Siberian Extreme 2010 - Back for More

[Oisin]

I reckon its between Jedi Master Colebatch and Jedi Master Metal Jockey for the two most hardcore mofos in the entire world.

I heard Chuck Norris is going to give you guys the gift of beard....like he gave to Jesus.

Top Lads, Top Motorcyclists, Top Ride reports!

[Colebatch]

01.08.10

I wanted an early start because today was going to be a key day, but Sherri Jo needed to do some packing re-structuring. We finally got away about 11:30am after a stop for some local sightseeing – one plane buff resident has stuck an Ilyushin aeroplane to his apartment.



He can even walk through the fuselage to say hello from the cockpit.



The river at Susuman:


Filling up at Susuman ... last fuel for potentially quite a long time:

[Tony P]

Originally Posted by Colebatch

I wanted an early start because today was going to be a key day, but Sherri Jo needed to do some packing re-structuring. We finally got away about 11:30am

Oh dear. "Someone faffing about instead of riding"
Must be awful for you !



S-J.
Ignore him.
Be happy with your gear before you start out.

Last year several times I rushed it, or ignored something becoming loose, and boxes partly fell off taking me down (once trapping me under the bike for some time till a truck driver arrived to pick it off me, my 'pals' not seeing it in their mirrors, continued on for miles).
This delayed them for more time than fixing it properly would have done!

[Colebatch]

Once underway we hotfooted it to the abandoned city of Kadykchan.







Those who read last year’s Road of Bones ride report will recall the history. (http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=529114&page=5) Last year Tony and I had arrived at 10pm and needed to do the remaining 80km to Susuman to get to a hotel before dark ... so time was limited. This year I had a lot more time to explore. And for those of you who requested more pictures of the abandoned city, I made sure I took plenty more pictures for your viewing pleasure.

The Town Hall


The sports centre:

[Colebatch]

Old Bedroom:


Living room:


Kitchen:


A woman's shoes in hallway:


Childrens playground:


Basketball Hoop:

[Colebatch]

Driving around the abandoned streets:


Greenhouses ... once the main source of the towns tomatoes, cucumbers and dill ... the three salad staples of Russian cuisine:


Overturned cars:


A heavy vehicle service centre:


Outside the service centre were bits of trucks:


Overturned buses:


cranes:

[kyns]

Originally Posted by Colebatch

Driving around the abandoned streets:

Spooooky!

According to Wiki, back in 89 there were allmost 6000 people living there... i wonder if it looked any better back then... Looks like they left in a hurry too? I have to say, the architecture is a bit...depressing.

Awesome RR, great photos and nice gravel roads! Thanks for sharing.

[GreeKKTiNoS]

Originally Posted by Ed Teach

Happy birthday Colebatch

I'm enjoying so much this RR

[Colebatch]

Originally Posted by kyns

Spooooky!

According to Wiki, back in 89 there were allmost 6000 people living there... i wonder if it looked any better back then... Looks like they left in a hurry too? I have to say, the architecture is a bit...depressing.

Awesome RR, great photos and nice gravel roads! Thanks for sharing.

I have been told several times by locals it was 16 - 20 thousand people ... it was the biggest town in the region for several hundred miles.

They left overnight, back in 1996.

And yes it is very spooky. It feels haunted. Sherri Jo refused to go into any of the apartments! Its a freaky feeling ... the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

[kyns]

Originally Posted by Colebatch

And yes it is very spooky. It feels haunted. Sherri Jo refused to go into any of the apartments! Its a freaky feeling ... the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Shiiit! I was gonna ask if you ever camped in those "ghost towns", empty apartments, but i quess it would be a sleepless night...

What made them leave over night, back in 96? Edit: found it on Wiki, mine exploded, and 6 died, mines were closed...

[pictish]

surprised that crane truck is still in one piece, looks like an old zil, those and urals still get a decent price, and their parts are in demand outside russia. Weird how it isnt stripped like the other vehicles. Maybe you wernt alone

theres more pics from 2007 on english russia [good source of wtf stuff]

http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2...broken-dreams/

[pictish]

Mm im sure I mentioned the hubb that your next adventure would be riding naked through russia well someone stole that idea

http://englishrussia.com/index.php/2...yekaterinburg/

[Spinalcracker]

WOW

Watch out for zombies !!

[VFR]

It appears that Russia has the same type of people that are here. Those that just have to destroy everything.

On the plus side, what a ride report. As always the pictures are stunning & the commentary excellent.

Thank You!!!!

[Colebatch]

It was almost 2pm by the time we left Kadykchan. The reason I wanted as early a start as possible was today we begin one of the classic adventure rides … the Old Summer Road section of the Road of Bones.

If you go back to the map of the whole Kolyma Highway / Road of Bones system, (see http://www.advrider.com/forums/showp...&postcount=203) you will note that between Kyubeme and Palatka (just north of Magadan) there are four segments, Two between Kyubeme and Kadykchan, and two between Bolshevik and Palatka. The northern branch each times the road splits is just known as the Kolyma Highway, or Kolymsky Trakt. The southern alternative between Bolshevik and Palatka is known as the Tinkin Road or Tinkinskaya Trassa. The southern alternative between Kyubeme and Kadykchan is known as the Old Road or Old Summer Road.

Of these 4 segments, 3 are maintained roads. One segment is no longer maintained, and is, in parts, abandoned. That is the Old Summer Road from Kyubeme to Kadykchan. This is the “classic” stage of the Road of Bones. Perhaps best known as the stage Ewan and Charlie were unable to finish.

Sherri Jo, who left Magadan with a grand total of just two half-days of off road riding under her belt, was going to have to learn fast or die trying.

I was glad Sherri Jo had followed my advice before we started and kitted the bike out with Michelin Desert rear and T63 front tyres. This road would be no place for poor substitutes. Last year Tony suffered endless flat tyres using cheaper tyres and tubes. This year I did not want to have to deal with flat tyres if at all possible - especially on this road - so I specified the tyres and tubes she needed to have on before we began.

Here we are at the turnoff ... Kadykchan in the background, and a typical Russian Road Junction marker just behind us. I turned to look at SJ and in my best Al Bundy pose and voice said ... "Lets Ride"


We made good time on a well used first section … the first 40 km southwest from Kadykchan to the Old Summer Road’s most southerly point, where there is now a popular hunting / fishing base.