Korea, Russia, Stans To East Europe (page 21)

Road Of Bones, Old Kolyma Road, Old Summer Road, Tomtor Road, Day 2

Upon getting to camp I discovered I had manage to smash the LCD screen on our new camera, to say I was fucked off was an understatement, 4 weeks into the trip and the first casualty and a good one. For the luck of the moto goods the camera still works, but I cannot see what I am taking a picture of now, will see if it can be fixed as that is a lifeline to my bad memory.

As darkness (dimness only) started to grace us so did the sunset silhouette of 45 who had un-begrudgingly carried me to this point without hesitation, the goodnight view from my tent, very bromantic.

After we set had up we had a good rain for a while then it cleared, the morning broke with a reasonable start so we manage to pack up dry again.

Bear jam, lots of it, WTF is bear jam you ask, it is bear shit that looks like jam because it is full of second-hand berries and seeds, not so bad when you ride past and the jam has a skin, when you ride past one steaming time to get on with the job and go.

The boundary between Magadan Provence and Yakutsk Provence, a must do picture, this mornings ride starting off with many sinkholes on the track to be weary of and few bogs to play with but nothing to compare with the day before.

The track got unusually easier for a good section and we were clocking a good pace, thinking to myself I remember seeing one or two photos of rivers, sure as shit our good run came to an end, a bridge abutment met us and the LARGE river and pond before it.

I did a walk through in the pond, my nuts got wet so the water was at least 3 inches deep LOL, seriously that is about 750mm deep so not to be taken lightly, a bow wave was the ticket, any hesitation in the middle would see the engine and airbox swamped with water so you had to confident and no hesitation even when you think it is not ideal.

With the pond done and dusted without issue the deepest and fastest flowing river crossing stood before us, the exit on the other side 2.5 meters high and not rideable after coming out of the water.

One man ride, one man up to his nuts in the water guiding and ready to grab handlebars if it all goes south, the river crossing proving the easier part of this section, come out of a fast flowing 700 -800 mm deep river you have no momentum and no way of gunning it with a run-up.

Both Anatoly and I took our luggage off to lighten the bikes, digging, scratching out the big rocks etc we slowly made a shallower grade ramp and with pushing shoving and grunting and mosquito bashing we go both bikes up the bank, time to stop, have some dude fud and remount all our luggage (while still bashing mozzies)

We crossed dozens of creeks and small rivers, some very lumpy with large rocks, all of them doable with skill, effort and time.

Our final big river, a biggy, no way across other than the bridge which at this point still stands, not even a mad Russian with Kamaz could ford this one.

Once this bridge gives way and submits its structure to a Siberian flood the Road Of Bones Old Summer Road will be no longer unless you can get a boat across.

Although the bridge is mint condition with only a couple of loose boards needing a Dulux overhaul it was still a challenge not to get a flattie or worse still role a board end on and drop of the side.

Some graves were at the eastern end of the bridge and we think they are workers that died during construction of the bridge.

We made it in to Tomtor at around 2.30 pm, we made extremely good time and the successful recipe to this adventure cake.

Three different languages, Russian Spanish, English

Two competent riders

Two small lite bikes

Two determined minds

One goal. 

Old Kolyma Road, the box now ticked.