Severobaikalsk
Wednesday saw us head up to Olkhon island with mor training on the way but we were about ready and raring to go. A kick off party, a
Severobaikalsk
Tuesday was more training, different terrain, jumping big ride ups, how to get across deep snow and ice. We did a couple but it is t
Severobaikalsk
Today is Monday 14th and these updates are coming grime one place and slot has happened since I last posted and I can't remember whe
We Picked Up The Bikes
So a bit worse for wear, some worse than others, we assembled post breakfast, in kit for a short bus trip to see the bikes. We picked out 'The Midwife' from the furry hat lucky dip. A bit of a quirky bike last year apparently but the mechanics have given her a lot of tlc this year and she was said to be running well. So a quick once over, starting lessons, a couple of laps round the carpark then off for a little 6km loop 'training run'. We got 200m and she just gave up!!! Battery had 0 power once we got a toe back to the workshop. New battery in, a few nice words and some hugs and we tried again. Running smoother than a Cuban cigar rollers thigh we puttered off. We got 2km before we ran out of petrol!!! Schoolboy error. Tow number 2 of the day!! Things are looking good. So with a full tank of benzine it was a short 25km trip back to Irkutsk with Sammy at the helm. Perfect trip home. No issues just some cold fingers for the driver and that was only 30 minute ride. Tomorrow we hit the ice and the game begins!!!  
Irkutsk
Contact light. It's fresh here in Irkutsk. A nice mild -6. All bags here the lithium batteries made it. This me to have a trot around town f
Time to get this started!!!
A little over 2 years ago, supping beers, watching the Mighty Typhoons playing exquisite champagne rugby in a far flung corner of Hong Kong... someone said. "Saw this thing on the internet the other day, called the Ice Run, we should look at that for our next bike trip" So look we did, the upshot was, only 2 idiots were left with their hands held up. Forward wind and here we are Sam and myself 7 1/2 weeks away from stepping on a Siberian Airways plane to the icy Siberian lands of Eastern Russia. Irkutsk to be exact. Two years is a long time to prepare, but wheres the fun in that. Two months is more of a challenge. Avidly acquiring kit, clothes, tents and all the other necessary garb for camping out in -20 Dec and colder for a couple of weeks while trying to navigate over and around Lake Baikal is currently underway. It's starting to get very real........ more to follow.
Gareth Janes
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Load Gareth
42, Living in Hong Kong for the last 11 years. Had a few interesting bike trips to India, Vietnam, China (on the Urals cousin a CJ 750 side car set up). A friend saw the Ice run a few years ago and here we are.
Samuel
Look where a drunken conversations while watching rugby can get you