March 30, 2018.
The expedition "NORTH WITH NO BARRIERS" ended. On Friday noon, accompanied by the music of Russian military marches, the all-terrain vehicle Shaman entered the territory of the Avtoros company, where the entire company staff greeted it with great joy. Avtoros is really grateful to everyone who helped, participated and organized this interesting trip to the North. The expedition took place from March 4 to 30, during this time the SHAMAN traveled 7600 km - 3500 km off-road and the rest on public roads. The route passed through Arkhangelsk, Mezen, Canin Nos, Naryan-Mar, Ust-Tsilma, Ukhta, Mezen and back to the AVTOROS factory.
March 23-26, 2018.
The expedition team came back home. We returned back through Arkhangelsk. Estimated arrival date was March 28th. The red SHAMAN returned to Tver on its own wheels. Evgeny Pavlov sent his 6x6 quad bike back with a transport company in Ukhta.
March 21, 2018
Refreshed and recovered, we left Naryan-Mar on March 20. That day we continued to move in the normal mode, we left the Nenets Autonomous Area and entered Komi. We passed Ust-Tsilma and Izhma. Everybody felt cheerful and full of strength.
March 20, 2018
Members of the expedition spent two days in Naryan-Mar in comfort, it was nice to sleep in beds and take a shower. We visited the city and its attractions. But we had to go again. We checked all our equipment, refueled the vehicles and set off on the return trip to our hometown Tver.
March 17-18, 2018 .
These two days passed, the expedition hurried to Naryan-Mar in order to have time to vote in the presidential election. The SHAMAN team was on time and ready to vote 2 hours before the closing of the polling station. Everything went well. We had two days of rest and then were on the road again. On March 20, the team planned to start in the direction of Ust-Tsilma and then go to Mezen, where we needed to pick up our staff. The expedition was scheduled to return to Tver on March 25.
March 16, 2018
In Shoyna the team had to stay for half a day instead of an hour or two, as it was originally planned. The reason was a breakdown of a quad bike. The variator belt should last for a long time, but when riding on the tracks, the transmission load is much higher than on wheels, so the belts are easily broken. That was the third broken belt for the trip, and the last one of the spare belts remained in Kamenka. The spare belt should have been brought by a passing snowmobile. But still we waited for a long time. Finally we got the spare belt, fixed the quad bike and drived on, as the night was just around the corner.
In the morning our team arrived in Kamenka. We made a revision of equipment, had a short rest - and were again on the road. The expedition went to Naryan-Mar. To mention the adventures of the day, or rather night: - on the bare ice of a small lake, the quad bike rolled over on its side. If he was alone - he would be done: he wouldn’t get the heavy vehicle back on wheels, but in this case, we quickly turned the machine over with the help of Shaman - and we went further.
March 12-14 2018
We arrived at Canin Nos! The day before, on March 12 at 5 o’clock in the morning we reached the lighthouse. People and the equipment made it! The road from Shoyna was not particularly difficult, but the biggest part of the trip was made in full darkness and it was not easy to navigate, but there was a navigator! The ice on the rivers was strong - we moved without any problems, although at first there were thoughts of moving away from the sea in order to move to the other shore more safely. Then we drove out to the ice of rivers and streams without fear. We heard about the crevices covered by snow, but somehow we did not notice them. But Shaman got stuck in soft fluffy snow a couple of times, in spite of his big wheels, however, with the help of the quad bike, used as an anchor for the rear winch, it was easy to get out of the trap. The most difficult place was a steep climb right after the Bolshaya Bugryanitsa river. The Shaman overcame this climb in a few steps, starting from the trodden track.
On Canin Nos, we stayed for the night at the meteorologists’ place and with the lighthouse service. The next day we dedicated to walks, photo and video shooting, and refueled the all-terrain vehicle.
Early in the morning we moved back. Dawn was met 15 kilometers from the lighthouse, which was no longer visible behind the terrain. We stopped to shoot the sunrise. To the right was the White Sea, 5.2 km away, to the left - the Barents Sea, 7 kilometers away. We were following their own trail, as it was seen better and better as the sun rose. The average speed is much higher when you don’t choose a path and don’t waste time on it. At 16 o’clock we were in Shoina. So in total it took us 11 hours instead of 16 spent on the road there..
March 12, 2018
The expedition reached Canin Nos. The team managed to send some photos. Now we are in contact with the members of the expedition to determine their further route. You can watch the track here: http://demo.iridium360.ru/sharedmap/6c31b7c9
March 11, 2018
The previous day we spent in Kamenka, a workers’ village on the other bank of the river Mezen, opposite to the one, where the town of Mezen is situated. On March 10 in the morning we checked all the equipment. We took the tracks from the quad bike and put them on the Shaman’s trunk, and this played a cruel joke with us: after 30 kilometers, when we finally drove off, the trunk was broken. But a solution was found: we took a flat-bottomed sledges for hire from a fellow traveler on a snowmobile, and put the tracks and some gasoline in it. The rest of the things from the trunk we had to put to the Shaman's salon. In the lack of space, we kept on moving towards the goal - Canin Nos.
We moved along the "snowstorm" trail rolled by snowmobiles. Before the village of Nes, the traffic was quite active, but after, before Shoyna, its intensity dropped. Shaman went perfectly, which was not surprising with such wide wheels in the amount of 8 pieces. Yevgeny Pavlov was riding a quad bike on wheels, and also coped with the task. At times, he went far ahead, and told us that the maximum speed that day was around 75 km/h. Snowmobiles, by the way, can reach 100 km/h, if it is, of course, Yamaha. In the dark - and most of the way you have to go in the dark - the road is traced by the landmarks with reflective marks, and in general in the light of powerful headlights the track is visible quite well. Next day we continued our way to Canin Nos.
March 9, 2018
That day we woke up even earlier than necessary. Having crossed the river Mezen, we got to Kamenka. Hospitable locals who are great fans of off-road vehicles offered us pancakes with cloudberry jam for breakfast . Then we made a trip to the village of Dolgoshchelye, about 35 kilometers away. The village is really beautiful, its streets with real northern houses are amazing (just like the museum in Malye Korely, but real-life and better), and in order to feel the whole charm of the northern way of life deeply, of course, it is better to stay here longer. We took some photos and went back to Kamenka.
March 8, 2018
Girls enter the hotel lobby with bouquets of flowers. Congratulations to the lovely girls on March 8!
Our expedition had a short delay near Arkhangelsk. We purchased some more groceries, fresh vegetables and gifts. The red SHAMAN returned from Arkhangelsk, where he went to the gas station for refueling, and also filled two 200-liter barrels of gasoline - for Yevgeny Pavlov’s quad bike . Finally, the “Red One” came back and they hurriedly set off.
And the second, the white SHAMAN found his new owner! All members of the expedition were happy about it - because it is the sales of equipment that make such expeditions possible, and the expeditions, in turn, help sales. And this time the marketing effect was not long in coming! Now everyone continued their journey - the White Shaman left for the happy owner, and the expedition continued its way to the distant and severe Cape Canin Nos!
March 7, 2018 .
The weather is just as good as on previous days - frost and sun. In such weather, it is especially nice to visit the Malye Korely Museum, which is dedicated to wooden architecture from all over the region and generally from the North. The Malye Korely Museum is a unique collection of open-air wooden architecture monuments. Here, just 25 km from Arkhangelsk, on the territory of about 140 hectares, 120 diverse buildings are exhibited - churches, chapels, bell towers, village houses, mills and barns built in the 16th - early 20th centuries.
March 6, 2018
We spent the night in a roadside parking somewhere outside Plesetsk, 200 kilometers were left to Arkhangelsk. The weather was excellent . The road was bare ice over asphalt.
Lunch on the go, which helps save time, is becoming a habit. The crew of the white Shaman moves to the red one, only Andrey - the drever of the white one - stays. We are having a conversation during the meal. Everything is really comfortable, like on a boat, but only when the road is smooth. The kitchen is equipped with two crock-pots, placed in two special sockets. Back on the road again after a good meal.
March 6, 2018
Typical roadside stop. A foreign car stops, two men come out: "Made in Russia ?! Come on ... Can I take a picture?" It happened near the village of Samoded, highway Kargopol - Prokshino.
March 5, 2018, daytime.
An early rise, apparently, will be during the whole expedition. We cheerfully drove up to Belozersk, sometimes going at a speed of 70 km/h. Then we went to Kargopol, using the shortcut, of course, as we were riding the all-terrain vehicles. However, in winter the road here is excellent and hard , but a little bit narrow - it is difficult to pass each other with oncoming cars. We took a group photo near the stele "Arkhangelsk region" - slowly but surely moving towards the goal! By evening we reached Kargopol, now we are refueling all the cars, since the last time we did it was a long time ago. It’s getting dark now, and we still have to go and go to stay on schedule. Wish us a happy journey!
March 5, 2018
Yesterday we covered 400 km. While it is possible to enjoy the benefits of civilization, the expedition spent the night in a hotel. Today it is planned to drive 700 km. Follow the news.
March 4, 2018
The official ceremony of starting the expedition “North with no Barriers” took place in Tver. The expedition was organized by “AVTOROS” company and the jeep club “Lebedushka”.. The head of the expedition - Yevgeny Pavlov. Surprisingly a lot of people came to see the vehicles and wish the members of the expedition good luck. Men wanted to know the details of the vehicle design, children and women with curiosity examined the salons of expeditionary all-terrain vehicles.
The first hundred kilometers we traveled in a strong snowstorm, snow swept the road and covered the windshield, the wipers were freezing, but after Bezhetsk the weather improved. In Vologda Region, the roads were covered with ice, but all-terrain vehicles rode along them quite confidently, thanks to the the weight of the cars and the number of wheels. The motorcade was headed by Pavlov’s “tadpole”, followed by a crew of mechanics, and a crew of journalists closed a small motorcade. We were driving together, although not fast: cruising speed was about 55-60 km /h. There were still more than 1,000 km ahead - the expedition was still at the very beginning.
The “AVTOROS” company" and "the jeep club “Lebedushka”organized the polar expedition “North with no Barriers”. This is a joint initiative of the Russian manufacturer of all-terrain vehicles "AVTOROS" and its CEO Vladimir Volkhonsky (37 years old) and multiple motorsport Champion of Russia, the famous traveler Yevgeny Pavlov (45 years old). These are the people, deeply committed to their work: a representative of a unique Russian production of all-terrain vehicles, recognized abroad, and a famous traveler athlete come together to take a unique route together and prove that Russia is first and foremost strong-minded people and companies.
Goals of the expedition:
- To test the off-road equipment in the extreme conditions of the Far North;
- To bring gifts from the mainland for residents of Pomor villages and workers of polar weather stations.