European east side - URAL

In the year 2010 we had a little look att Russia and Randel wrote a ride report:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=614915

In 2010 we saw that Russia is a varied, huge and interesting country, it is never boring and we liked it
a lot. We (Raul, Anton, Kurisookaru and me) decided to visit it again. This time directly from Estonia
to the east ca 2500km over the Ural mountains. Our plan was to visit and to see a small villages in
the mountains, have a little chat with the locals, ride small or hard enduro roads, to see a different
building culture, to enjoy a different terrain (Estonia is a level/flat) and nature, to do all this very
economically and come back all together on this time
In short - we got all this!

We started our trip in the morning of 2nd of August at ca 5:30 AM. Our initial plan was to start at
7AM but my BMW r1200gs made some strange tricks and I had to repair it with Raul all night long
(gear indicator didn't show a neutral gear and motor wouldn't start!!). So we start our tirp a little
earlier and with no sleep whatsoever that night. Great start!!!
After some hours (200km ride + border crossing) the sun found us already in Russia.


There was a lot of bridge repairs, seems that 1/3 of bridges were in complete overhaul.


A little before sunset we stopped to buy a provisions and some beer of course
Visiting a village shop near the road:


There was enough alcohol, canned food and pasta


but the shelf for meat was almost empty.


After buying some stuff we took some kilometers away from the main road to rest


and to celebrate the start of our Russian trip


By virtue of the limited holiday and desire to see grand old Ural mountains we started moving early
and just sitting on the roads.




Intresting thing is that there was a lot of locals just sitting beside the road and selling something.
There was mushrooms, bilberries, apples, gherkins, tomatoes and so on and so on...


Regularily we took gasoline from Lukoil and truth is that gasoline in Russia is very good! But there
was some strange gas stations too. In some places there wasn`t any gasoline 95 and we had to use 92
– it was not so good and our single-cylinder (bmw 650gs) coughed a little. Even Kurisookaru (Tenere)
didn`t like it.


Motorcycle ride in Russia is a real joy, because gasoline is so cheap, only 27-29,50 RBL liter. It makes
about 0,7-0,75 eur for one litre! And that`s not all. In Estonia (our gasoline is a real shit) I can drive
with my r1200gs ca 300-320km with one tank fill, but with Russian gasoline I made 400-410km. It`s a
huge difference!!!
Russian roads are varied. Everything is fine or almost fine until suddenly there is no more asphalt, it`s
just gone for 300 meters or 3km! Car drivers try to find better ground and thus they drive in zigzags.
Trucks move ca 5km/h and trailers jump from right to left. No one cares about his machine and goes
as quickly as possible - and it`s funny to watch.


Here you can see the difference. Exactly in the middle of the road there's gravel mound and the
height of this is more than half of trucks wheel!!! Ca 50cm!!! Would you like to ride there with your
motorcycle in the dark?


OK, there wasn`t so much of these asphalt-gravel roads. It was much more intresting and yet uneasy
to drive along deep ruts in the asphalt, kind of like sailing, sweeping from side to side. Height
difference was a little more than a pack of cigarettes. Can you see a pack of Camel's on (or, actually,
IN) the road?


Beside the road there were interesting lables and signs. This one means GRANDMOTHER REGION
cool!


It was sad to see one serious accident. Looks like at least one person left this world.






On the evening we visited local market again. This time, while half of us were buying stuff, Raul kept
up friendship with locals. It was Friday and locals were celebrating something. We were interesting
group and they came to talk with us. Friendly people! They can`t believe that we drove there from
Estonia with motorcycles (ca 1300km).




On the evening when we found a place where to camp, my „gessu“ had a jubilee.


I belive an old motorcycle like my „gessu“ can already take a little vodka


On the morning, after quickly packing the camp and taking gasoline we hit the road again.


There was a interesting bike on the road.


Finally the monutains start and the road goes up and down. On the label: ATTENTION!! Dangerous
curves, reduce speed.


In the city of Perm we stopped to buy some fishing equipment, batteries and memory cards for the
cameras. There was one little sweet girl who looked us for a long time. What could she've been
thinking?


After Perm we moved a little south, to the city of Kungur. There is an ICE CAVE. It`s an old mine and
today tourists can go down into the tunnels. Guide told us that air is so clean there that human can
live even 200 years old under there. There was absolutely no dust and the temperature was ca +4.






The water was very fresh and clean.




In the parking lot was a label:


It means ECOLOGICAL ZONE. Parking with the engine running is prohibited. Penalty 2000 RBL (ca
50eur).
In the evening we found a greatest camp place ever! There was a warm river, trees and a little gravel
under our feet (it`s good when it's raining during the night - and it was, almost every night).




I sayd to others that this is so cool camping place, it just can't be true! Balance is everywhere in the
world, thats why I was afraid that there has to happen something unpleasant. After about 12 minutes
we got a unprecedented rain with thunder and hail. For ca 20 minutes it was like a war, thunders
were 7-8 seconds long and sitting in such a storm was absolutely surreal.


After a while thunder and hail moved on and a left us with just a little rain. Peace of cake


Now we can wash hands and start cooking




Carrot and potatoes take a long time and while waiting, we could wash ourselves – ggggggreat!!

Simply awesome!

This is a part of the world I would LOVE to spend time in! Keep it coming

it seems like he would fail just as the same way as his dad failed before



_______________
just came back from visiting some usless genration of people

Finally our trip track, now it`s easier to step with us J

Track link: http://www.geoape.com/tracklogs/motoreis-ural-2012-3807
Ok, lets go on.
Next morning we started moving north again. One tank in Solikamsk.


A few days ago man near Perm told us that Vishera is a very good river for fishing. Of course we wanted to fish and decided to go there. There is a little village soon after after a Krasnovishersk named Kolchim. Nice bridge was there J




We decided to camp few kilometers from Kolchim village, directly on the bank of the river. There were table and even two chairs and a sign which said HOLD YOUR FOREST FROM THE FIRE!.


This was the northenest camp in our trip. Antons bike engine didn't run too good and he tried to find the problem.


Raul and Kurisookaru helped him. Because there were already a three specialist crew over the Anton`s bike I went fishing.


As usual, I got nothing and we had to make pasta for dinner.


After this our way goes south again. Sitting on the saddle, watchingsmall citys beside the road. There are a lot of different citys (different kind of natural resources - mining or powerstation, citys with lots of power lines) in the Ural mountains.


Strange was, that on this city walks a cows, just on the main road!




We found a little road from the map that goes over the Ural mountains. Locals said that it`s very hard and maybe we even cant`t go over there. It was like a dream for us, because we really like hard enduro! Fine, we turned to the left and GOOO! At first everything was normal until one old forsaken mining village.
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After the village was road already promising


There was a little water or a dry mud.


Some bridges were not in theyr best condition.


The road narrowed.


And got more and more difficult.


There was a lot of places where water had washed through the road.




After some hours it was already dark, we had wet legs and were very very tired. So tired that a bigger rock or some tree down the water made a stop and you just can`t hold the motorcycle.




Wanted to wash ourselves, but there wasn`t suitable river in sight. Finally we decided to camp in the first possible place. Quickly made a fire to get warm and put on new dry socks.


There was a tiny old house. Because of tiredness me and Raul decided (we normally sleep in one tent) to sleep there At night I woke up because there was some strange voice. It was water what falling to the Raul sleeping-bag looks like the roof wasn`t too waterproof!! We moved a little and slept some more hours. In the daylight reason for water was clear, there were holes in the roof.


From inside this mountain manor was luxurious


On the morning Kurisookaru changed the front tire...


... and I tried to fish again. No fish like usual.


OK, let`s move on and we are on the „road“ again.


There was a lot of small rivers and no bridges of course.


I`m so glad that I put the snorkel, because some times rear wheel was 100% under the water (17 inches!!).


God thank you really really!!!








Our way was a rocky and it rattled us through and through.




It shook our heavy encumbered motorcycles even so well that Raul r800gs backwheel bearings broke. Great! On the mountains and the first possibility (maybe) to buy new bearings are more than 100km away. OK, what to do, get the old one off the wheel and try to find something from the first village ~45minute away.


Raul and Kurisookaru stayed in the mountains, me and Anton went to find the bearings. 500 meters before village we met locals who told as that there is no bearings on this village!!!


Few hundred meters before the village there was heap of garbage (different kinds of unnessecary things was both side of the path) and it was`nt something new. Same was almost before any small village. The village was really terrible, only old and decomposed timber houses. Seriously I didn`t belive that we can get something from there, but... ... we got it! OK, it wasn`t new, it wasn`t without cluck but we got something and we can get out from the forest JUHUUUUUUU!!!!
After replacing the bearing it was already evening, so we decided to camp beside the little mountain rivulet.


It was so good to finally wash ourselves, water was fresh and soft.


Next day we start early and wanted to go directly to the Karpinsk to find new bearings. It was raining in the night and the water found a easy way to go down the mountains – down the road.


The road to Karpinsk was OK (gravel-sand-rocks) and there could do 70-100km/h, but there were sharp protruding rocks.




So after 40km we need one little tire repair.




Raul bought new bearings in Karpinsk from unbeliveable carshop, there were present absolutely all parts for GAZ, UAZ, URAL, ZIL, MAZ and KAMAZ.




Funny thing was that three bearings and two simmerling cost only 140 RBL!! 5-6 days ago we bought a watermelon and it cost 150 RBL, unreal price settings!


After bearings change Raul found a nail from tire. Let`s press the tire from the wheel and repair..

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Finally we were on the road again. When we took some gas one interesting man came to have a little chat. He was some kind of nature man and he told us that somewhere there are nice nature and a waterwall where we can put our tents up. He was nice old man and we decided to find this waterwall, only 70km – piece of cake


But we didn't have a map for this region jet. So we tried to find the waterfall, but failed. We tried different roads but all of them went smaller and harder until finally there was a dead end.


After the trip Anton said that we were on this evening very very close to the death mountains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyatlov_Pass_incident
So, we turned back because it was already late again and put up the camp on the side of the river.




Picture from the camp on the morning.


It was a Saturday morning, we decided to go see the civilisation. Already in the winter we planned to go to beautiful city Jekaterinburg. It was a long way to drive but what to do The way wasn`t boring again, because there was some strange road repair method and we had to be very carefull to stay a live. For about 40 km ashpalt was cut from placeces (10-40 meters in length) with almost no marking or warning. Ok, there were some sticks, but absolutely no official red-white marking.


Beside the road there were already some cars that were broken, because drives just didn`t see this „repair area“. Of course we drove over the continuous centerline and in the opposite direction lane. If you have destroyed kilometeres for some hours, it can happen thad you need a toilet. We are lucky, there was a toilet beside the road. There on the left, marked with T


The interior of it was so terrible that I gained an inner strength not to go to the toilet for two days!
Fuuckkk!


Some picture from villages beside the road.






One interesting sign was again beside the road, meaning: DAD, DO NOT DRINK (alcohol of course).

to be continue ...

Great trip! Please continue...

Beside the road was a house. Lables: hot lunch, calming sauna, kafe / guesthouse. It look`s very relaxing J


Kurisookaru heard a some unnormal voice from the back wheel.



It was a support and it moves like it can`t move. There was missing one rubber stopper, gladly we was in Russia. There are everything beside the road, you just take what you need. We need a little rubber hose.


We got this day rain and wind and cold and the motivation was really very low. On the late evening we was finally on Jekaterinburg. It`s a huge city (there live almost so much people than in all Estonia). Despite the late time there was a party in Jekaterinburg. We watching on the big eyes how young people drive by car and three of them was out from the car sunroof and they shout something. There was many different that kind of car. The wheter was already much better and wasn`t cold anymore. Anton`s 650 dakar decided to boil, the radiator was totally mudy and after washing looks everything normal again.


Ok, we need a hotel and cheep is well for us J ca 30 minute and we was already on the hotel Bolšoi Ural (Big Ural). After a registration and the stuff taking from motorcycle I let a roll a motorcycle without starting the engine – and then I heard some unnormal voice. It was back wheel and it cluck ca 2cm to left and right. Absolutely wonderful!! Directly to the home was little more than 2500km. Thinked that it is bearing again and lets see it tomorrow morning. So we cleaned yourself and going to the city. We eating ...


... and eating ...


... and eating a little more.


We be friends with a group of Russians, there was a three boys and two girls. Absolutly splendid group and we spend half of night together and we laugh a lot J One bub from inside.


Next morning I go to a walk and try to find a place where is possible to fix my bike. It was Sunday and everything was closed. River Iset on the picture.


It was not clean.


Raul found a interesting friend J


Friends meet one nice motorcycle guy and he give us an address and phone number for the biggest motorcycle shop in Jekaterinburg, it was BIKE HOUSE.


There was a obliging people and even bearings was there!! Decided to do repair by yourself, because I changed this big bearing once in 2 years ago. I need only some tools (puller, heat blower, ...). And then, suprise!! The problem was absolutely different, deformed was the rear wheel flange. It was the good and the bad news in one time, because it`s much cheeper but there wasn`t flange and I had not 4 days time to stay there. So, I need to drive and only possibility to repair looks chemical metal. It stays ca 1000km asphalt or 350km enduro roads like this.


After repairing (repairing is not the correct world here, maybe shit-ing is better) we was on the road again and the way goes to the souht. On the evening we looking a shop from a small village.


We found, it was the smallest shop ever!!! (White part of this house was a warehouse)


Shop working until 9 ... ??? Lunch until 13 to 15 PM.


We got all what we ever need from this tiny market J


Our water reserv needs to tank.


Looks on this village lives a cows who can talk, because one of them waited a business call beside the post office..


After a half of hour we was already on the camp. Kurisookaru found some trees for the fire.


Me and Anton made a supper.


Honestly it was the better dinner in this trip. There was only carrot, onion, smoked sausage, tomato paste, salt, pepper, cognac, beer and garlic, but it was so sweet and like a caramel taste! The pan is a little oval, because on the hard mountain roads pan flyed away from the bike J


It was our farthest camp on this trip and now the way goes towards to home. Pretty nice plase was.


Next day we visiting Zlatoust weapony museum, debate with two different police patrul - (very evil police mens was) and what we did? We drived only to the Lenin square and wanted to take a picture!?!
We had a plan to sleep on the highest mountain in south Ural. To go there we choose a smaller way offcourse.


After half of road from Zlatoust to Bolšoi Iremel (Big Iremel is almost same important for locals like Olympos in Greek) my bike back wheel cluck again. Afraid the worst and we staying to the camp.


Tryed repair again but looks it`early, the flange didn`t go away.


On the late night just watching the fire and talking.


On the morning was a nice weather and there was possibility to dry a things until we eating.


Next day we seeing Big Iremel, on the center of picture, the right one.


Friends goes to the mountain and I turned to the forest to try repair again. Over the Big Iremel was a natural park.


to be continue ..

I loved the Beyond Arctic Circle report, and this Ural mountains trip seems very interesting too. Thank you for showing us those northern parts of the world.

Friends made a some photos of Big Iremel.


It was not possible to drive on to the top and they walks.






Ural is very old mountain and the tops of Ural are not sharp.


After Iremel we burned a kilometers again since evening.


On the nice camp place and made a „hinkaal`s“, very tasty was!


Camp on the morning


and the wiew from the camp. It named „baskir“ area and I liked it much.


They pump something from the ground just beside the road. Can it be oil?? Raw diesel?? There was almost hundred of pump like this.


It was so sad that we have to leave already. This baskir area was charming and wanted to be there much more. Maybe one day we can go back, but right now we have to ride and ride and ride until home. Only three camp nights left for us. One of them was a interesting place between lake and cornfield.


We picked corn ..


.. and burned it.


It was only supper for us this evening and it was tasty J




Early on the morning fast omlette ..


... new shine for the number plate and to the main road again.


One small and sweet house beside the road




There was only two nights left for us. One on them near the river


with fire potatoes and sausages


and last night on the forest.


There was only one dry tree


And we have to take it down


After a fire-raising a little gourmet


Some minutes after the midnight we bring up our friend Raul, it`s his birthday today


Looks liqueur VANA TALLINN is so good, than even honey-bees liked it


Next day we got a rain and there is no more pictures from the road. We arrived to home (Estonia) late night but all together on this time and we was glad. All trip (from home to home) was 7400km (2-19.august). After a calculating my trip budget, it was 888.- EUR and there was absulutely all (even the visa!)!
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Some more pictures I almost forget. One nice lady, who give us a tomatoes, gherkins, peas and onions, just because we was far away from home.


It was a huge quantity and we had not the place to put them all. The problem solution: gherkins on the tire


My tire change on the forest




One nice river


and the railway bridge over the river.


One weirdest railways crossing. There was a lights and crossing cate (like usually) + there was a metal plates goes up from the ground (almost everywhere in Russia) + railway guard goes out and closed railway crossing with extra crossing gate with padlock!!! J


Best wishes and see you on the road J
juho

Fantastic!

Sorry I missed this one earlier.

Great report - looks like you guys had a fun time!

Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for taking the time to RR!! Fantastic trip!!

Tänud Juho, väga mõnus lugemine ja vaatamine. Hoidke lippu kõrgel ja jõudu edaspidiseks. Jään ootama teie järgmist reisi. terv, Tiit

You guys are bad ass.

Great write up and pictures, yes.

Ditto!

Nice one guys loved reading about your adventure

Fantastic RR, one of the few from Ural region.

Thanks , very interesting. Especially the story about the hikers that died mysteriously in 1959.