Posts by Tiger3

Good evening Jean Claude, thanks for your kind words. I was in Russia and Kazakhstan this summer, but this time in a 4x4. My plans: I really want to go back to Lapland in winter, or to Romania next autumn or spring. But I’m still working, so it’s not easy to juggle everything. I’ve no doubt your trip will be a success. Best regards, Thierry

Hi, You could also take a flight to Svalbard. It's just a one-hour flight.

Referring to your article: Indeed, my vehicle has never smoked black as much as it did in Russia. Once I crossed into Kazakhstan, everything went back to normal. At every border crossing, I noticed many tanker trucks registered either in Iran, Turkey, or Kazakhstan—but fewer of the latter. Do they add water to the diesel afterward?

Hey, anyway on August 24th in Vladikavkaz, the situation wasn't normalized at all. And the ban on filling jerry cans was still in place. Regarding interrogations, several French travelers were denied entry (Mongolia/Russia and Kazakhstan/Russia). To the point where the agency handling the visa process had to reissue a transit visa after contacting the French consulate. Several internet outages have been reported by the Russians I met. A sharp drop in Russian tourism in Altai (and of course Western tourism too). Several Russians from different parts of the country and various social backgrounds told me they're fed up with this conflict. I managed to get a SIM card without going through the "Goshosgulie" step, but it was cut off in Omsk after spending a night in a former state-run hotel. In short, it's a country at war, and you can feel it.

Hi everyone, just back from my trip to Russia and Kazakhstan. Entered Russia in mid-July via Vladikavkaz at 8 AM! Interview with an FSB officer and inspection of my phone. A few kilometers later, no more GPS—this was the case in all the cities. For fuel, some gas stations had no "benzine," especially in the cities. Diesel was more widely available, so no major issues there. However, in Altai, fuel was harder to come by. I decided not to go to Mongolia—big problems still persist there.

Exiting Russia for Kazakhstan, I had to endure another phone search, this one even more unpleasant.

Re-entering Russia via Astrakhan was more normal. I noticed a significant increase in closed gas stations.

Fuel situation in Russia. Siberia: This post is from yesterday by a motorcyclist friend: "After living a peaceful existence in the depths of southern Russian Altai, the mood changed with what we'll call the fuel supply problem! It's honestly a bit stressful. My bike has a range of 400 km, so I have to plan carefully before heading anywhere! If you're low on fuel, you at least need to make sure you can sleep somewhere dry because here, just like anywhere else, it rains quite often. Plus, even in good weather, you can't sleep under the stars because of the mosquitoes. The solution is to increase your range and make reasonable stops within that radius, filling up as often as possible. But with the current crisis, filling up extra cans is banned. Depending on the region, fuel quantities are limited to 50, 40, or even 20 liters. In my case, with 16L, I'm good. A friendly Russian showed me how he handled it at the pump. He even offered me his 6L can, which I mounted on my bike in a somewhat precarious way, but it really put my mind at ease... Between Novokuznetsk, especially Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk, there were stations open but with impossible lines! Others had no queue but doubled prices. Business is business, as usual! Lukoil company stations are pretty well supplied without price hikes. Some stations only offer one type of fuel. In cities, you're guaranteed to wait in line, but on the main roads, it's calmer. Though sometimes you have to go over 300 km without being able to refuel!!!

The reports I'm getting from bikers returning from Mongolia are worrying. I might explore more of my neighboring countries in the 'stans instead.

hello Jean Pierre, thanks for your advice about the Neiman. I did order the part, but it won’t arrive until 8 days after I leave🤪. After having everything redone (new complete engine, injectors, revised gearbox, new water and oil pumps, etc.) on my 120, it’d be a real shame! I’m keeping my fingers crossed smiles. I didn’t reply on Atilla’s thread so I wouldn’t "clutter his thread"

Hi Christian, Thanks for this info. As "Perju the 😎" mentioned (this is for you, big smiles), it’s actually one of my concerns. I think I’ll have enough range to reach Astrakhan (extra tank + 50 liters), but that’s not where my problem will arise—it’s getting to Mongolia, and that’s about 1,000 kilometers. I’m still going, so stay tuned. Thanks again

Hey fellow travelers, What dates will you be there? If the fuel restrictions in Russia don’t hold me back too much, I’m planning to enter in early August. Are you renting a 4x4?

Good evening Attila, I can't wait to read your travel journal, even though I've been following you as a regular reader on the other post. But you were really well advised by "Perju the Magnificent." I was stunned by what they did to Tash Rabat—my God, it's so ugly!

Hi everyone, Confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers in the Russian Altai:

After spending a short stay in one of the Russian detention rooms back in 2016 and going through a "questioning" session in a not-so-funny office, I decided to take the initiative this time to get permission to visit Ust-Koksa (a village not far from the Kazakhstan border). The FSB got back to me saying no administrative authorization is needed anymore!!

Hi Perju, That’s really kind of you for the recommendation, But she’ll be in a "minibus" going the opposite direction, and my trip is unpredictable. I need to meet up with a French motorcyclist to drop off a camera for him. (And I’m already struggling to tell him where I’ll be and when.) You’re absolutely right! She’ll definitely need to make sure she goes with a guide if she wants to camp alone.

Hi, Once you're in Mörön, you might get some help at Baigal Guest House for your trip to Tsetserleg. Just in case, I'll be in Mongolia starting early August, but in the opposite direction (if quarantine is lifted). Happy planning!

There is no genocide in Gaza!! These are political statements, just like your allegations about NATO. If that were the case, we would unfortunately be at war. And neither we, nor the Russian people—who are our cultural brothers (more so than Americans)—want that. But let's stop the fake news and politics here.

Hey everyone, different strokes for different folks!

Regarding Mongolia, the Tashanta border is passable, but you’ll need a special permit to visit Ulangoom.

The quarantine in the area will be reassessed on August 1st.

Hi everyone, Just checked, it's fake news! My friend living near Vladimir says there are no supply issues or rationing.

Thanks for the info. It’s gonna make me rethink my plan to visit the Urals. I’ll keep you posted in a month.

Hi Jean, A biker friend of mine (whom I’ll probably meet up with in Mongolia) was in that area; it seems like a lot of roads are now off-limits for obvious reasons. Even if alternate routes or certain roads are mentioned as still open, that doesn’t mean *you’ll* be allowed to use them. You risk being stopped at best, questioned, and detained at worst. I went through this in 2016, and the situation wasn’t nearly as bad back then. For a virtual apéro, I’ll send you my travel email in a PM. Here’s a photo of that strait in 2012 when Crimea was still Ukrainian—it was a ferry back then. Best regards,