Our journey to the Pole of Cold was awesome!

By bolot | Published: January 27, 2010
Yakutsk to Oymyakon AskYakutia Fan Adventure Team

Yakutsk to Oymyakon AskYakutia Fan Adventure Team. At the foot of the Verkhoyansk range. Our team members from left to right: Kirill Levin, Alexander Makarov (Llemur), Bjorn Steinz, Nastya, Egor Karpov (Oe), Ayar Varlamov, Bolot. Jan. 18, 2010

This is a temporary post. Just would like to let my weblog visitors know that everything is okey with us. We returned, had a ton of impressions, a lot of pictures and dozen of videos with fun and useful info. Btw, This trip gave a lot of info to create many post with profound info. Like tips what type of boots to wear in the Pole of Cold, how to drive the dangerous part of the Road of Bones in the mountain, etc, etc. Need more time to calm down and focus. So… keep following me. The permalink will be http://askyakutia.com/roadtrip-oymyakon-poleofcold-january2009/ . Links to journey-related posts will be gathered on that page.

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Journey to Oymyakon: Today all participants gathered!

By bolot | Published: January 15, 2010

As far as you know, I decided to organize a road trip to Oymyakon, the Pole of Cold, from Jan. 17 till Jan. 21 for my friends. Today we, trip participants, gathered and had lunch in Yakutsk at the Chicago Bar.

There were alll of those mentioned in travellers list, including a German photographer Bjorn Steinz and a US student Tilden Smith. Bjorn arrived yesterday by plane from Vladivostok. Tilden came this morning by a car from Nerungri.

A very good news. I will go with my friends. By the last minute I wasn’t sure, whether I will go. There were a lot of works to be done. Read More »

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How to get a taxi going to Yakutsk at the Neryungri railroad station?

By bolot | Published: January 11, 2010

As you noted by my announcements, I decided to arrange my friends’ roadtrip from Yakutsk to the Pole of Cold, Oymyakon. So… I was forced to come across some technical questions, like visa, air tickets, car rent, transfers, accommodation, etc. Man, so many things are to be done! Praise God, everything goes smoothly so far.

A train in Neryungri, South Yakutia

A train in Neryungri, South Yakutia

A few journey participants are already on the way to Yakutsk, they are coming by railways via Neryungri. Yesterday I started receiving urgent questions like “How to order a taxi to Yakutsk in Neryungri? Are there resting rooms at the railroad station?” Well, I immediately provided all the info I had, including those ones in already-published posts “How to get to Yakutsk by train and car?” and “Railroad stations in Yakutia?”

My friend’s next message sounded this way “One more question: Should I order the taxi in advance, or just when I arrive? Is it likely one will depart in the evening when I arrive, or will have have to wait until next morning? OK, that was two questions.”

I said to him. Let me book a cab for you. So I called a Neryungri-based taxi service, asked and… Oh, man! Rejoice, my readers! Everything appears much, much easier than I expected. Read More »

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How to dress in Yakutia in the middle of winter?

By bolot | Published: January 9, 2010

Amazing! I received questions from an American lady, whose given name is Summer. It’s like “Hello from summer to winter.” She was asking:

I found some amazing stories about people who were there lately as tourists and I was wondering: Somebody on a web site who was there suggested highly the North Face Himalayan suit and couldn’t recommend it enough. But I read a few other things about how high tech parkas just don’t compare to reindeer skins etc…. What would you suggest about how to dress/what to bring if I ever decide to go there? And also any other tips for being outside in the middle of winter?

Read More »

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What is the Yakut horse? Is it a pony?

By bolot | Published: January 6, 2010

A month ago the message arrived from Sweden. A horses breeding enthusiast Karl wrote:

First of all, I want to tell you how fantastic it is of you to put up this opportunities to ask questions about Yakutia.

Thanks for your positive feedback :)

a Yakut horse

Well, I´m very interested in the Yakut ponies. There is actually not so much about them on the Internet. From pictures I have seen they look a lot like Shetland ponies. Are there any of them in Europe? Or have they newer ever exported or sold any horse?

I live in Sweden and love horses. I want to know everything possible about these wonderful horses.

My reply is the following. Read More »

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Video: Long Way Round – Road of Bones Episode

By bolot | Published: December 29, 2009

Thanks to Eva Krečová, I’ve eventually watched the Long Way Round episode dedicated the Road of Bones. So many years past, but it happened now only. If you weren’t lucky to see it, just do it and consider your traveling this way. Must be a lot of fun and adventure stories.

Btw, Eva Krečová & Tomáš Holman are the Czech travel motorcyclists, who repeated the same journey along the Road of Bones in August 2009, but alone on one BMW bike and without local truckers’ help. Check their set of Kolyma Highways photographs.

Watch other parts of the episode. Keep in mind that Ewan and Charley’s biking took place in June 2004. May and June is the period, when local rivers tend to be furious and full of high waters. The safer period is August. Read More »

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Is it dangerous to travel to Oymyakon, the Pole of Cold in winter?

By bolot | Published: December 28, 2009
UAZ is the best Pole of Cold Shuttle

UAZ is the best Pole of Cold Shuttle

A Jordi, of Catalonia, is asking:

I have been reading the last report about Norwegians’ accident [in Yakutia/Siberia], and I want to ask you something… Is this a recent story? I haven’t found the piece of news relating to this.

Nowadays I know some people who want to make the journey to Oymyakon [the coldest place in Yakutia and the whole Siberia], only as a wish, without nothing to take it seriously. I’ve been reading different articles, and AskYakutia’s reports and I think it is not a thing for not taking it seriously. It’s very funny to see -60ºC, but another thing is to go for them.

What do you thing about this journey? It is a little dangerous, isn’t it?

My answer was as follows: Read More »

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Yakutsk – Magadan: A satellite phone is a must! Or how Norwegians were lost and found on the Road of Bones…

By bolot | Published: December 22, 2009

Today’s top local news is totally dedicted to Norwegian adventure travelers lost allegedly in the Oymyakonsky region by the Embassy of Norway and found by the Russian rescuers. They were okey.

Norwegians stuck on the Road of Bones in Siberia

They appeared to be very naive travelers. They thought they would be the first who made it to Magadan by the old route of the Kolyma Highway in winter. Even experienced local drivers know that driving from Tomtor directly to Magadan that way is impossible, because it is impassable, it is covered with thick snow. Now they are forced to say they got stuck due to the breakage of their Mercedes Benz off-road vehicle. That’s the myth! Read More »

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Is there an ice road to the Lena Pillars?

By bolot | Published: December 22, 2009

A few weeks ago I received a question from an UK backpacker, who is coming to Yakutia in January 2010. He asked “Is there an ice road to the Lena Pillars? Is it possible to make it there in January?”

Btw, a request was sent via the Facebook group “Ask-Yakutia-Today,” everyone is welcome to join us.

The Lena Pillars in winter. Yakutia/Siberia.

Frankly saying, the Lena Pillars (located a few hundreds kilometres south off Yakutsk) is visited in winter less than in summer. The main reason is the ice road that was asked about. Read More »

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Stroganina, a traditional cold dish in Yakutia

By bolot | Published: December 16, 2009

One of the first questions I hear from new non-Yakutian friends of mine is “What are your traditional meals?” I started my answer from the short sentence “We love frozen horse meat and frozen Arctic fishes.”

Well, I decided to start publishing posts about traditional cuisine in Yakutia. The one is dedicated to stroganina.

Stroganina is the traditional cold dish in Yakutia.

Stroganina is the traditional cold dish in Yakutia.

Stroganina is the first traditional dish that will be offered you to try in Yakutia in winter. It is thin long slices of frozen fresh Arctic river fishes, i.e. broad whitefishes, whitefishes, and white salmons. Read More »

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