Host: That’s actually me.
Type: Friends’ roadtrip
Start Time: Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 9:00 am
End Time: Thursday, January 22, 2010 at 1:00 am
Route: Yakutsk – Oymyakon
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
PHOTOS OF OYMYAKON
More pics will appear in this set. At the moment it’s quick selection.
HOW IT STARTED
I have three international friends, a LA student Tilden (LA, USA), a Prague-based German photographer Bjorn, a UK backpacker-drummer Matt. They decided to travel to the Pole of Cold, but the problem was they are not enough rich to pay ~2000 USD for an individual tour from Yakutsk to Oymyakon. As result, they asked me to help.
I said “Well, I have a local friend, who is a driver. He agreed to give my foreign friends a ride to Oymyakon with big discounts.” Besides, he found this friends’ roadtrip interesting and exciting. So… he announced his driving price. It was really okey for three people to share.
Everything was perfect in the beginning untill Matt informed us that he wouldn’t make it to Yakutsk by the agreed date of the start. Otherwise, he wouldn’t manage to visit Altai and Baikal. You know, he is traveling across Russia and wants to see everything :)
Oh, man. The news brought doubts about the trip to the Pole of Cold. The distance is huge. ~1200 km on one way only. Two people won’t be able to cover the whole car rent price.
I was thinking… and you know what?
I just spread a word about the planned trip among my local friends. The reaction was immediate. I found out that many of them want to go to Oymyakon and have fun over there, especially when travel costs appears not high this time, ~255 EUR for one person in the group of 7 people.
The team was gathered just in one day!
Amazing! Really amazing! And the trip was totally fantastic!
ROAD OF BONES (The Kolyma Highway)
ITINERARY:
Jan 17: driving Yakutsk –> Khandyga
Jan 18 driving Khandyga — via the Verkhoyansk Range in daytime–> Oymyakon
Jan 19: day 1 in Oymyakon
Jan 20: day 2 in Oymyakon
Jan 21: driving Oymyakon –> Yakutsk.
The drive back can last 21 hr, without stop for night in Khandyga. Usually a taxi driver do not stop in Khandyga.
So…
1 night in Khandyga
3 nights on the Pole of Cold.
LIST OF TRAVELERS
- Tilden (a LA student made the way to Yakutsk, but his health issue forced him returned home)
- Bjorn (a Prague-based photographer)
- Llemur (a local artist, designer, photographer)
- Kirill Levin (a Yakutsk-based publishing house owner, a journalist)
- Oe Karpov (a local journalist, writer)
- Ajar Varlamov (an interpreter from the German language)
- Miu-miu, a young lady (a local photographer)
- and I.
TRIP UPDATES:
- Journey to Oymyakon: Today all participants gathered! (Jan. 15, 2010)
- This trip was awesome! The journey was initially announced on the Facebook event page.
CHECK OUT:
- all travel videos at eYakutia.com – English Yakutia.
The next friends journey will be held in March 2010.
