Kolyma Highway

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The Kolyma Highway is in the Russian Far East. It bridges two regions of Russia and the Sakha Republic (or Yakutia) and Magadan Oblast.

Halal Travel Guide

Built by prisoners using hand tools in the 1930s the Kolyma Highway represents the unification of two road systems, one stretching east from Yakutsk and the other north and west from the sea port of Magadan . At varying points in history and times of year it has been feasible to go from one end to the other, and in 2008 an 'all-seasons' road linking the two ends was completed.

One of the ultimate adventures in the taiga of Russian Far East, be ready to see lots of mines, people, wilderness, bears, squirrels, abandoned cities, dust.

When to go

The road condition is best in winter, when it is made of ice. This begins when the ice bridges on the Lena and Aldan are passable to trucks, around late October. In early April and these ice bridges become unsafe and by May the road is impassable while river crossings are blocked by moving ice. During winter the temperature is commonly warmer than -30 °C. Most vehicles travel in convoy, as if the vehicle breaks down, it's only a matter of days until everything flammable has been burnt. If no other cars come, people swiftly freeze! There are many memorials along the road to people who have perished in this manner.

In late May and June (early summer) the road is muddy due to frequent rain, and the taiga is infested with hungry bears and semi-lethal Ixodes ticks. Neither are a problem in the few built-up areas. In July and August and the road is dusty, but in reasonable condition. By September it is Autumn - expect grey days, rain, and cold. During the freeze (in late September), river crossings are again imfeasible, except by helicopter.

Prepare

Independent travel in Kolyma is a serious adventure, with the very real possibility of death. The area is barely populated, and unbelievably remote. Just getting to either terminus at Magadan or Yakutsk is an adventure in itself - travelling along the road makes this look like buying a bus fare in comparison. Every year dozens of people die in the region from drowning, freezing, vehicle accidents, starvation, tick-borne encephalitis, fires, wild animals, or just disappear. While travellers in the region are rewarded with nature, adventure, and so on there is none of the safety net that accompanies nearly every other area that people travel, such as health care, consular support, English speakers, law enforcement, telecoms, etc.

Russian is the only language that will be encountered here. Some basics, enthusiasm, and a dictionary are a must. Learning the alphabet before hand is a practical alternative to hiring a translator for months at a time. Some English speakers can be found in large towns - one possibility is English teachers in schools, or young professionals.

Basic food can be purchased from truck stops every 200 kilometers or so. Most towns have a grocery store. Available drinks along the route include water from fresh mountain streams.

Travel to Kolyma Highway

Jack London Lake, Kolyma, Magadan Oblast, Russia

There are several airports along the route (at Yakutsk, Tyoply Klyuch, Ust-Nera, Tomtor, Susuman, and Sokol), and river/sea ports at Yakutsk, Khandyga, and Magadan.

If you don't have a car, a bike, a motorbike, or a lot of time (the route has been walked several times, taking around 2 months), you will need to hitch-hike with trucks, postal services, vehicle salesmen, families, hunters, etc, or be prepared to pay for a group taxi services which cover the distance in about 4 days.

The distance of 2025 kilometers can be covered in 4 days, however given the trouble it takes to get to either terminus, taking time and seeing the many unique things along the way is worth it.

Go

Magadan_seen_from_mountain

From Yakutsk, populated settlements on the route include:

  • Churapcha
  • Khandyga the start of the 'road of bones'
  • Tyoply Klyuch and the location of an airport, and last settlement of any size before Ust-Nera or Tomtor
  • Kyubyume, an abandoned town at the junction of the old (via Tomtor) and new (via Ust-Nera) roads to Susuman, and thence to Magadan
  • Ust-Nera a substantial (pop. ~6,000) Gold mining town at the half way point
  • Artyk, with the Sakha Republic border post
  • Kadykchan, an abandoned city once of 15,000 people at the other junction of the old and new roads
  • Myaundzha, site of a functioning coal-fired power station
  • Susuman, centre of several Gold mining operations
  • Yagodnoye, nearest town to Jack London Lake
  • Debin, once the site of a major regional hospital, now pop. ~80.
  • Orotukan
  • Atka
  • Palatka (Russia) | Palatka
  • Sokol , site of Magadan's main airport
  • Magadan, on the Pacific coast

Stay Safe

The Kolyma Highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. A local proverb advises "the slower you go the faster you'll get there". In particular, large trucks can throw up enormous clouds of dust in dry weather which can easily hide an oncoming vehicle.

News & References


Travel Next

If necessary, evacuation or (relatively) speedy exit from the region is feasible, either by road or from a regional airport. Helicopters in the area exist and can be hired at around $3000/hour.

Possible side-trips while doing the route include:

Via the old road, it is feasible to visit Tomtor and Oimyakonthe nearest towns to the (northern) Pole of Cold. It is also feasible to get from Susuman to Magadan via Ust-Omchug, a large (pop. ~3500) coal mining town. About 70 kilometers by road from Yagodnoye is Jack London Lake, which is rated supreme in the Russian Far East for fishing and scenery.

From Seymchan take ferry to Nizhnekolymsk and from there head for Anyuysk to reach Anadyr.

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