From Moscow to Rybachiy peninsula

We had done this trip a few years ago, but I thought it will be interesting to read about another russian RR... Sorry for my not perfect English in advance.

We had three weeks of vacation. We went on three motorcycles from Moscow, Russia. Yamaha XTZ660 Tenere, Yamaha TT250Raid and Honda 250 Degree.

As usual, it was a lot of problems before the departure, so we did not get enough sleep.



From left to right: Tanya and her Degree, Ivan with Tenere, some local girl, me and Pavel on his Kawasaki VN400. Pavel planned to go with us, but he could not to go with us. Tanya is one of crazy russian bike girls, she came from Krasnodar to Moscow on her 250 cc bike.



Near a local tyre service. I have pierced my rear tube.




Near Rostov Velikiy stella:



On Rostov`s monastery wall.







We arrived Yaroslavl city. It`s the oil plant as the background. Take a look at the Russian motorcycle licence plate - it have the same size as plates for tractors.



The village Bukhalovo. It means "Drinking of alcoholic beverages" in English. As you can see, some Russians (may be hunters?) first drink, than shoot at road signs.





Some Russians have the business of trading mushrooms or raspberries at a side of a road.



We arrived Vologda city. Inside Wild Winds MC clubhouse:



Our camp in a morning:



It was rainy.



The Kuk`s spring. The water looks like boiling. There was the tradition in ancient times to dip a newborn baby into this spring. If the water stops "boiling", than a child will be dead soon.





Than we met a couple of guys from Saint-Petersburg, they had going to Vologda on their IZH motorcycle.



At the gas station near Onezhskoye lake:



Anoter that day`s meeting - a couple of guys from St. Petersbourg on two BMW F650GS:



Some abandoned wooden buildings near Poshekhonye - Vologda region`s district center.





We arrived Karelia republic, one of Russian regions. In the past, Karelya was the part of the Finland, as I know.

Fascinating ruins!


What is "Rybachiy?" Near Kaliningrad?

There was a new to me weather phenomenon in Karelia - it was sunny, and there was some small raindrops at the same time. It was because of the high air humidity - there are a lot of lakes in Karelia.

There are wooden roadsigns at the side of the road sometimes also:




And there was a lot of wild strawberry at the roadside.



A common russian country road:





The church near the beginning of the White sea-Baltic sea channel. It`s restricted to photograph the channel itself, unfortunately...



We have rode that day till late, so we just turned from the main road and set our tents.





Waiting for Taniya. Why girls are so slowly usually?



Somewhere at the road to Murmansk:



Getting speed tickets.



Just some water at the roadside.



The stella near Arctic circle. It is about 10 kilometers from actually Arctic circle, as I heard.

Klay, no. It`s the northest part of Kolya peninsula, the most northest point of European continental Russia.

We wanted to stop just near that place, on the shore of some lake. But heavily loaded Tenere jammed into the swamp.



Some tyre changing:



The lake:





Monchegorsk - the most polluted place on Kolya peninsula. It`s some trees and grass there now, in the past there was only the naked ground.





Our friend Alexander met us in Murmansk.

Bikers in Murmansk city is able to ride only about two or three months every year.



Near Murmansk nautical school.



Some local riders:



Murmansk city`s landscape.



Pretty trails lead up to the monument of a WWII soldier.



His name is "Alyosha" (Alex). The same one plased in Sofia, Bulgaria.




Than our local friends conducted us to the waterfall in Abram-Nos.





The farewell photo.



We have left Murmansk. There was a lot of polar grouses, they darted from the front wheel sometimes.




The monument of warriors of Polar Division of Red Army.



Copies of soldiers` dying letters.



A tarmac has ended. We entered Sredniy peninsula, the only way to Rybachiy.




We have stayed for the night near the place, where were printed the soviet most northern newspaper "Severomorets".




It`s the abandoned city on the other shore of the bay, on Rybachiy.



The road to Rybachiy:




Leaving the camp.







A water crossing.



There was a lot of creeks that cross the road, or just some large puddles.



An abandoned Russian military base:







We have found the camouflage net.



On the shore:





The view from the inside of some military defence construction:



There was a lot of very evil mosquitoes. It was almost impossible to stop - they started to sting.





The polar night.



Some military base:



Than we have reached Nemetskiy cap. It`s just slightly south than Nordcape.









The most nothern point of continental Russia in the European part. We have done this.



Cheers!

Amazing!

Klay, Gadget Boy, thanks!

Good stuff, Donogh.
Thanks for the report and great pictures.
This is not a part of Russia I have ridden - YET! But I will soon.

Tony P, thanks, man. Unfortunately, it `s impossible - the territory nothern, than Titovka border control point is forbidden to enter for foreigners. And even Russian guys need to take the permission in border control office. We done that in Murmansk.

Very great pictures and report. Thanks for the work and time to share this area with us. Just Amazing.

achesley,

Tony P, good news! I spoke with my friends, and they said, that now the permissions for Russians canselled. And it`s even possible to enter the area for the foreigners now. If you need this information, I may call to the border control department in Murmansk and ask they for details, just let me know.

:eek1

Hi - 'Impossible' is not a word I easily accept!

I know of Border Zone permissions - having met the problem in the Tuva Republic last year
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=519357

As you see, we eventually got the permission and talked our way out of not having it when leaving Altai Republic (there was more to this story than in the thread but we preferd not to cause possible problems for the people involved).

It's how you handle people that makes things happen!

Happily I see from your latest post that it could be obtainable for foreigners in Murmansk.

Thanks for the offer of help.
Maybe we should meet in MOS anyway.:slurp

Than we rode East. The territory near the lighthouse is like a garbage can, but instead of an usual garbage there are some rusty vehicles.





The abandoned city Skarbeevka:



I have surreal fellings inside of this place.



And there is the geocaching site, on the second floor of this building. We had found it.



We wanted to stay for the rest in Skarbeevka, there was the almost untouched house. But there was a pair of guys with a gasoline angle grinder - they picked up steel from buildings. So we thought about the fact, that frames of our bikes also made from steel pipes, and we prefered to go further

Our camp. See mosqitoes around me. Extremely evil ones - maybe it`s because of absence of meal - only some polar deers



Like this one:



Zoom:



I have the bath in this waterfall. It is extremely invigorating



There was the tundra summer.



A lot of flowers.



The vertebra of a whale. The boot is for the scale.





A mushroom and some plastic ball from a fishermans` net:



There are very beautiful landscapes in sunny days (and nights).







There are some pieces of snow even in July.





Polar night. It`s about 2 AM:

An abandoned military base. The inscription means "It`s 100 days to the demobilization."


Digging out Tenere:





Tenere is very heavy for rides like that.



A piece of a track and a newspaper "Polyanraya (Polar)".



A liittle supper.







An another monument:



We left Rybachiy and stopped for the rest. We fired polar birch braches to dry our apparel. Than we slept about 17 hours.

Than we headed for Two Brosers rock. But there was the deep river without a ford, but with the bridge without a couple of logs.







Two Brosers. As the Saami (the local Finnish people in the past) legend tells, it`s two sorcerers that were enchanted by their enemy.





Than we met two guys from Moscow on their Yamaha Grizzlies.



They have some vodka, and there was about a hundred kilometers to the nearest road police officer



Then we explored an abandoned artillery site together.



Some mechanisms are covered with grease still.