Tuva / Uriankhai - pure photos

This is one part of a multi thread ride report ... posted in a random order ... like Pulp Fiction meets Adventure motorcycling. Only when all the parts are together will it all make sense and tie in!

This post is preceded by a photo essay through Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kirgizstan and Kazakhstan http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=545121

This post is followed by a report on riding from Irkutsk due North to Udachny and then across the never before ridden Vilyuisky Trakt between Mirny and Yakutsk!.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569243

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No ride report ... no blag ... Just fotos of Tuva

Who are the Uriankhai? Where's Tuva? ... that's what wikipedia is for!

The road to Tuva looks somewhat like this:

That's better. Thank you very much . And your photographic weapon of choice is a ?

Cheers,

Dickyb

Amazing colors.

D90 , with a zoom lens that gives incredible flexibility at the unfortunate expense of sharpness

which way did you go in? from mongolia?
did you get to hear any throat singing?
gorgeous pix, looking forward to more :)

You cant get in from Mongolia, unless you are Mongolian or Russian passport holder. There are a couple of border crossings there but they are not 'international' border crossings. Locals only.

We came in from the Russian Altai ... village of Korkorya. From Kosh Agach (the last town on the main road through the Altai) you turn left to the last village Korkorya. Then its about 170km (105 miles) across nothing but pure Tuva to the first Tuvan town ... Mugur Aksy. Its not a road ... just an occasionally used 'track'. Tho even the track disappears at times, and you are freewheeling it over the terrain heading towards geographical checkpoints like lakes.

Strictly speaking you need permission from the Russian border guards to go even to Korkorya, because anything past Koch Agach is the border zone. In theory you are not supposed to go within 50km of a Russian border unless you are on a federal road or train. In practise, we just rode around the Russian border guy who occasionally checks that you have the Mongolian docs and are going nowhere but the Mongolian border post at Tashanta.

This was part of the track up to the Buguzin Pass:




The Pass:




These guys were the first people we had seen since entering Tuva

This just typifies Tuva. Empty and beautiful. The bridge was the first thing man made apart from wheel ruts across the earth, that we had seen in many, many hours. Finding this bridge was the key to navigating onwards towards the next marker ... Khindiktig Khol (lake)

This is the google earth track we made getting into Tuva from the Altai.

Great Photos!!!!!!!

Looks like there is some amazing riding to be had!!!!!!!!!!
Keep up the photo story!!!

This first one is the Border Guards. You need a permit to travel through this region. Initially we didn't have one, and these guys stopped us and asked us for our permits. It was looking like we had a problem on our hands. But their interest soon turned to the motorcycles, and after a few minutes playing with the bikes, we were free to go, provided we stopped in at the Border HQ and got a permit for the ongoing section ... which we did!

In fact not only did the fine fellows waive the penalty we deserved, but they then gave us 20 litres of fuel ... since the fuel station was totally empty.




Tyre change, 25km past Mugur Aksy

very much

Wow! Thank you.

Which goes past Sagli