Latest time of year to cross Russia?
 

Hey folks. I've certainly done my research, extensively so, but wanted to check with a few folks to see what their thought are.

I was 6 weeks in to my RTW trip, when things all went wrong and we had to return home to re-apply for a few of our visas. Russian, Mongolian and Khazak ones were rendered invalid (Don't try to travel with an African) *sigh*

Anyway, we are about 60 days behind schedule and wish to continue. However we are a bit worried about how the weather may change across our projected route.

The plan was to enter Russia from either Georgia OR possibly from Semey in Khazak (depending on whether we could cross the Caspian into Turkmenistan) and then take the long route east toward Vladivostok. I'm not sure we were adventurous enough yet to make it all the way to Magadan :(

However from looking over the temperature charts it seems that things really close in as September passes. Is it even possible to cross Russia as late as October? How about making it to Japan by November/December? (worst case scenario)

Thoughts?

You don't state if you are on motos or in some kind of four-wheeled vehicle...it does matter. I doubt you'd make it to Vladi on a bike in October due to general low temperatures and ice on the road, etc. November and December, seriously doubt it. But who knows when the bad weather will really hit. Are you prepared to ride in below-freezing weather?

On the other hand if you get stuck with the weather, you could probably put your bikes on a truck and have them taken to Vladi.

I wouldn't even consider going to Magadan in October if you're on bikes.

Ah yes,

We will travel by motorcycle. Small ones that are easy to load onto a train/truck if needed.

Hopefully someone else will chime in, but I doubt you'd make it in October, although I guess it is possible if you get luck with the weather and have experience/gear for cold weather riding. I would also definitely have a mobile phone and some kind of numbers to call on each day's route in case weather turns quickly.

Any later than that I would forget it unless you make a planned expedition with studded tires, serious cold weather gear, a back up vehicle, etc.

As long as you are willing to admit defeat when/if the weather turns against you, you could start out, see how it goes, then put the bikes on the trains/trucks in most sizeable cities along the way.

These are just my thoughts, and I've never been out that way on a bike later than August...maybe some real men will post soon to let us know how they rode to Magadan in January in surfer shorts...

You voice my concerns certainly.

I already know that Magadan is a lost cause unless we can leave right now... which we can't. And anyway Vladivostok is our end point if we wish to make it to Japan.

There's only so much to gather from temperature charts.

While I have not ridden myself at that time of year, I have met a couple people who arrived in Vladivostok in early October. They encountered snow on the way. It usually melted fairly quickly as is was just the start of winter, but I certainly wouldn't plan to arrive in Vlad after mid October at the very latest. Motorcycles don't do well in snow...

That's partly re-assuring as we are looking to leave the UK the first week in August. Perhaps if we can make it to Russia within 4 weeks we would look to get to Vladivostok (with the help of Trains and Trucks) by the first week in October at the latest. Perhaps even the last week in September!