which were fantastic. Extra fuel capacity consisted of 5x 22 litre petrol cans. The journey: My first week in Magadan was spent doing final preparations such as blanking the radiator with insulation, insulating the engine and battery. I also had time to take the truck on it's first run of the year.... https://image.ibb.co/hSjrAy/Stage_44_2.jpg ...out on the sea ice of the Sea of Okhotsk. Then after a side trip to Kamchatka, I headed out onto the Kolyma Highway. Two week earlier the temperature was around -48º C but a cyclone came over and temperatures were barely above freezing when leaving Magadan. Just after Ust Nera however, I outran the cyclone and was into the winter wonderland I had been dreaming of seeing for so many years: https://image.ibb.co/cF09xd/Stage_44_12.jpg Kolyma Highway, between Ust Nera and Kyubeme https://image.ibb.co/gVuf3J/44_11_Tomtor_Road.jpg On the gorgeous road to Oymyakon... https://image.ibb.co/exCdqy/44_12_Kyubeme_Reindeer.jpg ...meet a friendly reindeer herd. It took a week to reach Yakutsk, which was pretty cold at -38º C mid-day temperature. Nice city though. https://image.ibb.co/jbkbcd/44_26_Yakutsk_Square.jpg Then the real adventure began: The Lena River Ice Road. This was the toughest drive I have ever done. From Ulakahn-An about an hour south-west of Yakutsk, the ice road starts. It's 1200 kilometres to Peleduy, and from memory maybe 800 of these are on the frozen river itself. https://image.ibb.co/fUSpxd/Stage_44_32.jpg This is the best bit: it got way, way worse. At times the snow had covered the tracks. In other places there was a phenomenon known as naled in Russian, where a thin crust of ice forms on top of liquid water on the main ice body, which is very dangerous for trucks. In other places the ice had heaved up towards the bank and the ice road was steeply cambered and covered in snow; speed was the only way through! On the last section, from Lensk to Peleduy, I teamed up with a local (who had one eye) as the conditions were getting bad (blizzards and deep snow on top of cambered ice). https://image.ibb.co/i8nuVy/44_37_Lena_Blizzard.jpg With some relief I reached Peleduy; but now the problems would become logistical. The only road to Peleduy is privately owned, and requires a permit to travel on. I however tried my luck, and after a bit of talking with the bored security guards at the checkpoint, I got an escort through the Talakan oil base. Then it's 100 kilometres on an access road which joins the public Ust-Kut to Mirny zimnik (ice road). This presented a new danger; the trucks had created deep grooves in the frozen ground which were much wider than my axle width, meaning a lot of sliding. Fine when there's nobody around but hair-raising when overtaking. https://image.ibb.co/f9xBAy/44_41_Mirny_Zimnik.jpg After two days, I finally reach Ust-Kut and get onto the BAM road, which here is wide and easy. It's a spectacular drive across the pass to Severobaikalsk however: https://image.ibb.co/jNYOOJ/Stage_44_48.jpg Severobaikalsk is truly one of the nicest towns I have been to in Russia; not for the town itself but for the stunning location at the top of Lake Baikal, which is magnificent in winter (and summer!). There is a short asphalt road from Sevrobaikalsk to Baikalskoye, where I found some tracks heading south on the lake: https://image.ibb.co/iNNHiJ/Stage_44_55.jpg It was a bit early in the season to be out on the ice, but it was nice and thick. Only problem was that there was more snow than I would have liked, and some rather large cracks. I jumped over this one. The lake is 800 metres deep at this point! https://image.ibb.co/cN2uVy/Stage_44_56.jpg After 223 kilometres I reached Ust-Barguzin on the east coast of the lake (a wonderful area to explore in summer / autumn). From here there is a newly surfaced asphalt road all the way to Ulan Ude, though as I was heading west I turned off early and drove over the Selenge River onto the Trans-Siberian Highway at Ilinka. |
From Irkutsk I took the Trans-Siberian Highway further to Marinsk, then headed north to Tomsk, which I would say is the nicest city in Siberia, certainly in terms of architecture. I then drove along the Ob, stopping in the beautiful village of Prokop, from where one can drive on a short ice-road to Narym, where Stalin was briefly exiled.
https://image.ibb.co/d6G4Vy/44_66_Prokop.jpg Not far beyond Prokop, at Kargasok, the highway ends and it's onto another ice road; this one across the Vasyugan Swamp, the largest in Eurasia: https://image.ibb.co/ioexiJ/Stage_44_76.jpg This ice road leads up to the Ob River pontoon crossing in Strezhevoy, from where I entered Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region (KhMAO), Russia's main oil-producing region. After a rest day in Surgut I continued north into Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region (YNAO), passing through Novy Urengoy where by chance I met an alumnus from my university, who drove me up to the Arctic Circle and showed me some of the drilling and production operations, which are very impressive. I love these Russian 6x6 trucks (especially when I got stuck and had to be pulled out by one!): https://image.ibb.co/erTq3J/44_79_No...ngoy_Truck.jpg West of Novy Urengoy is Nadym and beyond another zimnik, following the remains of the Trans-Polar Railway, Project 501, one of the most brutal forced-labour projects of Stalin's GULag system. The rails are largely left intact, and where the winds scours the snow away, you can see them in this Arctic wilderness: https://image.ibb.co/hNf9xd/44_87_Tr...ar_Railway.jpg More chilling are the numerous lagpunkti (camps) which have been abandoned since the mid-1950s. Here are the dreaded 'punishment isolators' which any reader of Solzhenitsyn or Shalamov will recognise: https://image.ibb.co/mzGhHd/44_88_Gulag_Isolators.jpg The end of the ice road brings one to Salekhard, capital of YNAO, exactly on the Arctic Circle, with views across the Ob to the Polar Urals; the easternmost point of Europe (still as far east as Samarkand or Islamabad). https://image.ibb.co/jGgMAy/Stage_44_109.jpg Here I had some local contacts who took me out on an ice road, then on a snowmobile to spend a night with some indigenous Khanty reindeer herders, in a chum (conical nomad tent), which was an unforgettable experience: https://image.ibb.co/cO3Uxd/44_96_Khanty_Woman.jpg https://image.ibb.co/fU1tOJ/44_100_Khanty_Chum.jpg Returning to Salekhard, I was down with food poisoning for a couple of days, but this was a blessing in disguise as, on my final day, I was awed by a fantastic display of the aurora borealis, the northern lights: https://image.ibb.co/gGAbcd/44_104_Aurora_Borealis.jpg Then, time for the final zimnik, up the Ob from Lyabitnangi to Priobye: https://image.ibb.co/h4kgAy/Stage_44_111.jpg Here's the end of the zimnik in Priobye... https://image.ibb.co/j2o1Ay/Stage_44_118.jpg ...from here it was a pretty dull drive of around 3500 kilometres to reach Moscow. Conclusion: Distance from Magadan to Moscow: 13,875 km Lowest Temperature: -45º C Lowest cold-start: -31º C Number of breakdowns: 0 Number of minor issues: 0 This was the realisation of a dream, following a lot of planning and preparation. Russia in winter is a whole different experience! In time, I will write this adventure up fully on my website (below). For now, there are more photos on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/EurasiaOverland/ Or on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/eurasi...57695048577031 If anyone is planning a winter Russia trip, I'd be happy to help. There is very little information on these ice roads online in English! Cheers EO |
Really nice!! And the crack was quite exciting!
Just departed on our trip through Eurasia but in summer. Already looking forward to doing a winter trip into Scandinavia on a time after this trip. Driving ice roads is really a nice achievement. In terms of an experience, but also the driving itself. |
Thank you very much for posting.
Great ride. Nailed my wish to go in winter into Russia too. Lets see what I can do on two wheels........ |
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I'm not the type to tell people not to do things, but having done this trip in a nice warm car, I can't imagine doing it on a bike. It was hard to keep the car under control at times, with good snow tyres. You'd have to have some pretty amazing tyres to have any measure of safety on a bike. I saw NO other bikes out at all in all the weeks it took to do this trip. It would be so easy to fall, and if you have an injury and are immobile, you have hours to live in these temperatures. There were some French guys trying to cycle the Kolyma Highway whilst I was there. Their tyres cracked and fell apart. They had to be rescued by car (luckily there is plenty of traffic on the Kolyma Highway). Maybe a sidecar would be possible. The guys on the 'Ice Run' have done short stretched of this trip on Urals. But not in -40º C. Let me know if I can help, EO |
Hej EO,
never had the idea to ride the same route. But... met a russian biker who rode the Kolyma in winter to Magadan with some buddies. They attached a simple subframe with a third wheel. Followed by a UAZ van as a back up. Karolis Mieliauskas from Lithuania did a ride on frozen Lake Baikal in 2017 (see report on FB). Helen Lloyd cycled from Irkutsk to Magadan in winter 2015 (helenstakeon dot com). Of course rider and bike needs to be prepared for the cold. But from heated gear for the rider up to special made soft winter tires for the bike there is all kind of equipment you can use. To ship the bike by train is also common, easy and cheap in Russia. Using the Trans Siberian or the Baikal Amur can take you to a lot of spots in Russia. I agree that there is a limit of temperature. From personal experience I see my limit of traveling at -20 up to max. 150 km per day. Lived 10 years in Scandinavia and used to ride in winter. Just wanted to point out the possibilities on 2wheels in winter. Do not see a chance for anyone to do something like your ride on 2 or 3 wheels. Great achievment even in a car, lots of respect. Looks like you are still on the road - travel safe! |
Kudos to you
Yet again another brilliant trip report with excellent photos. I have done the UK to Magadan and back in the summer but I take my hat off to you for the winter trip. But it goes to show you don't need the latest Land Cruiser I did mine in an old 4Runner.
Boycie |
Hi Boycie
Thanks for your response, this was one hell of a trip indeed. I'm trying to wean myself off going to Russia, but the thrill and emptiness of the winter is addictive. I'm not sure if it was you, but I do remember years ago seeing a thread with a 4Runner reaching Magadan, I think there was a nice picture of it taken on a cliff above the sea, was it you? Right now planning a Middle East trip for next year... so need to get the AC reinstated :D Cheers EO |
Interesting project to reach the coldest point on earth by motorbike in winter.
Start will be February 2019 in Yakutsk. Check: www dot thecoldestride dot com |
Really nice ride !bier
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Thank you for sharing!
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This is awesome. Great photos!!! What an experience ! I am planning to go from Magadan to Moscow on my Honda AT in 2020. In Summer ! Wouldn't mind being on a tour from Magadan to Vlad, just to keep me on timeframe if I need repairs etc, but they all seem to go the other way... ?
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I'm afraid I don't have any experience with tours, but you are correct; there is a small tourism scene based in Yakutsk, but very little in Magadan. I doubt you will find anyone to accompany you to Vladivostok to be honest. Buttry contacting my friends at Magadan Tourist Information: Magadan Magadan is actually a very nice little city and in a spectacularly wild and far-flung location. People are very friendly and helpful. The same goes along the highway. It's a good graded road and if you encounter problems, people will stop and help you. There is not much traffic, but you certainly will not be alone. Good Luck EO |
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Sent from my G8141 using Tapatalk |
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There is the Old Summer Road, which I have never tried. This starts at a junction near the ghost town of Kadykchan and runs to Tomtor and close to Oymyakon. From Tomtor to the main highway is fine (I drove it twice in winter), the rest is basically tracks, very infrequently used, and not maintained. There is also the Tenkin Highway, which cuts the corner on Susman, linking Madaun (north of Magadan) via Ust Omchak and Omchug (sic - I can't stop this stupid emoticon appearing) to a junction close to wha tused to be the town of Bolshevik. It's a beautiful route, more winding than the main highway but also in great condition. Lots of mine traffic. You can also visit the Uranium Gulag at Butugychag from this route. Recommended. Hope this is clear. |
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