"Russian Off-Road Adventure Tour"
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Enjoy the breathtaking contrasts of Russia while we take care of your comfort, safety, and the logistics of your motorcycle adventure. We invite you not only to take an exciting off-road adventure, but also to experience an insightful journey to a different land with a unique culture. Discover the real Russia - the parts most tourists never get to see. After you experience the power of the untouched natural world, you will begin to understand the 'enigmatic Russian spirit'.
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Compared to other tours, where you have to stick to trails, this Russian tour offers a unique opportunity to literally ride where you want. As in former socialist times, the land actually belongs to nobody. If you see a hill or a steep climb and you want to conquer it, just go do it. This tour offers a unique chance to ride through very remote villages and admire the beautiful Russian countryside. Throughout this tour, a variety of trails and terrain will be available - from leisurely rides in the spacious forest-steppe country to muddy forest trails, washed out bridges, and river crossings - a real adventure for the motorcycle enthusiast.
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Tour Details
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Location:
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Moscow (UFARU1)
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Terrain:
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Dirt, mud, and river crossings
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Duration:
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10 days (incl. arrival and departure)
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Riding days:
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8 days
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Route length:
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Approximately 1050 km (650 miles)
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Motorcycles:
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KTM 450 EXC (2007)
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Group riding:
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Required
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Accommodations:
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Various - hotels, resorts, tents, bungalows
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Highlights:
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Urals, River Belaya, taiga, Abzakovo, silver birch forests, mines, small Russian villages, local cuisine, banya
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Tour Dates
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Want other dates?
Contact us
with the dates
that interest you!
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Scheduled tours:
(check back
for our 2010
schedule!) |
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July 7-2008 Neal Seidner (just back from Russia):
"I can not thank you enough for steering me toward the Russia tour. There is no words to explain not only the value per dollar of this trip, but how well Lev has put it together. The ride is the ride of a true riders life time and suggest that you make his trip soon!"
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Tour Itinerary
Day 1:
Moscow - Ufa
We will meet you at the Ufa Airport (UFA) and bring you to the President Hotel, which has the reputation of being the best hotel in the city. The President Hotel stands on the confluence of two rivers, and is surrounded by a pine grove. Before the adventure beings, you can simply relax and enjoy a nice meal.
Day 2:
Ufa - Base camp
After breakfast, we will drive you to our base camp located 60 km from Ufa in a beautiful pot on the river Belaya. Gear up and jump on our KTM 450 EXC bikes. We will have a leisurely test ride through the gentle flourishing foothills of the Ural Mountains before returning to the base. We will have a very typical Russian evening: shashlik + banya (wood heated sauna) + beer & vodka = the perfect completion of your first riding day.
Day 3:
Base camp - Tolparovo
Early the next morning, we head up to a different world - Russia's countryside. This will be a relatively easy-going ride in a spacious forest-steppe scenery. We will pass many small and very small Russian and Bashkir villages, whose inhabitants lead lives so simple and archaic that you will feel like you have gone back in time. In the evening, we pitch our tents in a nice tranquil place on the river bank, cooking together by bonfire, swimming, and enjoying the rest of the evening with Russian beer.
Day 4:
Tolparovo - Abzakovo
By the end of today, you will come to appreciate the off-road capabilities of the KTM bikes! Continuing to cross the Urals, we will get right into the virtually untouched Russian taiga. Depending on the weather conditions, the few available forest trails become a real challenge, even for experienced riders. After two to three hours of riding we will leave the forest and visit a partly exploited iron-ore mine. Afterwards, we will take a relaxing gravel road and ride back into the forest. We will have late lunch at the upper stream of the river Belaya, and afterwards we will take an easy ride to a lovely family hotel in Abzakovo – the favorite ski resort of President Putin. In the hotel restaurant we will enjoy a tasty dinner and celebrate your first crossing of the Ural Mountains.
Day 5:
Abzakovo - Aushkul
We depart in a north-northwest direction along the east side of the Urals, riding through spectacular hills scenery. During the lunch picnic at the lake Uzunkul, you can enjoy a refreshing swim. By the evening, we pitch our tents at the lake Aushkul and you again can enjoy the freshness of a clear mountain lake. You may try fishing and with a little bit of luck we might have a traditional Russian fish-soup, 'Uha', for dinner tonight!
Day 6:
Aushkul - Zyratkul
On the third and fourth days, we crossed the Urals from west to east. Now we need to cross them in the opposite direction. Again, we will ride through challenging trails through the wild taiga, crossing sticky dirt, deep holes, huge puddles, overturned trees, and river crossings. The only civilization we pass on our way is an old sawmill and a few partly abandoned settlements. By the evening, we will reach a private farm near the lake Zyratkul. Accommodation is simple, but in a charming Russian style log house. And of course banya with silver birch besoms.
Day 7:
Zyratkul - Kordon
We don't want you to miss a chance to enjoy the tranquil surroundings of the farm, so we will start later in the day. Since a private investor took over the abandoned settlement of Kasany, which was abandoned because of its remote location, it has turned into a base camp for hunters, hiking groups, and snowmobile tours. For our next overnight stay, we will ride for 60 km to a remote bungalow camp at Zyratkul National Park.
Day 8:
Kordon - Asha
We will continue to cross the Urals and the nearly impenetrable taiga for an intensive ride with short stops for snacks. Once again we will reach 'civilization' – a small settlement near Zlatoust-36, one of the Russia's closed military cities. We will also pass several run-down and nearly abandoned villages lost in the middle of nowhere. By the evening, we will arrive in the small ski resort of Asha. Accommodation is available in a comfortable wooden house. In the Russian wood-heated banya, you can relax, drink beer, and enjoy the company of your riding mates.
Day 9:
Asha - Ufa
The last day offers you the chance to watch the typical Russian countryside life. On gravel and field trails, we quickly move forward, passing a number of villages. By the late afternoon, we arrive at the starting point of the journey - our base camp. While you get some rest and pack your gear, we take care of the dinner and photo exchange. The following transfer to Ufa takes approximately one hour. In the President Hotel, we will say goodbye to the group. If necessary, we can recommend some activities for you for the last night.
Day 10:
Departure
After breakfast in the President Hotel, a taxi will bring you to the Ufa Airport (UFA). For those of you who want to stay longer in Moscow, we can help to make necessary accommodation arrangements.
Note: We reserve the right to make changes.
 Ready to ride? Book here
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Ability to ride standing on pegs required