An escape from the marshes, ghostly Soviet blocks and a hidden trail through the countryside. We found a film-worthy lake to spend the night, complete with hungry critters and English-speaking visitors.
in the middle of nature 🌲
An aerial mission over rusty funnels, a three-hour urban trek chasing humans through Kostanay, and a hasty strategic retreat to save my skin from an army of buzzing vampires.
Soviet relics shaped like giant funnels, a hellish track fit only for those with a strong stomach, and a shepherd who can talk the hind legs off a donkey. We hide among the bushes in a new riverine paradise where the horses rule.
A carpet of tarmac to devour the miles, a frozen toe in the water, and the return of our favourite neighbours. We found the perfect spot by the large reservoir to sunbathe in absolute privacy.
A detour in the middle of the steppe, mile-long trains that never seem to end, and a solitary lake that feels like the end of the world. Our route takes us straight to the heart of the Kazakh nowhere, where sunsets are best enjoyed on two wheels.
A mythical coincidence that not even the best GPS could have planned, golden onions and the great mystery of who the guy on the horse is. Aktobe gifts us biker reunions, Soviet luxuries and a place to nest for the night with the quietest of neighbours.
A post-breakfast distress call, a treacherous beach and our trusty winch to the rescue. After becoming the heroes of the reservoir, we headed for a secret spot by the river to enjoy a well-deserved afternoon of rest.
Three hundred and eighty kilometres of straight steppe, rest areas that look like something out of a post-apocalyptic film, and an absolute record for our campervan’s odometer. We crossed Kazakhstan on roads that were a real luxury until we found an oasis with trees, the smell of a barbecue, and unexpected fans.
A leap across a continent on foot, the desperate search for my sweets and hosepipe water courtesy of some charming plumbers. We left the oil capital behind to venture into a steppe so infinite that even Google Maps doesn't quite know where the road is.
A Kremlin, a most lively border with a soldier who has the soul of a psychologist, and two brave souls on motorbikes bound for New Zealand. We leave Russia behind to set foot in the seventh country of the expedition and the 40th in my canine count.
Waking up with the Chechen police, skyscrapers that rose from the ashes of war, and a triumphal procession where I was the undisputed star. Grozny opened its doors to us on a day of brutal contrasts and chasing a signal.
A GPS that went completely mad, a wad of hard-to-come-by roubles and a most comical police checkpoint. The trip through Russia kicked off amidst colossal monuments, heavy traffic and a mysterious labyrinth without satellites.