Hi,

we'll drive Yakutsk - Magadan end of February in a relatively weak 4x4 (old ML 320). According to some of the very good information on the HUBB, the new Northern Route of the Kolyma Highway M56 shouldn't be a major problem.

However, I understand the "real" or "old" Road of Bones (Southern Route) is now unkept/abandoned. Of course we would love to visit the Pole of Cold at Tomtor / Oymyakon there.

Question: Is the "old" Road of Bones completely unused in winter? Could we hook up with locals (trucks) to make it through the old road to Magadan in a convoy? Or can we only go in-and-out to Oymyakon, but not straight through?

Roadtrip Russia (1) Murmansk - Machackala - Magadan - Gentleman Adventurer

I would doubt if you would find local traffic on the old road after Tomtor. Locals don't choose the more difficult way, when there is the new road, which is getting better and better.
Here you find what can happen on the old road in winter.

__________________
Cycling in Asia: Thailand to Turkey, Siberia and Central Asia

Thank you Chri8, the story of the rescued Norwegians is interesting, also because they made it 150km eastwards of Tomtor in a normal car (!), which means they were almost back again on the "new road" at Kadykchan ... which would mean that the "old road" is doable even in winter. They only got stuck for lack of fuel.

P.S.: Great trip report of yours, Road of Bones by (push-) bike !

I think you should reread Bolot's post, especially the part where he says:

"Even experienced local drivers know that driving from Tomtor directly to Magadan that way is impossible, because it is impassable, it is covered with thick snow.
*********
This part on the old route of the Kolyma Highway after Tomtor is impassable in winter. It is not used at all by locals. It is burried under the thick snow cover.
********
Guys, please, do not repeat after these Norwegians. Act responsibly."
*********

You should check with Bolot about the "150km from Tomtor" statement in his post--I expect it is a typo, but you should check with him, his e-mail address is on his site, and he is very helpful with answering questions, etc. Moreover, he sees alot of adventure travellers passing through Yakutsk so I think has some idea about what is and is not possible. There is also a 4x4 club in Yakutsk which might be able to provide additional info.

I am about 99% sure that proceeding beyond Tomtor will be impossible, and given the extremely low temperatures, rather dangerous.

I agree with your general assumption. However, with a Kamaz truck in front of our car it would certainly be possible. This would mean only 250 km until the junction at the "new road", instead of 900 km (!).

A lot can happen on the recommended 650 km detour (almost certainly without a second vehicle) ... snowstorm, accident, breakdown, ... and temperatures are the same - 50° C. Just trying to make my own risk calculation.

BTW: the "naivity" of the Norwegians sounds exaggerated. They had a Satphone and just to get there, they were tough and brave. My guess is they suffered from a closed fuel station (maybe in Tomtor) or other misinformation (fuel in Oymyakon), then they thought they would make it to Susuman with their 1 or 2 jerry cans. According to the article, it definitely wasn't a miscalculation of road conditions.

You are reading the post (not article) very selectively, and seem to be ignoring the parts where Bolot says that the road is impassable. You understand that the road is not maintained and that it snows ALOT in Siberia, right? I don't think a Kamaz or any other wheeled vehicle could get through.

As to the Norwegians running out of gas, did it occur to you that maybe they got stuck in the snow first, and then ran out of gas when they ran their engine continuously to avoid freezing to death while they waited for rescue?

And if you think that bringing a sat phone constitutes adequate preparation for something like this, you are kidding yourself. And running out of gas under such extreme weather conditions, for any reason, is proof enough of serious poor planning.

Do yourself a favor: rather than relying on Bolot's quick post--in which he urges people not to try this--contact him and some of the 4x4 guys in Yakutsk for a better idea of the conditions.

The detour over Ust-Nera is certainly faster and you will have more help in case of a breakdown. You would have to pay the Kamaz on the OSR.
This summer I met some geophysicists that were doing a transsect along the road (Khandagy-Tomtor-Mjaundscha), they would drive into Tomtor and farther, but then they would come back and drive over Ust-Nera, just to get 10 km further along the OSR. I asked not what exactly was the obstacle, but they had some large trucks.

__________________
Cycling in Asia: Thailand to Turkey, Siberia and Central Asia

Chri8, I think in summer the obstacle for trucks on the old road could be the rivers and weak bridges, no? In winter the Kamaz trucks go almost anywhere in Russia, serving as marshrutkas to remote areas, no matter how deep the snow. I agree, that won't be cheap, however it saves me a full day.

I have contacted Bolot at AskYakutia.com, but I was hoping to get some first-hand experience on the HUBB.

Motoreiter, yes I do read the Norwegian story selectively / differently. These guys have my respect to a certain extent. If I had just followed the "official recommendations", "travel warnings" or the "long-distance diagnosis", many of the trips I did would have been "impossible". And I think to take the difficult road is part of the spirit of the HUBB, no? ;-)

I think you should go for it. I found your other tales at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...zone-usa-65918 and Panamericana (1) Tracing bullion shit in the US - Gentleman Adventurer very insightful. Please post a RR here.

__________________

Brighty's website: TheBrightStuffDotCom

CURRENT RR WITH REGULAR UPDATES: The Wife Takes on Chlamydia: A South American Retrospective

Last time I checked, ML320s don't have tracks.
I strongly second motoreiter's comments.

Charlie

__________________
Unimog U500 w/Unicat

Thank you for your opinions and comments. I'd appreciate to hear some real first-hand experience. There must have been a HUBBer in Oymyakon in winter, I would have thought ?

I think February is too cold ...

A breakdown or even getting bogged will probably be fatal. Rescue there will take 24-48 hours even with a sat phone.

You cant keep warm in -50 C without a car heater. Even with a heater on full, if its -50 outside, its still going to be sub zero inside the car. If your engine stops, and you dont have some form of heater with you, it will be a unlikely struggle to stay alive before MChS at Muaundzha can get to you.

Early April would be much wiser ... -10, -15 ish.

I have been outdoors in -38 ... rugged up with huge canada goose arctic jacket, several fleeces, and all the warm clothing I had ... even being active and walking vigorously my fingers were freezing within 2 mins, and the rest of me within 15. To survive 48 hours outdoors like that is hard to imagine.

Locals have wood burning stoves in their Wazziks .... without them, even on the federal road, they risk freezing to death in a breakdown. After Tomtor, there is nothing.

If you broke down on the federal road in winter, there is probably a few vehicles a day to help you. And they will help you. But after Tomtor ... there will be nothing. Addressing the question in your OP ... yes the old road after tomtor in winter will be totally without traffic. Even in summer it probably sees no more than half a dozen vehicles a year, all expedition vehicles. There will be no convoy after tomtor unless you build one and pay for it yourself.

At -20 / -15 or above, I think its a dangerous and challenging adventure that needs a lot of thought and preparation. Below those temps, the risks of going beyond Tomtor in a near stock 4WD are insane IMHO. I wouldnt even do it in a well prepared 6WD or tracked vehicle. I would want at least 2 vehicles in case one breaks down ... you can stay warmish in the other while rescue arrives.

I know you mention being escorted by a AWD truck ... I think it will be unlikely you will get a Kamaz or other AWD truck in Tomtor ... you probably have to hire one in Yakutsk. That will not be cheap. Probably somewhere in the vicinity of 5000 bux (or more) to escort you from Yakutsk to Kadykchan - if you can find a guy who is prepared to take that old road in February - the coldest month of the year.

Bolot has been to Tomtor and Oimyakon in Winter several times. He is the man to talk to. I would not dismiss his opinions. He himself has been on many winter 4WD expeditions and is tied in with the 4WD club in Yakutsk. His website basically exists to help expeditions. He doesnt dismiss the possibilities of doing things lightly.

There are probably 10 people here on HUBB who have been to Tomtor on a motorcycle ... 2-3 who have been on a bicycle. All in summer. I dont even know of any HUBBers who have been to Tomtor in a car in summer. Let alone winter.

__________________

Bolot is well connected to the 4WD club in Yakutsk, called the Mamont (mammoth) club.

They are wild boys who love extreme expeditions. They have tricked up 4WDs with big suspension, jumbo tyres that roll over anything, loads of winches and every winter they have expeditions to remote areas.

They have probably done the old road before in winter. They, via Bolot, will be able to advise you how it should be done. If you are really lucky, some of them may want to come along with you in a form of convoy.

However, if those guys, with their anything goes attitude and they 4WDs equipped for winter life in -50C advise against it, then for me, that would all I would need to hear.

__________________

Many thanks for your infos, colebatch!

I agree with all you say and I am waiting for an answer by Bolot of askyakutia.com (if he can get my mail at the moment). We will not dare the old road east of Tomtor, without a convoy of at least one Kamaz truck (hope Bolot and the Manmot Club can help at a somewhat reasonable price). But we want to and have to go in February.

The danger of the cold is clear. Last month, between Ulan-Ude and Chita, at 2 a.m. in the night , our car broke down at -32° C. We had the whole lot: trying to restart, then trying to flag down a car (only the 3rd stopped after 1 hour), calling police via a translator in Moscow, finally getting the car going. It was cold ! Still arrived in Chita at 8 in the morning...

In general, after ca. 30 min without heating, the temperature in the car is the same as outside !

We have pretty good clothing, but I don't want to imagine the same at -55° C ... the Norwegians spent at least 7 hours in the cold ... they must have had super clothing, plus a stove, otherwise they are superhuman.

This old map by rus-map.ru on askyakutia.com gives an impression where the Norwegians probably got stuck (red X = my estimate):




http://rus-map.ru/map229837_0_3.htm

P.S.

@m37charlie: You are seconding a third party's comment that is based on a media report which has a commercial interest ... instead of having any first-hand-experience yourself. May I call this a modern mass phenomenon ?

@motoreiter: That is exactly why I sound perhaps "condescending" on my blog (your quote on the links provided by @chris) to anyone who fits the description.