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

And they said it would be cold

Preevet from Irbit. We finally made it after 18 hours travelling to this small remote town in the south west of Siberia. The English weather gave us a taste of things to come with snow falling as we boarded our plane at Heathrow. After a slight delay due to the place having to be spayed with deicer we were airborne. This meant a late arrival into Moscow and a dash for our connecting flight which was bizarre as I don't think I have ever heard my name for last call before we have actually checked our bags in. Thanks to the lovely lady at Aeroflot who kindly helped us fast track our way through the airport and allow us to take a walk of shame through the plane giving the waiting passengers the chance to give us evil looks for delaying them. Arriving in Yekateringburg 2 hours later we met up with a few fellow adventurists and went in search for a mode of transport to Irbit. After lots of miscommunication and hang gestures we managed to find a vintage Russian bus heading in the right directions. After a very uncomfortable

One more sleep

Well the time has come, the bags are packed and there is no heading back now. I think we are about as prepared as we possibly can be with Chris still not having driven a motorbike and both of us struggling to cope with the recent cold weather we have been having in England. Some would say it is perfect preparation for a 2000km bike ride through Siberia. We are hoping to be able to blog on a regular basis during our trip and keep our follows up to date with what ever shenanigans we get up to.  Remember this is a charity challenge and if you still wish to support us and make a donation towards Cystic Fibrosis Comfort Fund then please visit our Just Giving page at [http://www.justgiving.com/iceicemaybe](http://www.justgiving.com/iceicemaybe)

Columbia sportswear show their support

I am pleased to announce that Columbia sportswear have agreed to sponsor us on our challenge. They have been generous enough to donate some of their best top notch equipment to keep us warm and toasty on our travels and we are very grateful to the work Louisa has put in to make this happen. Columbia have 70 years experience in making quality outdoor clothing and footwear whilst always looking to push the limits to create new high tech performance products. Please support our sponsors and visit Columbia's website at [www.columbiasportswear.co.uk](http://www.columbiasportswear.co.uk/). I think we are starting to feel a lot more confident about tackling the cold weather now as our kit list is starting to take shape with only a few small buts left to buy. Chris's visa arrived back last week and hopefully Rob's will be on its way back to him this week so there is very little left to do except board that plane in 17 days time. Chris is off to Banbury on Friday to meet David from F2 Motorcycles as well as fellow adventurers to learn a few techniques about driving a Russian Ural and what to do when they come to an abrupt halt in the middle of nowhere. I will update you on how it goes and hopefully get a few close up photos of our mechanical beast.