Sibirsky Extreme 2012 - The Toughest Ride of Them All

[Bli55]

This RR surely raises yet more questions than answers...

Quick one for all who run the dual bixenon setup,
35 or 50 Watts?
If bike to bike is different, how much better are the 50's?

And a separate question to Walter,
just to reiterate, the 4 Sibirsky and one Moroccan expeditions of yours - has your bike been running still on the original clutch and fuel pump??

[agentsteel53]

Originally Posted by Pamirski

BTW when we were taken some kilometers on the 110 by a big Kamaz, the driver also mentioned the Vitim-bridge and that it is one of the more difficult stretches for a truck.

what is "the 110"? both you, and the Estonian video, mention it.

due to the generic nature of "110", google is not being helpful...

[EtronX]

After crossing the Vitim, taken a swim in the Kuanda and finally crossing the Kuanda on the back of a truck, I was pretty shoot when we came to Balbukhta. We went inside the rail road station and the kind people there gave us some tea and biscuits before they closed down the station. No sleeping inside tonight.

Knackered I got my tent up and headed inside. Every night I had the same procedure. Of the Norwegians I was the only one with a Mac. Therefore I collected all the memory cards and download the pictures and videos. I then took a quick look at what we had captured that day and made backup to an extern HD. When this was done Erik came and said they had a fire going down by a stream, but I was to tired to join and took an early night.

I had crossed the Vitim River on my XC. A goal I've had for two years. I needed to be alone in my tent that night. I needed to contemplate all that had happened. Let it sink in. I soon fell asleep.

Some camp pictures below taken by Steve

[EtronX]

Originally Posted by Bli55

Quick one for all who run the dual bixenon setup,
35 or 50 Watts?
If bike to bike is different, how much better are the 50's?

I run both on my XC. One of my ballasts was dead so I had to replace it. Not that much of a difference.

In adition I have a set of Denali D1 LED lighting. These are great and very bright. I use them all day to be seen.

[Pamirski]

Originally Posted by agentsteel53

what is "the 110"? both you, and the Estonian video, mention it.

due to the generic nature of "110", google is not being helpful...

Sorry, I didn't find neither anything useful with a quick google-search. As it is related to the BAM, I'll tell a bit, what I know of it.
The 110 is a so called simnik (winter road), that connects the Barguzin valley (on the east side of Baikal) to Novoj Uojan. It is said to have been built while the BAM was in construction and one year (or winter) they were not able to transport all the necessary things over lake Baikal to the construction sites. Therefore a quick solution had to be found and this provisional track from Ulyonkhan (in the Bargusin valley, the first ford is at the spa Umchei) to the BAM. They built some big bridges, but a lot of them have rotten (so it is very BAM-style). The first 100 km are running now in a national park, where they have recently maintained the road a bit, but the main obstacles, two fords over the Bargusin are still challanging, when you have not low tide. After the 100 km the road gets worse, with big stones and one time you have to run for 2 km in a stream. After 180 km you land at a good road in Kumora, that leads to Novoj Uojan.
In summer you have only few traffic, some trucks, that are bringing goods into the Barguzin valley and the stretch is also liked by Russian offroaders (it is the missing link to circumnavigate lake Baikal). But you can really get stuck there. In 2011 we met some Latvians, that needed over 10 days, because their Uazik broke down and they had to walk out to organize a big truck ( website). I think because of the fords and the big stones it might be less used by motor cyclists, but this year I heard that some motor bikes did use it.
You can see some pictures in our (german) travel report (I hope the link is permited). But we were not able to do it entirely, because of time constaints (train and plane tickets) and high waters.
In winter the simnik seems to be used more heavily and people in the region know well, when you are talking about the schtodesjaty (=110).

[tee bee]

Hi Pamirski, just seen your photos,didn,t realise you were on cycles.You have my upmost respect !

[igormortis]

Originally Posted by tee bee

Hi Pamirski, just seen your photos,didn,t realise you were on cycles.You have my upmost respect !

Indeed. So, bicycles - the ultimate conclusion to weight reduction?

[Pamirski]

Originally Posted by agentsteel53

what is "the 110"? both you, and the Estonian video, mention it.

due to the generic nature of "110", google is not being helpful...

Originally Posted by tee bee

Hi Pamirski, just seen your photos,didn,t realise you were on cycles.You have my upmost respect !

Thank you Terry, but you knew it, we have met in Yakutsk, the first evening with Adrian.
But I have to return the respect, as I think I would not make it with a motor bike, handling is for sure more demanding and also the whole repairing stuff would bother me (on a bicycle you have less parts that can break).

@igormortis, indeed they are lighter (and they may turn the driver lighter ), especially for flying it is cheaper and easier, we usually come through with 25 kg on board and 10 kg in the cabin (bike and baggage alltogether) and on the BAM it would be easy to catch a train (I used one for Uojan to Kuanda, as I already knew the stretch).
On the other hand, when I look at the RR in Western Russia and Kazakhstan (where speed means fun), I wouldn't like to ride it on a bicylce.

Christian

[AteamNM]

tee bee • Today 12:09 PM
Hi Pamirski, just seen your photos,didn,t realise you were on cycles.You have my upmost respect !

Props & Respect

The first 100 km are running now in a national park, where they have recently maintained the road a bit, but the main obstacles, two fords over the Bargusin are still challanging, when you have not low tide. After the 100 km the road gets worse, with big stones and one time you have to run for 2 km in a stream.

Pamirski

[stemic01]

Originally Posted by EtronX

Some camp pictures below

Pretty damn nice camp shots - you sneak up on us in camp? haha

[agentsteel53]

Pamirski - thank you for the info on the 110!

[Beam(st)er]

Originally Posted by dukedinner

ha!..so while us guys are so busy trying to one up each other, the girls are just getting it done! I think i can feel that beemster smile lurking in the background....

[EtronX]

Originally Posted by Pamirski

Thank you Terry, but you knew it, we have met in Yakutsk, the first evening with Adrian.


Christian

You see Christian, that night we went to the Chicago Pub and ended up in the Europa Club

For some unknown reasons there are some black holes from that day

[25jack]

10 watts ......900 lumens....Amazing

[Lornce]

Originally Posted by ROD CURRIE

I see Bongo Boy was first on the truck...old habits die hard.....

Belt up, you great poof.

You'd have been sobbing on a sat phone looking for a blooming helicopter.