The shortest distance between two points is under construction. ~Noelie Altito
How did we choose a route across the largest country in the world? To me it looks a simple case of taking the first steppe and the second will follow. Well, almost, we are actually avoiding most of "the Great Steppe," as our route goes mostly around the top of it. The world's largest zone of all steppes, (like a prairie, but shorter grass and temperatures can vary from -40 to +40) found in southwest Russia and neighbouring countries in Central Asia, stretches from Ukraine in the west to the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea. Our proposed route takes us from Sochi to Volgograd, then around the top of Kazakstan via Chelyabinsk, Omsk and Novosibirsk. From there across the top of Mongolia to Irkutsk and Lake Baikal, Ulan-Ude and Chita.
This is where it becomes 'interesting' as this vast Trans-Siberian highway, officially opened in 2004 by Vladimir Putin, isn't quite finished. The section between Chita and Khabarovsk, the Amur Highway, is 2100km and currently under construction. Latest information states 1600km is still gravel, so by my best guestimation we shall have to ride very carefully for about 1000 miles. I've just fitted a Ventura headlight guard, courtesy of David Gath at http://www.motohaus.com/ so hopefully if Geoff or his bike throw stones at me, it's unlikely to damage my headlight. Richard Lindley rode across the gravel highway in 2006, also on a Triumph Tiger, saying he was lucky to reach 40mph. His story can be found on the motorcyclists travel site, http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/
It is arguably the longest road in the world, stretching over 11000km from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok, disputing with the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 1, Australia. Officially, Guinness lists the longest road as the Pan-American Highway at 24,150km, but this has a 54km long section in Panama known as the 'Darien Gap' where the road doesn't connect.
Apparently, the Amur route will be made into a 7 lane highway in 2010. I generally avoid motorways unless I'm in a hurry, but given the choice of riding a new 7 lane highway or 1000 miles of gravel, maybe 9 out of 10 motorcyclists who expressed a preference....
Worried? Me? No, of course not. Not at all, not really. No honestly, well, maybe a bit....ok yes.
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