Felix,
I think I will be two days behind you. Sunday morning will leave Tynda headed north to Yakustk and then......????

after magadan, or where ever you get to, what is your plan?

Adam, as Ust Kut is about 3000 km away from where you are, I am assuming you are referring to Ust Nera

Thanks for update and congrats for getting to Magadan.

Its not meant to be easy

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Edd

What is your plan with the bike from magadan assuming you are heading there? We are shipping back to europe and looking for others to share the vost. Let me know if this is of interest to you.

Gelix

I just picked up Adam's email. I to hope he meant Nera not Ust Kut!

We made it to the Vitim Bridge 2 days ago but decided not to go any further due to the unknown size/depth of the rivers at the far eastern end of the section (especially the Olekmya?) After driving alongside the railway I realise the extent of driving the rail-bridges and decided in all events to not try. As a solo vehicle we could not guarantee safety from both directions. So ahead of us was 5-6 river crossings. The Kaunda we could rule out due to the Kamaz availability but that still left 4-5 unknowns that I couldn't get answers to. Rather than drive the additional 250km to N. Chara we decided to head back to Severobaikalsk.

The Vitim Bridge is pretty formidable and Lisa couldn't even walk across it so we decided against driving it (twice). Maybe my heart wasn't in it after 7 months on the road, I don't know.

For those after info, the Freight from Taksimo to Tynda for a 4x4 is £2000 :O That is just the loading charge.

We are leaving for Ust-Kut tomorrow to get the Barge north to Lensk... Hopefully.

The yanks are here in S.B. also, leaving for the BAM tomorrow, no internet where they are staying.

G

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Its one of those things ... the fear factor doesnt come thru in photographs. But if you have even the slightest fear of heights, its very formidable indeed. I assume if you dont have a fear of heights, then its no big deal.

Had Joe and Corinna already shipped back when you passed thru Taksimo?

Can you post an update of the price per linear metre of the barge journey when you get it please mate?

For your reference it was 4000 rubles in 2009 and 4400 in 2010 per metre of vehicle length, for the barge from Ust Kut to Lensk. Lensk to Yakutsk is a much less demanding road, and it passes some lovely areas. I think you will enjoy it.

Stock up on food and drinks before you get on the barge, there is often very little available onboard. But if the weather is good it can be a beautiful romantic cruise

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Its funny because its me who has the fear of heights, yet I managed to walk the entire length (I counted 8 rotten sleepers) and back. I was very sweaty on the return though.

Thanks for the prices, they have been on my mind also. at nearly 7m it ain't going to be cheap!

How long does the barge take?

G

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Walter: 2: Germans in a tlc I spoke to a fortnight ago near Severobaykalsk were trying the BAM after refusing to pay for the Lensk ferry said it was "1000" for their car. I'm assuming that's euros.

I assume they gave up on the BAM too.

Dunno if you know but Joe and Corrina are back in Germany. He left her at the hotel in Taksimo and went for a photo shoot at the Vitim and fell off on the way back hurting himself. No idea where the bikes are.

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I'm from Canada,
after magadan, plan is to do more roads In this area


sorry, can't help with your shopping costs

You are of course right Walter, I did indeed mean Ust Nera...

LOL...As usual it was the delays that made the journey. Without them we wouldn't have met, ridden and camped with old Yevgenny, young Yevgenny and Vladimir (great guys). Nor would we have met Maxim & Natasha who so kindly accommodated us for a night in Magadan whilst we waited for an apartment to become available.
Without them it would have been a pretty dull ride.

Old Summer Road...

As promised, here's a photo looking along the track behind the gas station at the western end of the OSR. Looking at the GPS I'd guestimate it was taken 400m away from the marked crossing point. Having never been there before I have nothing to reference it to. Does it look like excessive water or were we just pussies...???



This is the new bridge across the Kyubeme River, upstream from the 1st photo.



Sunshine was in short supply between Tynda and Magadan. We had two glorious days sitting on the bank of the Aldan River waiting for the ferry then an hour in Ust-NERA and that was it until our final day into Magadan.
Having not ridden the OSR and with the sun finally shining we consoled ourselves by visiting Dneprovski Gulag. What a great ride that was (even if Vlad did drown his bike in one of the puddles!)

It was how I imagine the OSR to be...

Here's a couple of photos...

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Looking at the pic of the new bridge pylon, it looks uncrossable. The water is filthy ... its normally crystal clear / deep blue when running at normal speeds and depths.

As mentioned in an earlier post, that bridge is meant to be finished by October next year.

The gulag track is something like the OSR ... the OSR being 420 km long has a lot of variety ... the first 160 km to Tomtor is not bad at all. Nothing like the Federal road, but still its maintained as its the only link to Tomtor.

From Tomtor to about 60 km past Tomtor, the road is still widely used and also in decent shape, tho not maintained. The final 50 km to Kadykchan is also used, but not maintained - its about the level of the Gulag track. The other 150 km in between has some pretty challenging bits, tougher than the Dneprovsky Gulag track (which is actually similar to the 50 km before Kadykchan). So the gulag track is tougher than about half the OSR, with the remainder of the OSR split between similar to the gulag track and tougher than it.

Great pics Adam

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I'm in Yakustk now...

Edd SPOT locator

in need of a bike shop or local bike connection, need to add (and or change) fork oil.
seals are good (I think) forks have breather valves on top, and oil has been forced out through them,

the road from Aldan to Yakustk is rough and demanding, and possibly I was going to fast..... ha ha. but it was great fun............

edd

Yakustk

found a good guest house that's needs to be passed on. it's about 5km away from Lenin,

N 61°59.998'
E 129°39.559'

as your driving down the road headed to the location, there is a yellow car wash shop on your left, there will be a dirt road on the left immediately after the wash shop, take the second right, then there will be a small fork in the road, go right, and it is the shiny silver corrugated fence on the right.

secure parking inside the house,
nice modern private rooms (main floor)
inside is quite spacious
they are having wifi put in as I write this,
wash shop close by
small grocery store close by
one of the family members speaks very good English

500 roubles per night.

Well done. Thats a veritable BARGAIN for yakutsk. I will book it.

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Hows this for the end to a rough as **** day on the bam.get a gastinitsa just out of town and told to lock the front door as i am alone there. someone comes knocking soon after and I explain I dont have he womans number but they should go to the shop as it should still be open and the woman there knows the number.
Half an hour later anoher knock. I assume it is he woman with the man so I open it. Its him but no woman. I explain again that I dont have the number and he needs to go to the shop. I notice his right hand is bleeding and he smells of vodka. I offer a bandage but he declines. He tells me to go to the shop on the bike as it is sitting in he hall. I say no and he throws a sloppy punch which was easily deflected. More discussion and another punch and a kick my direction.he punch was sloppy and the kick results in me grabbing his leg and pushing him off balance. I tell him to go to he shop and I guide him outside to point its direction and tell him it isnt far. He seems to calm down and I point ita direction and close and lock the door.

After aome banging he beeaks some windows where the lights are on. In the bathroom all over my clean clothes I had just washed ajd in he room im supposed to stay in. Mre knocking and then he leaves. This is getting serious.

I gather my glass littered clothez in a bucket I found and grab the top of the toilet sistern and a whole sistern I find in the corner as weapons. I have a knife but I dont want to use it, it can be used back against me quite easily. Also boil the kettle full of water.i put my bike in my rpom and close the doors either end putting something agqinst them so I can hear if they get into he building and if they do we her they are in the hall.i lock myself in my room prepared to not sleep. Later there is a knock at the door.who is it I say, no reply.again no reply. Then a pretend meel voice saying something like mister mister please let me in.i dont think so I said and went back to my rom locking 2 doors on the way.the banging gets louder confirming its him.there is anoher man withihim now.

I keep the kettle boiling and get my bottle of methylated spirits out and a couple lighters. If the second payne of glass to my room is broken I will pour it into the coffee cup and get prepared.It crosses my mind that I am basically preparing lethal force against someone. As an individual without the phone number to the woman running the place I have no choice.

Just when I think things are calming down I hear a long pole or similar being used to break sone more glass. I assume it is my window but I dont check for fear of being seen and making myself a target. I pour 150ml of methylated spirits into the cup and put the saucer on top. I call put that I dont want trouble and you dont want trouble. Every noise I hear I remind them that it is a problem for both of us and if aomeone comew in here only one of us will be here tomorrow. With the amount of adrenaljne pumping throuh my veins right now I qm quite serious. I make both coffees and keep the kettle hot.

Currently I am still sitting here with my metho close at hand the keytle to my left and the lid to the sistern to my right. They stoped speaking about half an hour ago but I uear footsteps occasilnally. Either they are going to sleep in the yard kn logs of wood or similar or they are planning something. Expect more updates, I wont let myself sleep until someone trustwprthy knows what has happened. Currently it is 1.20am. The first meeting with he guy was at 10pm

This is ogoron by the way