The Altai region in Siberia is a stunning area known for its dramatic landscapes, including rugged mountains, expansive steppe, pristine rivers, and ancient cultural sites. It's also home to diverse indigenous groups with rich traditions, throat singing, and shamanistic practices. It also played a significant role in the Silk Road trade routes and we were really looking forward to discovering it!
Our itinerary in the Altai
Day 83: 8 Hours to Cover 20 km!
Today was quite the adventure! We left relatively early, thinking we'd make good time, luckily grabbing a bite at a gas station, unaware that it would be our last chance to eat for a while. The 20 km to the border were scenic and peaceful on a small country road, devoid of traffic. However, upon arriving, we were greeted by a long line of cars waiting to exit the country. Despite being allowed to move close to the front, we still had to wait a long time to go through. It’s always puzzling why some borders make it so hard to exit the country.
Crossing into Russia was an experience in itself. I had estimated that it would take a maximum of three hours since we didn’t need to import the motorcycles from a EEU country. It was a smaller outpost, so I thought it would be quicker. Initially, things proceeded normally until an officer called his superior. This tall blond guy seemed convinced that Dirk had tampered with his passport. He scrutinized it so intensely that we feared he might damage it. Dirk was called in for questioning multiple times by different officers, and we mostly just waited, growing increasingly anxious about what we'd do if they refused us entry.
Eventually, two guys who appeared to be from the FSB arrived and questioned Dirk for about an hour and a half. I was next, spending about 20 minutes answering questions about any connections to the military, police, or secret services and my thoughts on the war in Ukraine and the presence of the French Army there (!). They also went through my pictures, just as they had with Dirk.
After more waiting, without any specific reason, they finally let us go! Including the time it took to get insurance further on, 8 hours had passed since we left! Plus, we lost 2 hours due to the time difference crossing into Russia. It could have been worse though; a huge screw narrowly missed puncturing Dirk’s tire.
Exhausted from the stress, we decided to stop at the first town with a hotel, Zmeinogorsk. Unsure if the hotel still existed, we went to the grocery store below and met Andreï, the shop and hotel owner. Despite the language barrier, we managed a conversation, and he kindly offered to park our motorcycles at his place up the hill. He also recommended visiting a beautiful lake along our route for the next day.
We had dinner at a café and bought a bottle of vodka to celebrate our entry into Russia. Following the advice of Russian motorcyclists we met last year, we also got some finger food to go with the vodka. Later, Andreï returned and joined us for more conversation. It was clear where he stood on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but he was very hospitable. We had enough to drink and decided to call it a night, but then one of Andreï’s friends arrived and Andreï invited us all to share another bottle of vodka and beers.
We couldn’t resist the opportunity to socialize with locals, so we joined in. Needless to say, it didn't end well!
Goodbye to the vastness of the Kazakh landscape
We made it to Siberia! The Republic of Altai, more precisely
The screw (it was twice longer) that could have made a long day even longer 😱
Andrey who decided to take care of us
Day 84 - A Day by the Lake
After a rough night, I was jolted awake by loud knocks on the door. It was Andrey, reminding us that we had apparently agreed to visit the lake with him, not just pass by on our way to the next destination! Given our commitment and our less-than-optimal condition for riding, we decided to go along with his plan. While Dirk caught some extra sleep, I joined Andrey and his daughter to run errands and buy food for a picnic at the lake.
After picking up Dirk, we drove for 30 minutes to a beautiful lake resort, complete with tables, BBQs, and a relaxed atmosphere. Andreï had a caravan there, and we soon discovered he had a side business: offering jet ski rides and towing tourists on special buoys. Between customers, he kindly took us for rides on the jet ski and the buoy, which was a fun experience.
The resort had a laid-back vibe, with many families enjoying BBQs and some even camping. It was a perfect day to unwind and recharge, especially after the stressful border crossing the day before. It’s really hard to imagine that there is 2 meters of snow here in winter
All in all, it was a relaxing day by the lake, even though it didn’t help us make up for the poor mileage from yesterday 😄.
The resort where we spent the day, with a couple of storms passing by
His shy and very sweet daughter Recovering 🙂
Recovering 🙂
Russians have crazy vehicles like this oversized ATV!
Or this weird and huge ex-military truck, now transformed as an RV
Day 85 - Zmeinogorsk to Ozernoye
We set off at 8 this morning, eager to make up for lost time. The journey took us through remote roads and trails, and we had to find alternate routes several times.
On a rocky dirt road, I felt my front wheel hit a stone on the side of the rim, and moments later, I knew the price I had to pay. It was our first puncture of the entire trip, including last year. It was bound to happen eventually, but unfortunately, it started raining. Several cars passed us, but none stopped to ask if we needed help. We had to change the tube with my only spare for the front because the tube was cut.
We found another road heading east in good shape and followed it toward a small town. The villagers seemed puzzled to see us riding through, heading toward a small farm road on the other side of town. Generally, Russians aren’t very welcoming or smiling when they see us, a stark contrast to Central Asia.
The scenery was pleasant but not as mountainous as we had imagined the Altai to be—more hilly and low elevation.
What are the odds? I got a second puncture the same day! This time, it was a nail or something similar. We patched the hole and continued on our way. Passing through the larger town of Altayskoye, we were lucky to find a motorcycle shop where I bought two new front tubes, easing our minds. That’s a huge advantage of Russia compared to Central Asia, at least for the front wheel.
The landscape from Altayskoye to Ozernoye transformed from plains and foothills to alpine scenery. We planned to possibly stay in Mayma along the Katun River (700 km long).
Upon reaching the first town along the river, we were met with hordes of tourists, one hotel after another, and typical tourist trap shops. We decided to ride south, hoping to escape some of the tourists, but had no such luck. It was getting late, and we’d already had a long day.
We don’t know of any local reservation service on the internet so we stopped by several hotels, but none had rooms available, and the hosts weren’t particularly friendly or helpful. Eventually, we found a place in Ozernoye, a decent-sized ski resort that offers outdoor activities in the summer.
From France to Russia without puncture, it was bound to happen. But why under the rain? 😄
A good part of our morning was spent learning the hard way that not all ruts are created equal. Some, disguised as innocent obstacles, were downright treacherous.
Local style church
2nd puncture in a day 😱 I can feel the pain that my nephew Vincent had to endure doing that by himself! Thankfully I had Dirk’s help and my favorite patches.
I guess at a time some trucks could be loaded underneath? Lots of abandoned buildings around here.
Day 84 - 500 km
Viewpoint from the Chike-Taman Pass
Exploring the backcountry
The road followed closely this massive river
Dirk should not go further 😉
Real trouble 😱
A pro at work
Yes, he did it 👏🏻
We are very happy now. After setting camp we took them for dinner.
Day 85 - 340 km
Day 87 - Aktash
After finishing the tire repair late yesterday, we only rode a short distance to the river to set up our tents, as our friends’ place was full. Wild camping is totally acceptable in Russia, and many people were already enjoying the site near the town and cabin camps. Everything was clean, and Russians tend to be considerate of others with noise (unlike some places in America ), making the experience enjoyable. We decided to stay another night and visit Lake Teletskoye, which would also test the repaired tire.
Lake Teletskoye is part of the Altaisky Nature Reserve, one of the "Golden Mountains of Altai" on UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage Sites list. It's almost 200 km away from our campsite, so we planned to see if we could make it there and back, depending on road conditions.
We were surprised to see quite a number of tourists heading to this remote area. Later, Russians we met explained that there was a post-COVID trend in Russia, similar to elsewhere, where people were enjoying the outdoors more.
The scenery was beautiful, sometimes reminiscent of British Columbia. However, after a while, roadwork began, and conditions became rough and very dusty, making the drive less enjoyable. After about 100 km, we stopped at a final viewpoint overlooking the valley where the lake is located. It was too late to reach the lake, and the road remained bad, so we decided to head back to camp.
It's nice to be able to camp right into town
Painfully coming back from the viewpoint below 🥵
That’s were we sopped, still a long way from the lake at the end of this valley
A strange site in middle of nowhere
View from our camp
Day 87, back and forth - 220 km
Day 88 - From Aktash to Kosh-Agash
Posting has been more challenging since entering Russia due to their blocking of Facebook and Instagram. Even my VPN can’t get through anymore. Fortunately, we can still access them via cellular data, although finding a 4G signal is tricky.
This morning, we met a German rider—the first Westerner we've encountered since leaving Kyrgyzstan. What a surprise!
Today was all about waiting for my tire to arrive. The logistics involved were mind-blowing. Nicolaï went above and beyond, sparing no effort nor money to sourcing a tire from Novosibirsk, arranging for it to be delivered to Gorno-Altaysk, and then finding someone—possibly a taxi driver—to bring it to me by 1pm. And it all worked seamlessly. Incredible!
We were ready to hit the road as soon as the tire arrived. I strapped it to my bike, and we set off for Kosh-Agash, the last town with a hotel before the Mongolian border. With a short journey ahead, we had time to explore a couple of sites before arriving in Kosh-Agash mid-afternoon. This rough town has a distinctly Mongolian vibe, right down to the look of the people.
Desperately needing a shower, we checked into a hotel. Then it was time to change the tire, which went smoothly. Just as we were finishing up, three Russian motorcyclists on dual-sport bikes arrived. Two of them spoke a bit of English, and we struck up a conversation right away.
With no open restaurants around, we bought some food, beers, and vodka, and had a fun dinner in the hotel's kitchen. We felt an instant camaraderie and spent hours chatting, even touching on politics. It was a memorable evening, forging new friendships on the road.
And, we’re back in business 🙌🏻
Freedom
Small glaciers in the background
Two of our three new Russian friends. Motorcycles bring people together 🥰
