Solo biker and backpacker Alex Reynolds admits that the sandy switchbacks, picturesque lakes, and dirt offshoots of Siberia’s Chuysky Trakt are the perfect place to become purposefully lost. Located in the Altai region of Central Siberia, this nearly 1,000-kilometer federal highway from Novosibirsk to the Russian-Mongolian border was used to carry goods, honey, and furs by caravan as early as 3000 BC. Today, the road is frequented by local tourists and Reynolds, who took a Russian Lada on the ultimate Siberian road trip.
Well acquainted with land-based travel, Alex, who is currently riding through Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia on a Suzuki DR650S, tackles the precipitous curves of Katu-Yaryk Pass, tent camps on the busy shores of Lake Teletskoye, and winds around sheep-filled stretches of pavement bordered by grassy plains.
But the adventure really begins when Reynolds turns the Lada onto the Altai’s remote and unpaved mountain tracks, discovering glassy lakes, tree-filled hiking paths, and quiet camp spots far from any guest houses, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Escapades through mud and sand require a tow courtesy of a Russian couple passing by in a pickup truck, however, things straighten out closer to the Mongolian border, where the snow-capped Turgen Uul mountains rise in the distance.
National Geographic listed the Chuysky Trakt as one of the world’s most beautiful roads in 2014; it certainly appears to live up to the hype. While a Siberian road trip might not be on everyone’s bucket list, this video of the week definitely reveals a tempting side to the region.
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