The V8Nam thread - Rolls Royce and Corvette content...
Discussion
Just ordered the book and plan to read it while doing a trip of my own in about two weeks. North Cape and back in a crap car, should sound familiar.
Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
Hi Ben,
Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
tty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.
Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
fivetenben said:
we'll be ready to nip across Russia into pothole-filled Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan isn't so much pothole-filled as just miles & miles of really stty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.fivetenben said:
where we'll veer south beneath what's left of the Aral Sea into Uzbekistan, about 4,500 miles - and as many gallons of unleaded - from the UK. A quick visit to the old Silk Road town of Khiva and we'll loop south through slightly-mad Turkmenistan, returning us to Uzbekistan near the beautiful cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.
From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
Torugart Pass is a Class II pass and technically only open to Kyrgyz and Chinese nationals. I know of another cyclist who crossed it recently and had to pay a $400 (USD) bribe to be allowed to cross. The normal crossing for tourists from Kyrgyzstan to China is the Irkeshtam Pass near Osh that also takes you to Kashgar.From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
fivetenben said:
From there we really, really hope to be able to take the high road across Tibet to Lhasa, then drop down into Sichuan, but at the moment the Tibetan Tourism Bureau isn't issuing any permits for UK citizens to enter Tibet, so we're just hoping that all changes in the next month or so. If it doesn't, we'll have to skirt around the top of Tibet and drop into SE Asia - and journey's end - that way.
So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
You won't be allowed into Azerbaijan with a RHD car. I haven't tried but friends of mine that have driven through in a LHD looked into the RHD option and were told a categoric no and if they tried it they'd be refused entry at the border. The ferry part was fine though, if you go to the right ferry office from the outset. So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
Hi folks...
The turning point for Iran was when the (allegedly government backed) protesters stormed the British embassy, and we pulled out of the country. Add the latent threat of a war with the US or Israel and it's just all getting a little to unpredictable, hence opting for a route which is less likely to close at short notice. (Yep, basically I'm saying we're not ballsy enough, but in a really longwinded manner!
)
Ben.
Sump said:
Moldover is a joke of a country, I think you will understand when you get to the border.
Remember what I said, a joke of a country. I hope my post comes to your head at the border, if you're not stressting too much.
Thanks, I'll bear that in mind and report back in April - unless the route plan changes yet again! Remember what I said, a joke of a country. I hope my post comes to your head at the border, if you're not stressting too much.
Mattt said:
Just finished the book after reading about it here, is Tom coming along on this trip?
Tom is giving this one a miss - he might be popping out to join us in the Rolls for a bit, but he's not up for the whole thing. (By the way, to anyone who's wondering, he's actually a perfectly nice guy when he's not being gradually worn down by the continuous stresses of a big trip and it's accompanying character clashes. He, Brummy and I are all still very good friends. And he's recently bought himself an '85 Porsche 911 too, if that helps absolve him!)Garlick said:
Love the R-R, any more photos?
Yep, I'm going to get some more taken at the weekend - I'll upload them soon enough...mig25_foxbat2003 said:
Route looks ace! Good luck in not getting bummed (figuratively speaking) by the Ukrainian border guards. The rest of the Central Asian lot play the game and you can get away with some Marlboros and a photo, however.
Yeah, I've done Russia and half the 'stans before and it wasn't too bad, but I keep hearing the Ukrainians are the worst of the lot. Ah well, I'm planning on just setting Brummy on them, that usually works...nickphuket said:
Totally Mad idea, love it! 
Do pop into Phuket on your way down to Singapore, we'd love to see the cars!
Cool, give me a shout if we make it that far and I'm sure we can say 'hi' Do pop into Phuket on your way down to Singapore, we'd love to see the cars!
Zad said:
To be honest, the RR could be perfect! Big balloony tyres, lots of suspension travel, and an engine that will presumably take petrol octane so low that you'd need a blow torch to light it.
You're right, it does have some things going for it - however the real big issue its got is approach and departure angles, and general ground clearance. That's what's probably going to limit our choice of roads somewhat, but then by not taking a 4x4 we're always going to have that issue...McFarnsworth said:
Just ordered the book and plan to read it while doing a trip of my own in about two weeks. North Cape and back in a crap car, should sound familiar.
Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
Sounds like a fun trip, I've only been up to Narvik and back, never all the way to NordKapp. It's one for the future; anywhere up that end of Scandinavia, the scenery is just amazing.Why the change of heart about Iran, I thought you really wanted to go through there? Travel advice has always pretty much been "avoid at all costs" or did I miss something and did it get even worse very recently?
The turning point for Iran was when the (allegedly government backed) protesters stormed the British embassy, and we pulled out of the country. Add the latent threat of a war with the US or Israel and it's just all getting a little to unpredictable, hence opting for a route which is less likely to close at short notice. (Yep, basically I'm saying we're not ballsy enough, but in a really longwinded manner!
)Ben.
My 85 Vette gave me 3 years of fairly reliable daily transport.
Change the exhaust oxygen sensors as when they give up (and though a service item, no-one changes them)it will misfire. Pack a spare set of ignition leads as these sometimes burn on the exhaust and take a spare dizzy cap, rotor and coil.
Make sure the brakes have new pads as these are from Oz and would be hard to find in the middle of nowhere.
You won't have much ground clearance so check the exhaust and try and make them smaller of fit skid plates or you'll rip them off.
Take a crosshead screwdriver as the screws in the interior will loosen and drop out.
Take a pair of spare headlight motors or if they split (as mine did), some spare nylon cogs as when they strip, it's game over though you'll have the driving lights in the bumper.
My heater matrix also leaked and had to be replaced.
They are great cars. You used to be able to buy PROM chips, cheap, to tighten up the auto shift and make a bit more power. Simple to fit too.
Looking forward to this. £3200 was a real bargain.
Change the exhaust oxygen sensors as when they give up (and though a service item, no-one changes them)it will misfire. Pack a spare set of ignition leads as these sometimes burn on the exhaust and take a spare dizzy cap, rotor and coil.
Make sure the brakes have new pads as these are from Oz and would be hard to find in the middle of nowhere.
You won't have much ground clearance so check the exhaust and try and make them smaller of fit skid plates or you'll rip them off.
Take a crosshead screwdriver as the screws in the interior will loosen and drop out.
Take a pair of spare headlight motors or if they split (as mine did), some spare nylon cogs as when they strip, it's game over though you'll have the driving lights in the bumper.
My heater matrix also leaked and had to be replaced.
They are great cars. You used to be able to buy PROM chips, cheap, to tighten up the auto shift and make a bit more power. Simple to fit too.
Looking forward to this. £3200 was a real bargain.
neilski said:
Hi Ben,
Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
tty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.
Hi Neil, I saw your post on the 'Living the dream' thread (or whatever it's called) and got rather jealous, sitting here in rainy Devon. Thanks for all the useful info - as you've probably guessed, we tend to be a little blase with the planning of these trips, but generally it all just about comes together in the end...Best of luck for your trip, I'm in Bishkek at the moment having just ridden here from the UK so if you have any questions about possible routes, feel free to ask. If you've crossed Central Asia before you'll know all this already but if not....
fivetenben said:
we'll be ready to nip across Russia into pothole-filled Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan isn't so much pothole-filled as just miles & miles of really stty dirt roads that are going to kill any low slung car in no time. You'll be further north than the road I took but the road from Aktau to Beyneu starts off as a rough tarmac road then becomes a dirt track for hundreds of kilometres which did have the odd car, mainly Daewoo Nubiras, Ladas and the odd E-Class Merc but the majority of the traffic was trucks or big 4x4s and pick-ups but I saw lots of repairs being made at the side of the road.fivetenben said:
where we'll veer south beneath what's left of the Aral Sea into Uzbekistan, about 4,500 miles - and as many gallons of unleaded - from the UK. A quick visit to the old Silk Road town of Khiva and we'll loop south through slightly-mad Turkmenistan, returning us to Uzbekistan near the beautiful cities of Bukhara and Samarkand.
From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
Torugart Pass is a Class II pass and technically only open to Kyrgyz and Chinese nationals. I know of another cyclist who crossed it recently and had to pay a $400 (USD) bribe to be allowed to cross. The normal crossing for tourists from Kyrgyzstan to China is the Irkeshtam Pass near Osh that also takes you to Kashgar.From there, everything depends on the security situation in 6 months time - we've three options; heading either through Tajikistan, the Fergana valley or Kazakhstan; all three options will bring us into Kyrgyzstan.
We intend to leave Kyrgyzstan by nipping over the Tein Sian mountains, taking the Turugart pass into the Xinjang region of China.
fivetenben said:
From there we really, really hope to be able to take the high road across Tibet to Lhasa, then drop down into Sichuan, but at the moment the Tibetan Tourism Bureau isn't issuing any permits for UK citizens to enter Tibet, so we're just hoping that all changes in the next month or so. If it doesn't, we'll have to skirt around the top of Tibet and drop into SE Asia - and journey's end - that way.
So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
You won't be allowed into Azerbaijan with a RHD car. I haven't tried but friends of mine that have driven through in a LHD looked into the RHD option and were told a categoric no and if they tried it they'd be refused entry at the border. The ferry part was fine though, if you go to the right ferry office from the outset. So, what's changed? - Well, the big change to the plan mooted a few months back on the other thread is how we plan on getting to Central Asia. A year ago we'd planned to go through Iran - that's now obviously, unfortunately out. We then changed to planning to get the ferry across the Caspian from Baku to Turkmenistan; however there are so many conflicting opinions about whether this is possible with a RHD car, and so many bad stories about the actual ferry, that we can't be bothered with the faff and uncertainty, and so we've decided to head through the Ukraine instead.
My knowledge of Central Asia at this stage is pretty much based on my previous trip there in 2006, in a pair of 998 Minis. We probably did about 4,000 miles in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and strangely, I don't remember the roads being that bad compared to, say, Africa or Northern India/Nepal (and I'm sure these are famous last words which I'll probably come to have quoted back at me in 6 months time!) However, I do remember just how variable the road conditions can be, and I'm sure we avoided some absolute horror shows which probably would have coloured my opinion somewhat had we attempted them, so will be doing a bit more research in this area before we hit the road.
As for the Torugart Pass, thanks very much for the info - I'm evidently a bit out of date on that one as years back people used to make it through, and I'd assumed it's still the case. Fortunately crossing near Osh shouldn't be any great hardship provided things don't flare up around there too much.
PS - I've much, much respect for your achievement so far. I've been cycle-touring once (850 miles around Iceland) and it damn-near killed me. Admittedly, I applied my usual level of preparation by setting off having not ridden a bike for over a decade, but that's by-the-by - the experience left me in no doubt as to just what a tough way to travel it can be... good effort!
fivetenben said:
We probably did about 4,000 miles in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan and strangely, I don't remember the roads being that bad compared to, say, Africa or Northern India/Nepal (and I'm sure these are famous last words which I'll probably come to have quoted back at me in 6 months time!) However, I do remember just how variable the road conditions can be, and I'm sure we avoided some absolute horror shows which probably would have coloured my opinion somewhat had we attempted them, so will be doing a bit more research in this area before we hit the road.
The roads in Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan are mainly tarmac and have all been fine so far but the main roads in Kazakhstan outside of the cities were built I guess in the Soviet era and have since taken a huge battering from the trucks coming out of Aktau to the point where they are now just heavily rutted dirt tracks.The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
fivetenben said:
As for the Torugart Pass, thanks very much for the info - I'm evidently a bit out of date on that one as years back people used to make it through, and I'd assumed it's still the case. Fortunately crossing near Osh shouldn't be any great hardship provided things don't flare up around there too much.
Osh & Jalal-Abad were trouble hotspots in July 2010 but I met a lot of people who'd been through it without any trouble so I took a punt on it being the same for me and it was no different to anywhere else I've been in central Asia so I guess the information on the FCO website is just to cover themselves should any British tourists get into a bit of bother in that region.I'd be more concerned about going through Tajikistan with the trouble they had a few months back. I know of another cyclist who had to stay put in a lodge with a few other travellers while a fair amount of shooting went on outside. They only got out of there when they were given a ceasefire window of a few hours to make their escape. Maximum respect to him for keeping his cool and even filming what was going on at the time.
fivetenben said:
PS - I've much, much respect for your achievement so far. I've been cycle-touring once (850 miles around Iceland) and it damn-near killed me. Admittedly, I applied my usual level of preparation by setting off having not ridden a bike for over a decade, but that's by-the-by - the experience left me in no doubt as to just what a tough way to travel it can be... good effort!
Thanks. 
fivetenben said:
RS404 said:
This would make a fantastic documentary. Have you approached anyone about filming it? Sell some DVDs or better still to TV, I reckon you could use some petrol money! All the best to you, will be following your progress.
It's something we're vaguely considering at the moment, however I have a hunch we've left it too late to get a proper adventure film-maker interested, and if the timescale doesn't put 'em off, our faces-for-radio probably will! Seriously though, looking into this is on my to-do list for next week...Chances are that you will also need to hire the kit and supply a rough edit at the end for the production firm to review unless they will advance this in exchange for first refusal on the program. The risk there is that Spatchcock Productions would then own your rights and you'd be screwed if Discovery suddenly called you.
Of course, if you could find a way to fit a shark and a Nazi into your road trip then C5 will grab it immediately with big upfront fees. I'm sure a man of your impressive, if clearly unstable, skills could factor such an element in.
fivetenben said:
Mattt said:
Just finished the book after reading about it here, is Tom coming along on this trip?
Tom is giving this one a miss - he might be popping out to join us in the Rolls for a bit, but he's not up for the whole thing. (By the way, to anyone who's wondering, he's actually a perfectly nice guy when he's not being gradually worn down by the continuous stresses of a big trip and it's accompanying character clashes. He, Brummy and I are all still very good friends. And he's recently bought himself an '85 Porsche 911 too, if that helps absolve him!)Out of interest, still with Laura?
DonkeyApple said:
My understanding of how this aspect generally works is that you do all the filming. They don't send anyone with you unless you hire them.
Chances are that you will also need to hire the kit and supply a rough edit at the end for the production firm to review unless they will advance this in exchange for first refusal on the program. The risk there is that Spatchcock Productions would then own your rights and you'd be screwed if Discovery suddenly called you.
Of course, if you could find a way to fit a shark and a Nazi into your road trip then C5 will grab it immediately with big upfront fees. I'm sure a man of your impressive, if clearly unstable, skills could factor such an element in.
You're forgetting that you only need 15 minutes of film and an American director to repeat the facts four times to get an hour special.Chances are that you will also need to hire the kit and supply a rough edit at the end for the production firm to review unless they will advance this in exchange for first refusal on the program. The risk there is that Spatchcock Productions would then own your rights and you'd be screwed if Discovery suddenly called you.
Of course, if you could find a way to fit a shark and a Nazi into your road trip then C5 will grab it immediately with big upfront fees. I'm sure a man of your impressive, if clearly unstable, skills could factor such an element in.
LuS1fer said:
DonkeyApple said:
My understanding of how this aspect generally works is that you do all the filming. They don't send anyone with you unless you hire them.
Chances are that you will also need to hire the kit and supply a rough edit at the end for the production firm to review unless they will advance this in exchange for first refusal on the program. The risk there is that Spatchcock Productions would then own your rights and you'd be screwed if Discovery suddenly called you.
Of course, if you could find a way to fit a shark and a Nazi into your road trip then C5 will grab it immediately with big upfront fees. I'm sure a man of your impressive, if clearly unstable, skills could factor such an element in.
You're forgetting that you only need 15 minutes of film and an American director to repeat the facts four times to get an hour special.Chances are that you will also need to hire the kit and supply a rough edit at the end for the production firm to review unless they will advance this in exchange for first refusal on the program. The risk there is that Spatchcock Productions would then own your rights and you'd be screwed if Discovery suddenly called you.
Of course, if you could find a way to fit a shark and a Nazi into your road trip then C5 will grab it immediately with big upfront fees. I'm sure a man of your impressive, if clearly unstable, skills could factor such an element in.
The problem with filming these road trips is that it adds huge time and hassle to the journey and isn't fun. To do it properly you need to set up shots, repeat parts of the journey and pre-plan speaches to camera.
For security you need to regularaly upload your footage but can rarely find a fast enough connection.
Smart way would be to contact various research dept at universities and see if they want to send someone along for some form of research purpose, that's often a cheap source of competant labour
All in, it is generally a bit of a fag and unless you have real ambition to use one journey to formalise a repuation and base to film and fund more I guess most people do not bother.
neilski said:
The roads in Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan are mainly tarmac and have all been fine so far but the main roads in Kazakhstan outside of the cities were built I guess in the Soviet era and have since taken a huge battering from the trucks coming out of Aktau to the point where they are now just heavily rutted dirt tracks.
The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
It was a few years ago now, but here's the rough route we took across Kazakhstan on my previous visit, including our detour down to Samarkand, and the red Mini's trip across Kyrgyzstan and the Fregena Valley:The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
Of this, there only properly bad bits we found were the 200 miles south to Aralsk, and the final loop across to Semey. To give folks who've not been to Central Asia an idea, here's what the Aralsk road (one of Kazakhstan's major 'highways') was like when we did it:
So based on past experience, I'm pretty confident there are roads along which we can get our silly cars across Kazakhstan, even taking into account their poor ground clearence and approach/departure angles... However saying all that, I have a question!: I'm guessing you joined the road from Atyrau which goes SE between the Caspian and Aral Sea into Uzbekistan. I remember this road used to be absolutely terrible a few years ago; how is it these days? Google earth makes it look like it's been resurfaced, but this might just be wishful thinking on my part?
Thanks,
Ben.
Mattt said:
Fair enough, did he react well to the book? He does seem to be portrayed rather negatively...
Out of interest, still with Laura?
Caution - contains spoilers for the book that people have been talking about on this thread...Out of interest, still with Laura?
Totally off topic, sorry folks! However:
I tried very hard not to portray anyone 'negatively'; rather I tried to present the facts and explain why people's approaches to different aspects of the trip differed, and justify their actions. Having said that, I can understand why you may think I was being negative towards Tom, and getting that part of the book right was by far the hardest part of writing it (and trust me, rough edges have been knocked off with every edit!). However I felt that to gloss over the personality issues (including Laura&I, where I come across pretty badly in the first part of the book, and much of Brummy's political incorrectness, and Libby's... well, Libbyness!) would have taken the 'bite' out of the story, and turned the book into an bland, anadyne account which wouldn't have really conveyed what an expedition like the AfricanPorsche trip is actually like, warts and all.
Tom and I discussed the differences between himself and the rest of the expedition while I was writing the book (as did Laura and I), partly to get the record straight, and partly to put our differences behind us. I would say he's more 'indifferent' to the Book than the other trip members, but didn't react at all badly either...
As for Laura and I... I'm afraid we split up earlier this year, after 3 happy years together, and are still best of friends, and she's looking to fly out and join us on the SE Asia leg of V8Nam. Sorry to squash the happy ending!
fivetenben said:
neilski said:
The roads in Uzbekistan & Kyrgyzstan are mainly tarmac and have all been fine so far but the main roads in Kazakhstan outside of the cities were built I guess in the Soviet era and have since taken a huge battering from the trucks coming out of Aktau to the point where they are now just heavily rutted dirt tracks.
The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
It was a few years ago now, but here's the rough route we took across Kazakhstan on my previous visit, including our detour down to Samarkand, and the red Mini's trip across Kyrgyzstan and the Fregena Valley:The photo below is fairly typical of the road that goes on for hundreds of km and I don't have any photos showing how bad it gets but some friends of mine recently drove from the UK to the Kazakhstan / Chinese border in a Seat Inca van and it made it there ok but they did say the going in KZ was painfully slow at times, with their typical speed being 5-6kph.
Of this, there only properly bad bits we found were the 200 miles south to Aralsk, and the final loop across to Semey. To give folks who've not been to Central Asia an idea, here's what the Aralsk road (one of Kazakhstan's major 'highways') was like when we did it:
So based on past experience, I'm pretty confident there are roads along which we can get our silly cars across Kazakhstan, even taking into account their poor ground clearence and approach/departure angles... However saying all that, I have a question!: I'm guessing you joined the road from Atyrau which goes SE between the Caspian and Aral Sea into Uzbekistan. I remember this road used to be absolutely terrible a few years ago; how is it these days? Google earth makes it look like it's been resurfaced, but this might just be wishful thinking on my part?
Thanks,
Ben.
DonkeyApple said:
There is something wonderful about those images. Never understood the claim that to be a petrolhead you need to have owned an Alfa. That's like saying to enjoy sitting down you need a dose of the grapes. The Mini is by far the best car for any petrolhead to have owned at some point. Great to see them still being used for ventures to far fields.
I own an Alfa right now. I completely, 100% agree with you...Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff