Has it been a month??

Yes, it seems more than a month has passed since the Ice Run came to an official end with the Incredable Wallabies, myself and Ural Crazy dragging in at 2 a.m. Officially the last three teams of this incredible journey. Now if you hadn't noticed I've added pictures to the gallery;"And so it begins". it's the teams and the days up to launch. I'm posting the remainder of the pics after this post and will get the infamous "tank video" posted to our video section soon.

 

Over the past few weeks everyone seems to have settled back into "the world" without major trauma. Though it does seem that there are more than a couple of us who find ourselves scanning ebay seeking out Urals of our own. We know they are the devil incarnate BUT it was such a good time and hell as well. A known devil is always better than the unknown kind. As the weather warms and finances begin to recover don't be surprised if my next ridiculous vehicle is a Ural. Hell, it seats 3, that's one up on the Smart and it's been proved a Ural IS a 4 season vehicle unlike my VW convertible Thing. Though they both are fun in their own ways as well.  

I thought I would take a moment or two and fill you in on the final days of the Pioneer Run.

As you know the Incred. Wallabies started having trouble a few days into the run and by the end of the first week we began to figure out how to get to Salekhard when (not IF) they would no longer be able to limp along. I could have continued on my own but being solo and having already buried Eva in a 6 foot ditch I was nervous about not having another team nearby. That and I didn't feel it was right to just bail on them and leave them with even fewer options. We knew that my bike was capable of towing them if need be. If that failed to be a option my bike could carry 3 and we could rig or acquire a sled to pull with the gear. The Russians in the area often had sled loaded up behind their snowmobiles and horses so it was an option. If we found a secure place to leave their bike along the route a truck could be secured to get it to Salekhard or Irbit. That would be a last ditch move.

As luck would have it as we sat in the town 400km from Salekhard Ural Crazy happened by. We were very surprised because with all of our troubles we were sure everyone else was either at or very close to the finish. With a second fully functioning bike able to share the towing we decided to make the push. Ural Crazy wasn't without problems they had changed generators more than once and periodically lost power if they traveled with their headlight on. Additionally they had 2 men and all their gear towing for them would be slow going. The advantage was being able to switch off occasionally meant there was less of a chance of burning Eva out and leaving us all stranded. Thus began the 400km tow. 

 

In a perfect world we knew it would be no less than 10hrs and this was NOT a perfect world. In fact we would discover that the last 150k would be the worst road of them all and would bring us to a dead stop over a dozen times before finding someone kind enough to tow the dead bike the last 60km. Fisch drove the bike and Avi got in the van to keep an eye on Fisch and be able to stop the driver if there was an problem. Urals can flip easier than you would think. I had to be towed from the ice track back to the hanger on training day and ended up flipped onto the side at a very low speed. The van was towing Fisch at over 50kph most of the time until Avi was able to explain that there were 2 other bikes following. From that point the driver kept it under 50 so we could keep up in the dark. Despite the speed and no stops the last 60km still took over 3hrs.

I had learned while driving through Russia and Kazakhstan during the Mongol Rally when there are signs the distances  between towns is often "as the crow flies" not necessarily the distance the road covers. It turns out this is true up north as well. The worst moment though was passing the lights of Salekhard and seeing them fade away behind us. Seems you have to make a HUGE loop west of the city to get to the road going into the city. We did have the passing thought that the guy in the van was taking us to some remote spot to kill us and feed us to his pet Polar bears...ok...maybe it was just me... besides how much more remote could it be from where he picked us up,eh??

Arriving at 2am means the chances of anyone being around to greet you or explain the arrangements at the hotel. It had been a day or being on the road for over 16hrs after camping on the Zimnick for 14 or so hours and only getting 2.5 hrs sleep. We thought there was a truck on it's way to pick us up so 2 kept the fire going and 1 slept. Needless to say, we were beat. Once we sorted out the room situation we went out to bring the gear in. At that moment the teams began to return from the night out. These boys were pissed. (Amer translation ; blind, tanked, 3 sheets to the wind, get it?) There is nothing like getting hugged by a giant english man to make the crap parts of the day fade away. :-) Antics pursued and the other teams rolled in  and the long day from hell ended as the best day ever. The next evening it was out on the town with the teams that remained. The adventure was over and we reveled in our success. Everyone had made it in one piece though there were many tales of close calls and blistering cold we had done something that all of us at one point wondered IF we could. Bravado will carry you pretty far but often reality will prove you wrong. This time though, our little group talked the talk and walked the walk. Others will now follow our lead, some will go faster, some will not finish, some may just give up and some may even get hurt along the way but we will always be the first.  It's an honor we will wear like a badge of honor and brag to anyone who will listen for years to come. I mean really, how often in your life can you do something really awesome and be able to honestly say you were the first!? Bragging rights for life? OH, I think so. 

 

Done and Done

I actually wrote this a few days after I returned from the Ice Run but forgot to post it. It's a bit of a rant and may be a bit nonsensical at times but it was the thought of the moment  and I figure why not run with it??

Hey there kiddies the ice run has now entered the history books and we, the pioneers, are all home and adjusting to life back in the world. Once again I am little confused, tho I've been away for a month and been living the life of an Ice Run Pioneer, everything is just the same here as when I left. All my travels ,be they a week or 12 (my longest yet), are usually a bit more than a step away from everyday activities. They take on a life and reality of their own. A microcosm built around a single event or place that is so complete and enveloping that one assumes that the "world" you left behind must be evolving and changing at the same pace as this microcosm. Instead you return and it seems as if time stopped or slowed down considerably during your absence making the reentry like hitting the breaks after cruising at 80mph. Things at home seem less urgent than when you left, and the things that filled your day while you lived in your alternate reality, packing up and starting the day, making time to eat, sorting out where to sleep, just making to the end of each day,are now non-factors. Nothing to pack up in the morning the day begins by just rolling out of bed, there's food in the fridge and cupboards grab something at your leisure and making it to the end of the day is a matter of a hot shower and clean sheets.

It's almost amusing, ok, maybe more than a little, hearing folks back in the world complain about things that are really non issues. "It's so cold"...go inside ya twit!, "I can't decide what to eat", guess what, it's all food just eat it! "The roads are such crap", really!!? try a Zimnik (or driving across Kazahkstan) sometime you'll beg for you piddly pot holes! Every-time I come back to the world and I listen to what things folks think are important and hear them complain about the most mundane things I have the same thought,"You really need to get some perspective, dude!" Life here "in the world" is neither as awful or as hard as you make out. I don't blame them for their take on the things in their life. I realize it's because most people never step outside their comfort zone. Very few intentionally put themselves in situations and environments that are drastically different than the place they live. The majority if the world is comforted by the fact that their world is "safe", "predictable", excitement is (watching) sporting events and accomplishments are tallied by not falling asleep at work and making it to work on Monday after binging on the weekend. I'm sure I'll catch hell for these broad generalizations, so be it, but they are metafores for what our modern world has become.

Luckily there are those that, like myself, find all this "safety" and "predictability" a bit ....a...er.. BOREING! and a tad restrictive. We're the ones who when questioned about some of the "less than clever" things we've done in our lives usually respond with "it seemed like a good idea at the time."or "seriously, it was awesome..." and despite the outcome of those events, broken bits, blood shed, interaction with law officials, ect we wear them like badges of honor. Proudly boasting,"Then there was the time when....", "Me and the boys were tipping a few and..." or showing off the scars from some ill planned adventure. These are the things of a life lived not merely getting by. Everyday we are one step closer to the grave, like it or not and if given the choice I think I want my last words to be, "Damn, it has been one hell of a ride!" And when folks come past to pay their respects I don't want to look"peaceful or rested" I want to look exhausted and have a ridiculous smile on my face. Everyone has the potential to be immortal. I'll never be rich and have a building or foundation named for me. My accomplishments won't be found in the history books. The best most of us can ever hope for once we are gone is to have someone remember us as "this cool old guy" they once knew and tell the tales of our adventures. For some they will be stories heard in a pub BUT for others they will see them as inspiration to step outside their comfort zone and seek out life beyond the safety and predictability of the modern world

Rant over...we now return you to your regular programming. 

What a fantastic trip

Well we are now back in the UK and to us it feels like we are going though a heat wave with Chris refusing to wear anything other than shorts. One of the first questions we seem to get asked by people is how many fingers and toes do we have left and I'm pleased to confirm all body parts are still intact. Rob may have thought this would not be the case when he found himself sat in a pile of snow after Chris drove off the road and into a ditch only a few miles into the race. As we didn't have the best of starts it was to some surprise to race organiser Mr Tom as well as a few others that we actually managed to reach Salekhard let alone cross the finish line in 2nd place a whole day ahead of 3rd. I think we would both agree that this was tougher then we thought it would be but it has been a trip of a life time and one that neither of us will ever forget. Before we set off we were warned of how unfriendly and hostile Russia can be however we found this to be the complete opposite. The people we met on our way were some of the friendliest I have ever come across whilst travelling and the hospitality they offered was first class. We found ourselves on several occasions complete strangers in someone's house with a table full of food and a ready made bed for us, a situation I feel would be a rare sight closer to home. The vast size of Siberia and distance between towns made the locals more and more concerned about what we were setting out to achieve and made them want to help us even more. It was a regular occurrence that we found ourselves broken down at the side of the road but it was never long before we would be rescued by a passerby willing to offer a tow or some of their mechanical knowledge. Many people before we left asked why are we going to Siberia and at times I think we wondered ourselves however we have both left with a warm feeling for a great country and are pleased to say we have made some fantastic friends who we can not thank enough for their generosity. Yes the bikes may not have been the most practical for this adventure and perhaps February was not the best time of year to travel across Siberia but all this added to some great stories and ones that I am sure we will continue to bore people with for a long time. A big thank you has to go out to everyone who sponsored and supported us. I am pleased to say we have managed to raise just short of £2000 for Cystic Fibrosis and we are still collecting. This trip would not have been possible without our two sponsors Columbia Sports and Kathmandu who donated some fantastic equipment to help us survive the bitter cold. Columbia supplied us with top of the range Omni-Tech clothing which proved to do more than handle the cold and the Columbia Bugaboot appeared more practical than what some of the other teams were wearing and in most cases did a better job. I can not say how grateful I am for the KathamanduMoonracker sleeping bag which kept us warm in our tent whilst other teams seemed to be shivering and also the advice that both companies offered from their experienced staff which made the preparations the much easier. We have both gone back to work with a bump and are keen to start planning for the next adventure so watch this space for future trips and should you have any ideas then feel free to contact Chris who seems to be unable to turn down a challenge. Chris & Rob

 

 

We are the proud owners of a Ural bike

What a fantastic day with plenty of foolish antics. We were allocated our bikes via a draw out of a hat and i can confirm we have a beautiful blue Russian Ural. After spending 30 mins trying to start it we got to test our driving skills on ice by heading out of town to a race track made from ice. You can not believe how much fun it was sliding round the track testing our handling skills. Chris managed to spin and then roll the bike spectacularly but don't worry Mrs Marsh as your son is fine and the bike only requires a new indicator. It was funny however Rob (who was watching from the side when the accident happened) is now starting to wonder what he's got himself in to although he did quickly jump in the sidecar for a few laps. Unfortunately the fun had to stop and we headed off to a local Russian restaurant for a fantastic meal with the owner arranging for some locals to come and sing for us. Afterwards we decided as this was Siberia it would be a good idea to go find a lake and jump in it so Mr Tom kindly sourced us a hole in a pond with a sauna next door. Surprisingly it wasn't as cold as I thought but it was not something I would want to do everyday or even experience again. We got quite an audience as we started stripping off and one by one plunging in the the freezing water. We quickly found a warm bar to enjoy a few cold beers and then we're going to have a brief lecture about mechanics ahead of the start of the Ice Run with the starters gun sounding at 10 am.

 Chris & Rob