Category: Events

First time I did not wanted to write anything about this, but later decided to write to solidify conclusions. I rode to see is there a road to Large Lavrovka and to look what is going on after it in terms of a way to Shunuth mountain. It is periodically cleared up to village itself and snow solidified so, that it is rideable on the bicycle; on the way to Large Lavrovka clearings in the clouds started to emerge and clear bright sky was visible through them. When I reached village : “I’ll ride to field near cordon, will breath fresh air and will turn back home,” – through the field only tracks of heavy timber transport ( which rode here around 1 – 2 weeks or even 1 month ago, snow on it is very solid and it is easier to walk on it, than through the snowdrifts nearby ) and snowmobile ( snow on which is very loose, so I walked on the timber transport tracks ) lead on. By that time sky cleared completely and Sun filled everything with light, which with its low height above horizon and frozen air created picture of light around and everywhere. On the turn to cordon to the north, timber transport rode further to the West and only snowmobile tracks, on the not completely covered with snow road, led to the North, it is easier to walk on it, then through the snowdrifts, but for riding on bicycle snow is too loose and too deep. On the field after cordon people rode some circles, I walked on them to the Western side of a field, from which there is no road further, in the Eastern direction I saw something like a road and walked there through the waist-deep snow; reaching it I saw bridge and big tube : “This buzzing is not without a purpose,” – it means there for sure road should be.

It is so : it is not completely covered with snow and snowmobile tracks are located on it – this gave a hope, that it leads to the Shunuth itself and I’ll see a mountain today. Recesses of roads-rivers have small amount of snow and it is relatively easy to walk on them, around 200 meters from river, crossing the road, there is another one and snowmobile turned to South here; there is need to walk through snow-drifts from here : “I walked so far and almost came to the mountain, I do not want to turn back now and will continue my way on the feet.” In some areas there are footprints of a horse or elk, for deer and roe they are too big and massive – not many walk this way to the Shunuth at winter time.

There are lots of energy in the mountains, stopping on the one place to make a breath and rest for a while, through the heart beating, there is ability to hear that under layer of snow and ice there is still water gurgling. “You are entering area of paid parking near Shunuth,” – I placed bicycle on the parking, across the road, sticking it into the snow, so that it will not fall and will not slide to the sides and it will be easier to find it on the way back, paid with my bank card in the terminal, terminal encouragingly winked pip-bip : “Payment is accepted, have a nice day,” – and walked further with my bag with the food … Around 1 – 1.5 hours have passed : “If after this another turn there’ll be no South-North road, then I’ll turn and walk home,” – voila : South-North road. On it I walked for another 200 – 300 meters to the North, I did not walked to the South, because I already knew, that I have no need to walk there today, somewhere there another Granddad-stone rocks are located, but I’ll search for them when snow will melt completely. Old man rocks were in around 1.5 km of walking, but there are very deep snowdrifts and after 12 km in the snowdrifts in 3 pairs of pants and heavy winter boots, 5/6 of which I carried my bike under armpit, my legs were exhausted so much, that were ready to tell to me : “Hey, man, you a cowboy, you jump, we will lay here and rest for a while and wait for you,” – and part of my mind hinted to me, that I have the same distance ahead to home, let it be downhill, but it is with the bicycle on the shoulder through the snowdrifts. So, way to it would took another 1 – 1.5 of a hour and I would came to it in a complete darkness, common sense hinted to me, that there is no need to climb alone in the darkness on the ice and snow covered rocks in 40 – 50 km away from the city and it is better to meet bicycle before complete darkness, otherwise I can search for it for a long time.

Bicycle stood there, where I left it, I took it under armpit and carried through the snow. At evening time, alone, walking from the Shunuth : I was so exhausted, that had no forces to be afraid and feel jitters and anxiety, but if something like that tried to come close to me, then I said to myself : “Everything, will, be, alright,” – and walked further. Stars shined very brightly, they do not shine so strong in the city, its illumination eats their beauty; Orion on the South-East, Lyra almost vertically up and other constellations : they are so bright, that light almost like projectors. Closer to field near cordon clouds started to cover the sky, partially it is for the best : at least warmth of a day will not fly too fast in the upper layers of atmosphere. In the snowdrifts convulsions started to appear in the right calf muscle, I stretched and worked it through and on the more clear passages freely walked home. I walked footprint in a footprint and did not turned anywhere from the tracks, all other roads are covered with the snow, so this time I did not strayed in the forest and at once reached field near Large Lavrovka.

In the darkness there, where I freely ride on the bicycle at the daytime, often there is need to walk on feet, because road is visible only in the outlines, details are not visible : where here are hummocks or depressions, filled with a loose snow, in result most of a way from Large Lavrovka to the clay area I walked on feet. Brain, unable to fully comprehend what is going on, tried to switch off; it also tried to make a sabotage and mutiny on the ship and switch off legs also, but understanding of that, in this case there will be need to stay at night in the forest and at -8 degrees on Celsius this is not so interesting, as at 0, hold it from doing this. So, I had to stop periodically, locate my arms on the handlebar and half-sleep for 5 – 10 minutes, to not fall into sleep completely and not to start to overcool and give some rest and recover to brain and legs.

From the village in Polevskoy direction car rode, I walked further. After some time light of another one car showed up and it stopped nearby. Without any questions people greet me and offered to bring up me to the city : I do not know whether I wold stopped car by myself and asked to bring me to the city, probably, I would walked to beginning of asphalt road and rode from there on the bicycle : there is ability to ride on such road cover even at night time, I did it many times on the way from Berezovaya mountain and on the Polevskoy highway. But anyway : thank you to the guys for bringing me up to the city, without this way to home would took 2 – 3 – 4 hours more and only by these hours of night I would came to my home; once more I am convinced that there are normal people – this encourages hope and optimism.

Here are the conclusions : in case of vital necessity I am able to ride to Shunuth even at January time : now I know this, but making this for a pleasure in January and December is too much : such months are completely not rideable for such trips. Urals weather is changeable : at the morning there can be forecasts, that for a whole day there’ll be only -4 – -3 degrees on Celsius, but everything can change quickly and to evening and night time temperature can easily go down to -15 – -20 or even lower : in this case I would received lots of feel and impressions and for sure there would have been need to ask somebody in the cordon or in the Large Lavrovka village for are sleep in a home and negotiate with local people for somebody to bring me to city with them at morning. There is ability to ride to Shunuth up to the end of October, maximally up to the end of November, and then only from the middle of February; December and January are months of training and not far rides near city, when frosts are not so strong. Now here will be sportive stimulus to rotate pedals more intensively to ride, to walk would be more precise, to Shunuth at the middle of February; hope that snow will solidify there more and it will be easier to walk on it. I do not regret about anything and received my portion of pleasure and feel. So, now here will be only work and training, next time I’ll go in to such long-distance ride into the forest at the middle of February. The day begins to be longer, at 5:57 here are dusk and still relatively light, instead of complete darkness at 24th December. See you in the next bicycle adventures!

You can see additional photos here Additional photos of ride to Shunuth mountain in January 2016.

Found at last White Stone, rode to it through “Friendship” collective garden; only city area is rideable on the bicycle in this direction, further on the way there is need to lead it on the side or carry on the shoulder. Snowmobile and quad bike tracks lead to the West : somewhere through the forest, somewhere on the snowy roads; on the way I passed through Gremiha river, it is 2 – 2.5 m wide near the road, but to the side in around 100 m there is icy bridge, through which I walked with the bike on the other bank and to the technics tracks again. Walking on them I came to wide glade for high voltage electric line, walked on it in the North-West direction to the crossing with Gremiha river again and East-West glade and moved through it to the White Stone : it leads directly to the mountain roots. In some places there are unfrozen puddles and small pools.

On the way I first met 2 skiers, they told to me that ski track leads to the White Stone directly from ski base, near which I exercise myself, and another 4 skiers after them, snowmobiles pave tracks through the snowdrifts and skiers move on them, so I walked not through the waist deep snowdrifts, but on the easily walkable small road. It has small uphill tilt, that is similar to the way to Shunuth, whereas Berezovaya mountain has steep and short slope. Mountain is visible from the distance through the glade, near its roots large rock at once meet : they have around 20 m height on the Eastern side. I lifted bicycle higher, took my camera and walked to make photos and videos; on the uphill on the White Stone after high rocks in front higher rocks appear after them and there is need to walk attentively, because slope is steep and rocks are covered with ice and snow. To the South there is ability to see Berezovaya mountain, this day it was in the mist and only its silhouette was visible; somewhere there through the mist Shunuth stays in the West …

Rocky ridge of White Stone is quite narrow, but there is ability to walk, basing on the rocks and trees; there is even small stony arc, it seems, that it was formed due to erosion. After it there is ability to walk even further and higher on the ridge, but it is too narrow in that place, without rocks and trees for basement and with rocky slopes to the sides; so, I’ll walk there after snow melting on the dry stones. On the mountain I was for around 1 hour, this day quite strong wind blew from the south, it is not noticeable in the forest, but on the mountain even in -1 degrees on Celsius temperature hands freeze very fast. Admiring this view and big rocks, I descended to the bicycle, put my camera in the pocket and moved in the way back to home.

On the returning way I went on the ski tracks in the direction of ski base to see where tracks start; quite fast it became dark, so, first I walked in the dusk, seeing tracks for 3 – 5 m ahead, then it became completely dark and I moved by feel. On the way there are unfrozen puddles, skiers move through them without problems, but I with bicycle had to find basement points by touch, to not to go shin deep in the water : this day I did not drenched my boots and walked and rode to home with comfort. On the ski track I came to the road, it lead to the west to the light, track lead further to the north, so I walked on the road and came out of the forest approximately in the same place, in which I walked into it : on the hill with communication towers. On the way I met young lady, playing with the dog : there is ability to imagine what she thought seeing a man with bicycle in the darkness, walking from the forest in the snowdrifts. Then road to home, home businesses and going to sleep. Wish December and January frosts to pass faster; meet you in the next bicycle adventures!

You can see rest of photos here.

At this Saturday I rode in the direction of Large Lavrovka village and to Berezovaya mountain. Road to village is periodically cleared from snow, but not often, so it is covered with 3 – 5 cm of snow in cars’ tracks area and with 20 – 30 cm snowdrifts on the sides. There is ability to ride on the asphalted part, but on the clay area and further on ground road there is ice under fresh loose snow and wheels are dragged in different directions, rear wheels does not cling to surface. There is ability to manage to Shunuth, but only on foots and, taking into account distance surface conditions and distance itself, closer to the beginning of next day morning. When daylight hours will be longer ( at least up to 6 p.m. o’clock ), December and January frosts will pass and temperature will rise up to -3 – -1 degrees on Celsius during twenty four hours and snow will be solid ( at the beginning of February ) I’ll ride again in the direction of Large Lavrovka, will make snowshoes by that time and will walk to Shunuth on foots.

Walking and riding back to turn to Berezovaya, I went to mountain; on part of this road cars periodically ride, but wheels are dragged anyway, so there is need to walk on foots to the mountain. After recent thaws puddles melt again : somewhere it is water-snow-ice freezing mass, which gives good adhesion for feet, somewhere it is deep puddles, in pair of them I drenched my boots, initially I did not noticed this in snowdrifts and noticed only when I rode home and feet were purged by wind on the speed. After bulldozer road turn road area is covered with the snow further and in grooves legs go into snowdrifts up to the waist, central part is still walkable. Way to the mountains – every time is a new tests, adventures and difficulties and obstacles overcoming, even if I already rode and walked to them and know the road. Snow layer on the meadow in front of mountain is deeper this time, only in the forest it is still not so deep.

On top of mountain part of trees were fallen by wind, from some old and drying pines it tore off all needles, but majority stay and wait for the next Spring to unfold and blossom again. This day wind was not so strong on top of mountain and mist thickened only in the distance, so I was able to discern open areas closer to horizon : these are not lake, these are plains near Kenchurka village, somewhere there Ustig ( 601 m ), Nikulichev ( 600 m ) and Darovatskiy Stone ( 575 m ) mountains are located; to the south from Berezovaya 500 – 600 m high Ufaley ridge peaks go on and to the south from Glubochenskiy Pond 532 m high mountain is located. Wish Spring to come faster and snowdrifts to melt also. When I rode back from mountain, road was cleared from snow, maybe it is being cleared up to Large Lavrovka village, so at the beginning of February there will be ability to ride to it and walk to Shunuth in 1 daylight hours time. By the way, area, to which I rode previous time near Zuzleka village – is not a White Stone, rocks are big, but it is not it, it should be 534 m high and be much higher, than forest around, its rocks massif goes from south to the north for almost 1 km, so, next time, when weather will be warm enough, I’ll ride to search for it, but this time via the other road to not to stray in the Zuzelka forest crossroads and glades. See you there!

You can see rest of photos here.

Yesterday morning was cold, temperature oscillated near -10 degrees on Celsius, I did not wanted to wait till Spring and rode to White Stone now, and then to Berezovaya mountain. Without problems I arrived to Zuzelka village, after previous rendezvous I associated landscapes, that I saw, with satellite map and found junction, on which I followed in wrong direction. This time I chose right way and managed to White Stone, road to it is not hard : there is need to carry bicycle on oneself for 3 – 4 km through snowdrifts and the same distance and the same way back, at its southern part even forest road goes on, on which cars periodically ride even now ( it seems, that it starts in Severskiy or at northern part of Zuzelka ). Rocks of White Stone are relatively big, but they are located not very high ( 200 m above sea level max ) and even not higher than forest around them. On the rocks I made some photos, drank hot tea from thermos and then navigated the same way to Zuzelka. From it I again rode to Azov mountain and after it to Berezovaya mountain.

This time way to the mountain was easier in some respect, because all puddles and clay at last have been frozen, I did not drenched my boots and knew where and how to ride. Also, I accounted experience of previous ride and took off frontal wing from bicycle; through this road even now cars periodically ride, probably, foresters and hunters. Day was without a snow and Berezovaya was seen from a distance, while nearing to mountain; in one place on downhill clay road is fully covered with ice and there is need to walk on it cautiously to not to ride down on the tail bone for 100 – 200 m on the ice influxes. Cars ride only on the tracked bulldozer road and to the mountain itself there is need to walk on the snowy forest way for 200 – 300 m, carrying bicycle on oneself. This time there were fresh prints of boots on the snow and my footprints with wheels protectors tracks on the side after previous ride.

I walked up to the mountain on the same way, at previous trip I noticed that bark of aspens is raged, at that time I did not looked on this for too long, but this time I figured out what is this : this not looks like claws traces, this looks like teeth prints, like somebody gnaw rounded it; it seems that it is so : elks, deers or roes come here and gnaw bark from aspens. They do this not the first time : under fresh marks there is raged wood, that dries for some years. This time I uplifted bicycle higher and locked it to tree, as previous time. Then ascended to rocks, made a couple of photos and moved to highest rock : to look on this view and to record it. I made photos and videos, then drank hot tea and stood there for 20 – 30 minutes : mountains, indeed, change people from inside, when sky is so close and landscapes around are so open, something changes inside and I start to feel happiness and mirth in the life. This is worth it, to overcome all difficulties and ride and walk here. I even do not want to go from here, but freeze, wind and evening hours make a hint, when time comes to descend and go in a returning way home.

I managed down from the mountain without any problems, unlocked bicycle from tree, hung and locked my bag to it and went to the road, here now is a small forest trail, so now it is much easier to go down from mountain and up to it, than at previous time. On the snow-drifted road wheels did not stopped and icecrust did not formed on them, so I walked through this area much faster. Before dusk I managed to rolled road and rode on it on the bicycle, walking on foots only through the icy areas; it started to dark only when I arrived to road between Zuzelka and Large Lavrovka. Periodically it is cleaned from snow and it is rolled by cars, but it is not sprinkled by road salt; on it I rode to Polevskoy and then to the home. At winter time, when long-distances are hardly rideable ( with the returning and not freezing something to oneself condition ), to not to bore and to not to sour, as soon as weather is warm enough, I’ll ride mainly to Azov mountain and here to Berezovaya mountain; and at a Spring time, as soon as temperature will go upper than zero and everything will melt, I’ll ride further, higher, stronger and faster! See you on the next bicycles event!

You can see rest of photos here.

Yesterday I rode on the bicycle in the direction of White Stone mountain near Zuzelka village and to Berezovaya mountain. The snowy and cold morning was, temperature was near -3 degrees on Celsius. Icing was on the roads, covered by snow, so, in the city I rode mostly on the sidewalks and with slow speed on the road. I reached Zuzleka without problems, village itself is located on the hills near Azov-mountain and there is ability to warm-up on them before upcoming trip. According to the map, to the west from it road goes on, and to the north from it another small branch leads, under the snow I rode past it; next strayed for a while on the crossroads in the forest and arrived to quarry to the west from Zuzelka. Search of the right path to White Stone in the knee-deep snow would took too much time and I would not arrived in time before dark to the place, which I wanted to visit the most in this day; so, I’ll search right path to White Stone closer to Spring, when snow-crust will be solid or when snow will melt. From the quarry I navigated to village and from it rode in the direction of Azov mountain.

On the way I met skier : “Sportive-hello!” – “Hello!” – and people, who exercised Scandinavian walk, road in this area is slowly covered by snow. According to the map, after 2 km after turn to Azov mountain road is crossed by river Polevaya – here is it, crosses it in 3 places with 3 its riverbeds, next road branch goes to the north – here is it; next another 2 – 3 km and branch goes on to the south to Berezovaya mountain. Near it I met 2 Nivas ( Russian Jeeps ) and 1 minibus and hunters with guns, part of them stood and talked about their businesses and part stood aside. I turned to the south, from here to the mountain is around 5 – 6 km, half of this way – is relatively good ground road with packed snow, on which still not frozen puddles are located periodically, here in the forest it is still warm enough. It is still rideable on the bicycle. Then clay road goes on with sides chest or sometimes neck tall, that is rolled only by tracked bulldozer : it seems, that at summer rainy time only such kind of transport and people on foot or on horses will be able to ride here. Part of clay and puddles still not frozen and is covered by snow, first I drenched my left boot, after some time – right one, I went further.

On the way to mountain open areas are located, on which through some times weakening snowfall its silhouette can be seen in distance; road is crossed by other ones, which go from east to west, after approximately 3 – 4 km after turn bulldozer road goes to the east, I walked on it for around 1 km, but it does not lead to mountain, as Berezovaya should be very close to the forest path; in the south-west direction very snow-covered road goes on from this moment. On the way I met old wooded pillars, with signs on them, it seems, that they signify forest areas and directions. Above the forest helicopter flew, very close and very low, and flew somewhere in the north-western direction. And so Berezovaya peak shown oneself, it is very tall, even taller than She-wolf mountain. Ahead only snow-puddles go on with trodden tracks somewhere there in the deep, I went on them for a while, looking for the rolled way to mountain, but there is no one. So, I turned from the road and went to mountain through the snowdrifts on the meadow, carrying my bicycle on the shoulder. On the meadow snow goes up to hips, so I turned to the small spruce forest on its side, snowdrifts are smaller in it, and went to mountain through it. Uphill to Berezovaya with bicycle on the shoulder through snowdrifts – is a thing to remember, no gyms are needed after it.

On the snow there are only dog’s ( unlikely ) or wolf’s footprints, so bicycle can be left in forest, it will not be stolen, and, even if there would be other people in the forest, then unlikely somebody, except me, would have been wanted to carry it on oneself through the snowdrifts. So, upwalking almost to the rocks of mountain, I mounted bicycle to tree with lock, took off bag with tea, food and equipment from it and went to the mountain on the light. On its top from ground relatively big rocks look out. In the northern and eastern directions its slopes are not very steep and they are grown with trees. There are lots of birches on its peak – from here is the name ( Berezovaya mountain is the Birch mountain in Russian ). The biggest rocks are located on its south-western sides and on these sides its slopes go sharply down, opening view on tenths of km around : on the open areas near it after forest cuts or after fires, lake and open areas in the distance. I ascended on all rocks and made photos and videos, then went to the biggest rock, strong wind blew periodically, which pluck off snow from trees and rocks and covered everything in snowy mist. I stood on the rock and made photos and let this view inside of me, sky cleared slightly for a while, when wind dispersed clouds, weather was changing : it was snowing, and then Sun glimpses shown oneself for a while. I descended from rock, slightly further from wind, wet boots, pants, mittens and bag was covered with ice on the wind, it additionally kept warmth and protected from the wind. I took with me raincoat and this time was equipped much better, than at the rides to Shunuth and to the She-wolf, and almost did not felt any cold or wind. Only hands frozen on the wind, when I made photos and videos.

I drank hot tea from the thermos, warmed photo camera in pocket of my jacket : on the wind its battery frozen and stopped to power it, so, periodically in photos and videos recording it rejected to work. After warming I ascended again on the biggest rocks, recorded video and made a few more photos, stood and looked on this view for another 20 – 30 minutes. It is time to go home. Sunset hours are already on the mountain. I descended from the rocks, made some more its photos, recorded video and on my footprints started to descend down and to the bicycle. Horse waited for me there, where I left it, metal lock covered with ice and started to stick to the hands, when I unlocked bicycle. I put my bag on the shoulder, took bicycle under armpit and went down to the road. On the way I met not frozen puddles in grooves of meadow and the forest edge, quickly enough I arrived to cars prints in the forest, by that time they were covered with snow even more.

After puddles in the snowdrifts both wheels was being covered with snow-icy mass and frontal wheel periodically stopped, I rotated it and plucked ice layer from the rim and went further; after some time I unfastened frontal V-brake, because wheel completely iced. There was need to took off frontal wing before trip, because wet snow accumulated under it, which turned in the ice, and stopped movement, so there was need to push bicycle with strength ahead. When I managed to bulldozer road, dusk descended on the forest, road here is straight, so one cannot be strayed here, on the way I drenched both boots a couple of times more, but did not payed attention to this anymore, even more : in the snow in forest on the foots water on the contrary warmed feet slightly. When I arrived to rolled ground road with scattering of stones, it became dark, I went on feet here also, because by that time it was already strongly covered with snow, in the darkness its more or less rolled parts was not visible and ice stopped movement. Under sky light trees was clearly visible to the sides of a way, and after some time I managed to road between Zuzelka and Large Lavrovka, scratched ice from frontal wheel, rotated wing sideways, so that wheel would pluck off ice from under it, walked uphill and rode further to the home; on the way I met cars, that moved in the Large Lavrovka direction, in their lights it was visible, that road is already strongly covered with snow. Without problems I arrived to Azov mountain, then to Zuzelka and then to the Polevskoy.

I rode to home, took off my coat, boots and shoelaces on them was icy, so, I walked for around 10 minutes in the boots at home, giving them ability to melt. Then took off them, hung icy armor in the bedroom to melt and to dry after it, drank hot tea and ate food. Made some home businesses and went to sleep. Ye-e-es, see you on the next bicycles event!

You can see rest of photos here. Tomorrow I’ll upload rest of videos.

Once upon a time at the cold Autumn day I rode to Shunuth mountain, that was yesterday! Weather favored : at Wednesday and Thursday it was very cold in this area and everything froze, at Saturday at morning and daytime temperature was around zero and everything is not blockaged with snow yet. At Thursday in the cold I was slightly blown and rode at this morning with small hum in the head with not very high speed. Road to Zuzelka village did not caused any difficulties, on the uphill over Azov mountain I started to upheat myself and cold started to retreat. Further along the way there are 6 km of asphalt, then frozen clay, which now is rideable through. On the way I met 3 hunters with guns, which asked me : “Didn’t you saw gonschacks?” – “Whom?” – “Dogs!” – “No, I didn’t saw them,” – and rode further along my way. Clay area is elongated on 2 – 3 km and alternates with frozen puddles-skate rinks, on them I stretched a couple of times : how without this in such a journey. Next to the Large Lavrovka village relatively calm frozen dirt road with stones leads, which only rarely crossed by waves of dirt. Village itself is small with only around 10 – 15 good looking houses in it.

After it field goes on, on the southern border of which frozen grassy road is located with breaking crust of ice on the puddles, it leads to the forest. In the forest I oriented with map, which I draw ahead of time, and compass. In one area I turned to the north and rode 3 – 4 km on road, I met bridge through river and cordon near field on my way, I passed them and after some time road turned to the east, I have no need to ride in this direction, understanding, that road leads me in a wrong way, I turned back to the place on which I step off from more trodden road. After some time it lead me to the field and the same cordon, that is visible in distance : there was ability to pass through it and arrive to the right path, now I’ll know this, in case if I’ll need this. Further ahead frozen grassy road goes on, which is quite rideable on the bicycle.

After a couple of kilometers frozen skate rinks on the roads-rivers or rivers-roads go on, knee or waist deep in some places, it is good, that everything froze, because at 0 degrees on Celsius drench boots or find yourself these knee or waist deep in the water is not quite Feng Shui. Closer to Shunuth roads-rivers are frozen only partially and on one or both ruts brooks flow. In some places, waiting for me, insidious ice breaks under bike : these place I walked on the frozen road sides. In one place road is crossed by 1 – 2 m wide river, there is ability to pass it offside from the road by jumping from one bank to the other. Next uphill, rocks on the sides of road and on it itself and brooks flowing towards me go on : I’m on the right way, I’m going there, from where rivers flow. On one of the crumbling ice jams I capitally slipped off and landed with my right side on the bike frame in the area slightly higher than liver, breaking plastic food jar – but this is ok, there are no adventures without this. After 2 – 3 km road became dry and there was ability to again ride on the bike on it, such uphill goes on for 3 – 4 km and road rests in the another one, which goes from south to north. In the southern direction road goes slightly in the hill, so I rode slightly on it, but my feeling told me that I do not need to go there and I remembered from the map, that there is no need to go to south at all. I turned to the north and after 300 – 400 m met sign : “Especially protected area Shunuth-Rock mountain,” – oh, yes! Northern road went down – I do not need there, western road went up – I need to go here. After 1 – 2 km I met Old Man Rock sign, after another 300 m rock itself. I made some photos, recorded video and admired the view. After it road with the sign about Shunuth Mountain, that leads to the north, goes on, it is covered knee deep with snow. Wet rim in the snow and wind and cold started to freeze and to stop rotating, by freezing up with V-brakes on the front wheel, I rotated it a couple of times and broke icy connection, further on the way in the snowdrifts front wheel did not stopped movement. After around 100 m I arrived to southern Shunuth rocks.

Winter already took its frontier on Shunuth. From the west cold wind blows. I took with me my raincoat : even this can be anticipated from Ural’s weather, and it excellently protected me from wind blows and saved warmth. And I saw tops of the trees and areas open on tenths of kilometers, sky is within reach of a hand. Made some photos, drank hot tea and ate banana. Sun looked out from the clouds. And I continued to make photos and record videos and accrete with my soul to this view and let in view, sky, air, snow, rocks inside of me. So I’ve been there for a half an hour, exactly for this I rode here, oh yes, I made it! This is exactly what I needed so much.

With quite different mood and being quite a different man I rode home. Now downhills from Shunuth, on which all ice scrapped off from front rim and rear disk. To the south, then to the east again and winter started to retreat : again roads-rivers flow and stones look out from under the ice. Downhill from mountain is much easier, I rode on my traces, without any problems started to approach cordon near Large Lavrovka, Sun set around 2 hours ago, above the forest dusk thickened, I rode past cordon and arrived to the turn, on which I rode to the north. It became completely dark.

Road between field near Large Lavrovka and cordon forms circle with 2 – 3 km length and in the darkness it is easy to start riding in circles on it, which I made. First I saw 2 pairs of protectors of bicycle wheels and thought : “Who decided to follow my steps here?” – but then understood, that this is quite little likely and this is I again ride to the north-west to Shunuth, this time in the darkness. So, I decided to orient on compass, instead of bicycle wheels prints, but after n-teen of my falls and waking ups with bicycle it started to oftenly confuse north, south and east and west : “O-o-o, now here are 3 pairs of bicycle protectors prints, now I pave fourth one, here is the whole bike path formed in these backwoods, there is need to look as if ‘other’ bikers would not rode on me,” – panic waves started to approach me, but I calmed them down with that I’ll stay in the forest for a night in a extreme case and will find right way at morning with sunlight, thank to Shunuth, which protects this area from west ( winds here are mostly western ), still not frozen rivers bring warmth and humidity and forest also protects from wind and keeps warmth, so, even at nights at the end of October here is very warm and, wrapping in the spruce branches, here is ability to sleep for a whole night without problems. Moon looked out from clouds, she recently rose and was somewhere on the south-east, I need to go there, so, I walked to her and she took me off from this “vicious” circle.

On the way from field to Large Lavrovka I a couple of times ( to the full bowl ) slipped on the ice and fell on it, braking its crust and falling with my left boot and basing on my left hand in the water, so, left boot and mitten was completely wet from this time, right boot was moist, but not wet. On the way I met cross-country jeep : there is ability to imagine what driver thought, meeting bicycle rider at this time in these backwoods. After village on the open area and to the south from Shunuth cold western wind started to blow and it started to purge wet left boot on the speed. But no cold and small freezing of legs did not upset me after this. On the puddles-ice skate rinks I stretched a couple of times more and looked on “Austerlitz sky” and further my way went without falls. I set my wheels on the asphalt : “Oh, ye-e-es!” – road to the Azov mountain here mostly goes downhill and I took a pleasure at night on this speed, uphill near mountain did not caused any difficulties this time for me. Hello nighty Azov, hello lighting Zuzelka, good night falling into sleep Polevskoy.

Thank you to the Ural’s weather, the thing, that I reached Shunuth is 50% its merit, because it froze everything at Wednesday and Thursday, and all hardly rideable clay and dirt and roads flooded knee or waist deep in some places became calm; at this day it was -2 – 0 degrees on Celsius in area; and these places are still not covered by heavy snowfalls. Thank you to my bicycle, that withstood all this without any complains : all this way and all these falls and wakings up. Thank you to MERIDA, which creates bikes, that withstand all this ( but, fairness for, there is need to note, that there is not much left from original bicycle ). I was on the southern Shunuth rocks, there are also middle and northern rocks, they are even taller, there is road to them, but it was covered with knee deep snowdrifts this day and, if to walk to them, then there is need in tent and food supplies, because there were before sunset hours at that time on Shunuth, so, I’ll ride and walk to them next Spring, when daytime will be longer and winter freezes will pass : or at the beginning of Spring, when snowcrust will be thick and will withstand bicycle, or at the middle, when roads will more or less melt and it will be below zero at night and around 0 at daytime, or at the end of a Spring, when there will be heat and clay and roads will dry. There will be need to make vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis at this winter, to be prepared for such rides. And I’ll buy more shock-resistant compass, so that I’ll always find my way there and back again, maybe I’ll buy something with electronic satellite navigation. This trip – this is exactly what I needed so much, next in the Winter up to next Spring I’ll ride on the bicycle mainly locally in Polevskoy and Yekaterinburg and near them closer to civilization and will become acquainted with some winter-time sportive transportation. See you in the next adventures!

You can see rest of photos here. Tomorrow I’ll upload 1 remaining 5 minutes 30 seconds video and photos to the album.

Yesterday I rode from Polevskoy to Snezhinsk, through Poldnevaya, Dautovo and Itkul villages. At the morning it was dry and warm, so it was nice to ride on the bicycle. Roads in Polevskoy at this Autumn day are covered with dirt, so at the exit from city bicycle was already also covered in it. In the direction of Poldnevaya road is clear, has small amount of traffic and has lots of downhills and uphills, so, there is ability to upheat yourself and gain higher rate of pedaling. Poldnevaya is readying for winter : fields are fertilized and plowed before intensive snowfall, for better harvest on next Autumn. Road upto Sverdlovsk and Chelyabinsk regions border is clear and dry, as before Poldnevaya village; after it and to Itkul lake it was not only broken this day, but flooded and covered with dirt, which quickly moves on to the bicycle.

On the turn to Upper Ufaley this time I rode in the left direction, instead of right one. In this are asphalt is intact and mostly not plowed by heavy cars. I did not rode in these areas, first stranger on my way is Dautovo village, in the pine forest on the shore of Itkul lake, views here are picturesque : low leaden clouds run above surface of lake, Sun sometimes looks through them and sends its rays to surface in the half-darkness, on the distant hills unmelted snow still lays after recent freezes and snowfalls. Further on the way is Itkul village, in which there is ability to stray and make some turns in deadends and find right way. After it another small village lays, with steep downhills and uphills, on which stealthy cars riding from behind cannot be heard due to wind, playing in the ears; I did not remembered its name, because I flew through it very fast. 5 – 10 km forward it becomes clear, that serious closed area city is in front : there are straight electricity pillars on the sides of road with intact wires, clearness and tidiness on the road itself and on the area around it and roadblock in front with iron fence with barbed wire above it and, maybe, electricity current connected to it. This is Snezhinsk. Entrance in the city is strictly via permittances, because there is research and development nuclear center located in it. I heard and read about this, now I know this by myself. So, road to Vishnevogorsk lays around Itkul lake through Upper Ufaley city.

Near this road block I turned and rode back to my home, way went without problems, only near Polevskoy small rain started to pour and it became colder, before the darkness I was already at home. Overall I rode 130 km in around 8 hours at this day with all uphills, downhills, broken road areas and stops for bicycle tweaking and food eating. Next time I’ll rode to other area, where I was not before. 次の自転車イベントでお会いしましょう!