My research does not really extend much past reading about what Walter and Tony have been up to.

I think our plan is to head to Irkutsk then on to the Western BAM and north from Tynda to Yakutsk. From there we will go to Magadan hopefully via the summer road.

If it all plans out we should have all of August and September to explore the area (and chill out! hopefully not literally )

Our Land Rover may be a bit battered by then so we will see how that is.

Tony - Do you have anymore info on that gravel road from Irkutsk? I couldn't see it on OSM and couldn't trace it on GE. It would help cut off that corner to Bratsk unless you think it is worth the visit? even that section of the BAM?

Also, having ridden these roads what would be your views on taking a well equipped Land Rover across the BAM and ROB? I know some people from the UK were mean't to try it this year but got delayed, not sure where they are now, but its a bit late in the year for them to try anything now.

G

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The Zhigalavo Road (also by that name on the map) is on OSM. Maybe you need to set it on the highest magnification in Mapsource and look at it at less than 500 meter zoom? I added it to the updated sketch in post number 8.

I'm also interested in your opinion of the surmountability of the "obstacles" (rivers/mudholes) on a lightweight dirtbike (160 kg incl fuel and luggage) rather than a fat Landy ) on the Old Summer Road to Magadan. Clearly on those sections I won't ride solo.

cheers
Chris

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Got it, my apologies. I was scanning to close to Baikal. viewing online. Not downloaded it yet as I want to wait till nearer our departure so its more upto date. Road Looks like a winner

G

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Also subscribed, for the Mongolia stuff anyway.

I don't recall if Walter or Tony mentioned such a place, but we were on the RoB with a guy from Tynda, and he said that along the BAM west of Tynda there is a place with giant sand dunes--has anyone heard of this/been there?

There were sand dunes and pine trees (not your normal Siberian ones but more like the darker Scots Pines) east of Taksimo. The 'road' was quite sandy for 100km or so but quite firm, no doubt because of recent heavy rain which got us looping round pools all the way.
Looking around the surrounding terrain I would describe it as more 'grown over sandy dunes' sooner than giant dunes, like on Walter's latest ride!

I recall sand pits/quarrys immediately east of town - where we fortunately met a most helpful lady who not only escorted us in finding somewhere to sleep but also collected us next day and ferried us about town to find repairers for bikes, boots and replacement batteries for my remote alarm immobiliser, and spare, that failed and left my bike immobilised that very morning!

EDIT - I have just recalled Michael Rej enjoying them on his 'BAM curtailed" SyberiaMongolia2009 expedition. The dunes on this long clip are near Chara, which we went through but did not see, there was even some tarmac around Chara!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM7rIRpv4uo

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This Russian guy described the dunes as being pretty big and impressive, although I'm not sure if if they are quite like Merzouga...

Apparently these dunes are not right on the BAM, but to the north a bit, and IIRC, you could not actually ride to them (you have to walk to the dunes themselves), although you could ride close enough to see them, or maybe they are even visible from the BAM.

I would be interested to hear if Walter has heard of, or laid eyes on, these (mythical) dunes?

He knew of them and mentioned them at the time as being nearby when we refulled at Chara (just north of the BAM from Noviy Chara that has no fuel).

But we were all getting long behind our generous flexible schedules and left with the comment "for another time".

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The track north if Zhilagalovo is fine graded gravel. A very enjoyable road.

RoB.
Any car, 2 or 4WD should have little difficulty on the Federal Road parts of the RoB network of roads and tracks. A 4WD would be needed once you get off that and some sections would probably be impassable even to them.
Much depends on the weather and amount of water lying about, not just rain but the quantity of the past winter's snow. When it eventually melts the permafrost below the surface stops water absorbtion so it just sits there slowly evaporating. Hence the whole area and all of northern Siberia, being so wet and muddy in summer and smooth zimniks - frozen ice tracks only passable in winter.

BAM (Western)
Different proposition!
Consider this - about 100 or 200km west of Taksimo we met Michael Rej coming the other way. He is probably Poland's most experienced 4x4 expedition leader having been organising and leading them and instructing for more than 15 years. A typical 'hard core' Polish adventurer - and at the top of his trade.
This time he was leading SyberiaMongolia 2009 - Syberia-Mongolia 2009 a two vehicle (Discovery and a Toyota something) trip to Mongolia. They were very well sponsored by many Polish and World brands and a Polish TV - so money equipping themselves with the most practical equipment was presumably not a problem.
They chose to do the western BAM as a diversion to relieve the monotony of the Trans Siberian Highway to their intended Mongolia turn off.

They eventually got through to Tynda but by then the vehicles were in such a bad state that their Mongolia aspirations (and the purpose of the trip) were curtailed and they had to work very hard just to get their vehicles back to Poland, not on trailers.

There are many of their clips if you do a YouTube search syberiamongolia as well as through their own WebSite above.

There are very steep railway embankments you must climb (and descend) to get over some rivers on the railway bridges (active with freight trains) - you will have to drive along the actual rails at times - many 'road' bridges were not even safe for a our single track light bikes - others we had to rebuild with timber to make just a single track for the bikes - others were partially or completely absent, requiring some very bumpy river crossings, dry and wet. And so on. And it will all have deteriorated further by 3 more Siberian winters by next summer.

And then there is the VITIM BRIDGE - something I personally never ever, EVER want to see again in this life (I am still sometimes kept awake at night thinking about it). Without that bridge I would dearly love to revisit the entire BAM but with a lighter bike and less stuff.

BAM (eastern section)
4 wheels? Forget it is my opinion - although I admit to knowing nothing of the full capabilities of 4x4s.

I am not trying to paint a picture to glorify out own exploits but giving honest opinions. Look at Michael Rej's BAM drive - and be aware of the atrition to the vehicles that he suffered, such that they barely got them home.

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Tony,

Really appreciate your comments. With regards to the east I wasn't planning on after reading the ride report some time ago.

That expedition is reasonably well equiped, we wont be going with anything less. I found the full length of their video here: campusadventureteam's Channel - YouTube

That Toyota thing is a 200 series Land Cruiser. Would be interested to hear what was wrong with them that they struggled to carry on. The Cruiser looks very low (stock) so I imagine the underside got a bit of a kicking.

For the 4 wheelers steep banks are not a huge problem, railway bridges shouldn't be much of a problem, we crossed one in Senegal: https://www.facebook.com/#!/video/vi...50178618323306

Im mostly concerned with the bridges but more so the flow of the rivers. Depth isn't usually the problem, rate of flow is! I dont have much experience of fast flowing rivers so that TBH is what scares me most.

Like you said, its all dependant on the season/rainfall/snow. Lets hope 2013 is a good year and we dont have to tackle it as a single vehicle

G

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They are accessible from Stary CHara (Old Chara) ... where you have to go for fuel anyway.

I have even made it easy for you guys ... I have drawn in the access trails on OSM. Or ask any locals at Chara.

The dunes are a bit of a geological anomaly ... no-one knows how they got there. But they are there, only 6km I think it is from Chara. The dunes are the olive coloured blob on OSM next to Chara. There is a river crossing involved.

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I dont think the rivers will be a problem for you on the western BAM in a 4WD. On the bigger rivers, the track just leads to the railway bridge

But I think you may be underestimating the railway bridges. Freight trains thunder along there at 50 mph and can come from any direction at any time. The railway is rarely straight and the trains will not have time to stop once they see you. Some of the railway bridges are up to 400 yards long and you wont be able to get out of first gear crossing them. Even for a 150 yard bridge that might take 2 minutes to cross including getting on and off the tracks, You will need to send spotters with 2 ways at least 2 miles either side of the bridge to guarantee you had time to cross.

I can vouch from personal experience that subject to terrain, you often cant see or hear them coming around bends until they are 200 odd yards away.

2 of the railway bridges on the western BAM that have signalmen that can help you cross (once you have paid the toll) and ensure you have a train free crossing, are the Kuanda River and the Olyokma River.

Its definitely feasible in a car as the Polish guys showed, but there is a fair bit more risk involved in crossing the BAM railway bridges in a car that I dont see present in the Senegal video. The trains are huge and will not be able to stop for you. If you have a mechanical issue or you put a wheel astray on the bridge when crossing such that it jams or falls off the sleeper platform then the best case scenario is probably that the car gets smashed to pieces.

Other people to contact would be Vaino Laisaar ... who has an Estonian TV show called Motors24 ... I believe they went this summer with 3 4WDs at least as far as Chara ... maybe further. Not too many railway bridges before CHara ... but more after there. Pics below





They look like they made a lot of effort re filming.

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Sorry if it came across as such. I meant as a physical obstacle for a 4wd over logistically.

The crossing in Senegal was twice as long as the video. I had to concerntrate as a spotter/passenger so stopped filming. its the only way to cross within approx 500km.

As a company we do a fair bit of railway work here in the UK, at night with the high speed passenger trains. I would not rely on sound at all. Spotters will be the only way along with carefull planning and a dynamic risk assemssment. Less trains at night? an option worth exploring.

Thanks for the info Walter

G

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I wouldnt think so ... Its a 4300 km long railway ... probably a 3-4 days to cover the whole length. So I dont think there will be any bias re daytime / nighttime. They will be running round the clock, even the passenger trains.

I think for a car, on the railway bridges, there will always be a degree of gut wrenching and sphincter tightening when you are on the bridge ... simply cause there is no escape. No where to run to. With the bike you always know you can throw yourself and the bike against the side railing and you will be OK. With a car, you need a different level of courage

I know if it were me driving across one of the bigger rail bridges there, I would be doing it with all passengers out, and the drivers door open.

Bon chance!

(and take lots of video)

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Yes I will send the girlfriend out ~3 miles down the line and on the radio or to within the radio limits. With an estimated speed of 40mph for the train I should be able to work out the warning time needed. Paceing out the bridge I should know how long it takes to cross the bridge to safety +20%

I take it with trains running both ways that there are 2 lines? I should only need to straddle 1 track therefore limiting the need to look both ways, so to speak.

Suck it and see. Yes plenty of video dont worry

G

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Assuming you can get your car up and down the railway embankments, would you be allowed to cross the bridge in a slow car? A little bike can get across very quickly and if a "freight train a comin' " also get out of the way pdq.

Can a car fit across the Vitim Bridge?

Chris

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