Home » Russia » The cycling begins

Two weeks ago, bikes laden with clothes, books, camping equipment, food and an axe, Al and I left Magadan, heading into a vast unknown of Far East Siberian mountains and swamps. The only road which connects Magadan with the rest of the world was originally an access route for prisoners into the mineral rich Gulag mines, though less than fifty years later Russians themselves seem unwilling to talk about the past horrors. I must admit that I find the apparent lack of moral outrage rather strange - and in a way, shocking.

The cycling begins

Rob Lilwall
2007-12-01 14:24:54

Displayed times (last time: ) Rating 2/5

Rating: 2.00 out of 5.00. 1 members have rated this article

href="http://www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com/">http://www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com/

Km cycled: 730
Km to home: 24, 270 (approx)

Two weeks ago, bikes laden with clothes, books, camping equipment, food and an axe, Al and I left Magadan, heading into a vast unknown of Far East Siberian mountains and swamps. The only road which connects Magadan with the rest of the world was originally an access route for prisoners into the mineral rich Gulag mines, though less than fifty years later Russians themselves seem unwilling to talk about the past horrors. I must admit that I find the apparent lack of moral outrage rather strange - and in a way, shocking.

As we rode north, the quality of the road changed - from tarmac, to dirt, to mud, to snow, to ice. We weaved through valleys and over passes, the "ever green? trees on either side soon giving up the fight against cold, their needles shed by the last week of September. Many of the old roadside settlements have also given in: whole towns are now empty, dilapidated and ghostly, abandoned as the communist machine withdrew its massive false economy of subsidies. Cycling on ice has resulted in a rather steep learning curve in crash techniques. It has become a regular experience of mine to be cycling merrily down a nice, flat and inoffensive stretch of road, only to abruptly find my backwheel slipping out from underneath me, with the force of a ferocious rugby tackle, leaving me sprawling, bumping and sliding on my side further down the road. After lots of bruises and plenty of laughter, my ice riding technique is steadily improving.

As well as interesting cycling, we have made some great campsites - on the edge of forests, up passes, in old quarries, next to streams. The "great 2004 Siberian swimming competition? currently stands at: Lilwall 2 - Humphreys 2, though I must admit that Al took the first dip which was (literally) icebreaking! Al, having spent over 3 years ...