200km of no road or bad road under construction9 July Saturday, Shemanovsk, speedo reading 28,597 Km

It's really lashing down in the morning and I really have doubts about starting... this is the beginning of the ZILOV GAP - 2000km of unfinished highway from here to Chyta. This is the last stretch of the Trans Siberian Highway to be completed. It is a mix of gravel roads, sand roads, sand and gravel roads, no roads, fields, shale roads (which eat tyres ). Fuel may be a problem in terms of availability too.

Finally the rain eases and I head off, beautiful scenery - saw an Arctic Fox today (actually I nearly ran him over !)

Some of the gas stations are deteriorating in quality too...

and the cafe's in number and quality - this "road" is built through nowhere...

Finally after a real baptism of fire I reach Shemanovsk (partly tarmac at the end which really helped. ) Actually a trucker pulled over when he saw me reading the map at about 21.00 in nowhere gravel zone and guessed I was wondering whether to look for a spot to camp or to go on - "Banditi !!! Go Shemanovsk - all Asphalt after 2km !!! "

The obligary Statue of lenin...

and I find a real over -priced dump - easily the worst room I have ever slept in - there is a cold water shower down the hall, but smelly I fall asleep and smelly I start again in the morning after picking up my bike from a lock-up up the road - $1 with a receipt.

10 July Monday, Gravel pit near Akazar, Speedo reading 29,253 Km

Heard today I have Km 1,400 of gravel and worse to go - not a good thought as my tyres are wearing badly at this stage...I drive from 08.30 to 21.30 and only 3 short breaks. Most bikes take a week or so to do this bad section - I'm determined to make up time and have given myself 4 days

Arrived just after this truck skidded on the dirt and went over - he's unhurt...

The shale is having a bad effect on my rear hugger - it's eating it up, which gives me a good idea what it's doing to my tyres - finally I check it to find it's disintegrated and vibrated off completely

This road eats tyres...

Even the construction vehicles have problems...

Some idea of the road

and the gas stations here

but no matter what the Russians always wash their hands before eating

Later the road narrows again

surface is bad too - this is what bursts and eats tyres, gentle acceleration and no braking

I reach Skovordino

I had expected to reach here from the North, from Magadan, but nobody will be doing that this year due to the Airline problems. It's 3000km from here to Magadan along the Kolyma highway , the so-called "Road of Bones". I'm tempted to wander up as far as Tommot the place with the coldest recorded temperature in the Northern Hemisphere -71 Centigrade, about 750km north of here. The Long Way Round guys took a train for the next 1000km and then a truck for the river crossings (3 in all). Most guys I'be spoken to and read about didn't have that luxury (and they timed it a little better) so they just drove it all themselves... I really wanted to join that group but I don't have the 4 weeks or the servicing/ tyres to spare to drive a 3000km cul de sac... From guys who have done it this year, I understand the swamy section is 80-100km very slow and very hard work, but manageable, and the Rivers ok so far. However, hanging around in Alaska got me to see a huge amount....

I push on and finally give up on a tough day and look for a campsite- I sneak off the road as ever, not wanting to be spotted camping alone, and I wait for dark before unpacking and setting up camp, just to allow me to leave should anyone arrive that I don't want to arrive...

I find a spent bullet casing... can't be good... must have been someone shooting at a bear I rationalize...

Sitting there I spot oil on my final drive caseing...

This is a real low-point - I realize it could be nothing but I'm exhausted and feeling vulnerable where I am and then this... so i have a good cry and (only joking, I get the toolkit out and check to find it, but can't so I'll just have to mind it.

11 July Tuesday, Chyta, speedo reading 30,060 KM

On to Chyta - the end of the gap !!! I can look forward to just plain old-fashioned bad roads after this (Mongolia aside, off course !)

I get up after a good night's sleep (5 hours) despite the worries and check the seal again, looks ok for now, will try for transmission oil if it's ok for a day or 2... I pack in the rain and head off to try to find a cafe - after 3 hours heavy drving I reach one. I'm soaked through and shivering, I change into a fleece near my skin (feels warm even when it's wet). I seriously thought about looking for a room in avillage signposted 10km off the "road" - but decide to push on still cold and wondering am I doing the right thing.

Things get worse. The road disappears, it's deep, deep mud, 45cm ruts, country lanes and still heavy rain. I push on. I drop the bike and hurt my shoulder jumping off. But i manage to lift it myself (which is good because I haven't seen a car or truck for an hour ot 2 - presumably they can't get through this stuff ?

On I go and I drop it again late in the day. A trucker coming the other way lifts me and the bike up. Getting colder and wetter.

the bike suffers...

The bike is damaged from the spills but nothing too bad - a driving lamp is out, some cabling needs fixing, left pannier frame is bent, left box lock broken, top-box hinge broken, hugger broken off, engine cover broken

The road for this 4th day is bad

I get everything today, a meadow, a downhill -deeply rutted meadow, gravel, shale, sand, all combinations of the obove ! I've been standing on the pegs for 50% of the day, going between 5kmh and 40kmh and it's going to be an 18 hour day. Then the skies cleared, temperature rose, I stripped and dried off. Bike's still going, I'm still going and things are ok ! The pictures don't do this stuff justice, for obvious reasons you don't get to picture the worst stuff !!

Then there's a nice easy meadow drive...

and I meet some nice people... Lionel cycling from Switzerland to Vlad (as you do)

and the Norwegians, Tor and Helge going to Vlad - "How bad ? " I smile and point at the bike.. Tor looks a little sceptical...

and the herd of cattle with the local cowboy...

the worst gas I've gotten so far - 80 octane

which you get if you go in here and wake him up...

Who cares I've made it throuth the "Gap" in just 4 days, have caught up and the bike is holding up. Back in a positive mood I get into Chyta, get whistled at from a dark lane by a group of bikers, I stop and after a chat I get an escort to the local hotel with lock-up !! Hats off to every Russian biker I have made - you have set a standard !!! Thanks guys.

12 July Wednesday, Ulan Ude, speedo reading 30,780 KM

Showers all day on and off. Oil leak looks worse. i drive around for 4 hours looking for a mechanic or at least some transmission oil for a top-up should I need it. finally i score, having been led around ups and downs all morning long. A bike shop with transmission oil for front drive on ATV's - should do the trick if i have to use it.

Spot this church on the way out of town...

and I pass a number of villages like this on the way

I leave one of the villages up ahill and turn around to see I've missed this view...

glad to get across this before the greavel goes down !

Fially reach Ulan Ude and find ahotel with a lock-up around the back. Just locking up when in drives Klaus from Hanover on an old BMW 100GS, he's going to Mongolia tomorow too, so we have a beer and decide to go down together after he repairs a broken clutch cable, that is.

13 July Thursday, U.B. Mongolia, speedo reading 31,393

We tank before the border, I overestimate again a little...

They insist on prepaying the babuschka in the little window, you have to estimate what you'll want in litres, she presets the pump to deliver that and if you're full it spills over... nobody seems to care... You can say "polni bag" (full tank) and iverpay and go back for change, but ofen she'll just estimate anyway and you have the same problem.

Just befor the border we stop for a coffee (since the border is only open for 7 hours a day and it's lunchtime) and we meet Werner and Marcus from Switzerland on their way out. They had heard the info re Magadan and had had to change their plans to Valdivostok too, so they're eager to hear about the road

Down to the border

bikes getting a spraying ?

In to see the main man upstairs in customs, we get to see the main horse racing event of the Naadam Festival live !! It's an 800 year festival right now so timing's good !

At the samer time a french guy was going through en route to Beijing... the customs guys just smile

and some Czech bikers on Gs's on their way back out

Welcome to Mongolia and to the last of the tarmac !! This is the toll road to Ulaan Baatar - 300km - that's about it for tarmac...

There are herds of horses, sheep and cows which you have to slow for...

and of course the floods...

But then on a stunning ride through the Mongolian lanscape in the dying sun, we turn a corner to see another herd of horses across the road - nope, they're camels !! I'd promised my little one, Mia, a picture of me on my bike with a camel and an hour over the border and here we are !

Into U.B. after that and find the Hostel I have booked, aroun d the corner for the first pizza and bottle of wine I have drunk in months and off to sleep !