Cycling through Yakutia and Magadanskaya gold mining belt.

Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

Current Location:

Ust-Nera , Sakah Republic (Yakutia) / Russian Federation
N 64° 33.916
E 143° 14.269

Thursday Sept 8th 2011
Day 27th
971 kms completed
Approximately 1020 kms until Yakutsk

Getting ready to leave Ust-Nera where we spent two nights in the local hotel/gostinitsa, tour the town, organize some of our gear and met a few new friends

. We especially want to thank Natasha, Adam and Youssup.

Since Myaundzha in Magadanskaya Oblast, we passed our 8^th mountain pass (Kolymo- Indigirsky) in the snow, spent a night in a coal mine (Tal-Yuryah) and even had tea inside a large coal mine working crane.

Coal mining, Tal-Yuryah, Magadanskaya Oblast.

Tea time inside a coal mining crane, Tal-Yuryah, Magadanskaya Oblast

We also had the chance to share freshly smoked fish (Harius) and tea with the inviting meteorologists at the remote post of Delyankir.

Harius fishes from the Nera river

Smoked Harius fishes at the meteorologists station in Delyankir.

Meteorologist measuring air temperature at the meteorologist station in Delyankir, border of Magadanskaya Oblast and Republic of Sakha, Yakutia.

Measuring sun position at the meteorologist station in Delyankir.

We entered the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), Russian Federation, where we were very well welcomed by the local authorities in Artyk, inviting us for a night in their future hospice.

Gold mining, Nera River, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)

We followed the Yakut gold mining belt, cycling along the Nera river, camped one night with our British friends Joann and Steven traveling in their Landcruiser and spent a morning playing hide and seek with a curious fox in the ghost town of Ozernoye.

Finally, we were also able to see very clearly permafrost/ice layer, a few feet under our collapsing/cracking federal road mostly made of argyle/clay before reaching Ust-Nera.

For anyone who wonders, yes, we decided to go with the “new” road and forgo the “old” road between Kadykchan and Kyubyume, (even if it meant an additional 110 kms of cycling for our route), because we received reports from travelers who tried and failed to take the old route in landcruisers/kamaz and motorcycles from both sides (Kadykchan and Kyubyume) and told us that at this time (early September) the rivers were way too high and too furious to cross/ford safely on bikes and/or by foot.

Once again, I wish I could take the time now to write a good report on all what we have experienced since Myaundzha but we need instead to keep riding our bikes forward for the time being, now moving 600 kms further Southwest towards our next town: Khandyga.

Poka!