Cape to Cape Expedition

Cape to Cape Expedition

Pevek - Russia - (Певек)

3rd M

19th March 2008

This morning we confirmed arrangement for Schmidta to Uelen; the Harbour Chief is going to take a months holiday, borrow the Administration's ATV tank like thing and escort us. He estimates it will take us two weeks which is quite a bit longer than expected. Apparently the sea isn't strong enough for us to drive across which means we have to make a 200km detour - we're going to take his word for it !!

Everything is so expensive up here - this tank ATV is going to use 3 tonnes of diesel (odd measurement but there you go) and cost 240,000 rubles. Diesel is about 50p/ltr.

This evening we met up with a truck owner/driver and have negotiated transport from Pevek to Schmita. Its 680km and should take two days (so that's all the clues anyone needs to put an estimate or re-estimate on the Justgiving Page ). Its going to cost a whopping £3600. Transport is calculated here on weight and direction! Its 15 rubles/kg/km going North or East or 9 rubles/kg/km going South on the good road. The driver estimates the truck is going to use 2000ltrs diesel.

I think we will be here tomorrow - another cold day waiting around. Its too cold for much wandering and as you can see spending time in our hotel room is such a pleasure !! We are living on reindeer stew (that's breakfast, lunch and dinner) and of course vodka (ditto!).

Sergei in his truck - it was a pleasure to meet and travel with him.

18th March 2008

Noon: We arrived in Pevek at 11am as the road from Bilibino has been constructed by the Canadian Mining Company and is in very good repair. The first thing we had was lunch with the garage owner of soup, bread, salad with meat then some reindeer with mashed potatoes. All excellent and washed down with vodka to celebrate getting here !! We now have to try and sort out the next leg...

All our permits must be in order as we had a visit from the police straight away but everything was fine.

Evening: A plan seems to be forming, as expected there were no Urals waiting for us here so we are going to try and hire a local truck just to carry our gear to Cape Schmita. It appears there is some settlement there and also a port. Nikolai knows the Port Administrator and we will be able to use their facilities to fit the tracks to the LandRover. Then we'll load all the amphibious gear onto one those tracked tanks like ATV's (picture below) which belong to the Port Authority and then we will travel the further 600km like that to Uelen.

We have said goodbye to Sergei as he is returning to Syrianka. An absolutely top bloke. He has been brilliant and pulled out all the stops for us. I think we will miss him.

We are now in a hotel in Pevek - a bit run down but ok (and makes a change from sleeping in the LandRover!).