Bicycle trip to the fishing and middle peninsula. Polar journey. Rybachy Peninsula

I wrote the report back in September, but until now I've only shared it with my friends. Now it became interesting how he would be perceived at Risk.

Why alone?
For once, I took the entire vacation (28 days) in one piece for two trips. But it turned out that both trips broke off for me and I had to urgently come up with something in return. All my friends either already had vacation plans or were working... I think the desire to go camping alone has been quietly living in me for a long time, and now a wonderful opportunity has presented itself for this desire to declare itself at the top of its voice. At some point, I realized quite clearly that I didn’t just want to do it, but I definitely would.

About the train
Much has been written about transporting a bicycle on a train, but I’ll repeat it just in case. So that the conductors do not have questions:
a) it is better to transport the bike in a case;
b) buy a baggage receipt at the station (mandatory). This can be done in advance instead of postponing until the day of departure. As I understand it, usually a baggage receipt is bought at separate ticket offices and therefore there is no need to stand in general queues. My receipt cost about 140 rubles.
In a reserved seat car, it is large with the front wheel removed and fits perfectly across two luggage racks. In new reserved seat cars there are partitions at the ends of the luggage racks, which makes it difficult to lift the bike up, but it still causes special problems. I think that if there are partitions in one compartment, it’s really possible to remove only 2 bicycles. And yes, it may take some getting used to.
After the trip, I learned that on the train in the staff car there is usually a luggage compartment, in which, with a luggage receipt, you can transport a bicycle. Since I myself have not tried this option, I may not know any nuances about this option for transporting a bicycle.

About drop and drop
Thanks to the fact that I was alone, I traveled from Murmansk to Titovka by minibus, which goes to Nikel. A bicycle in a minibus occupies the entire width of the aisle, and there is nowhere else to put it away. It’s good that Titovka is the first stop after Murmansk and the bike doesn’t bother anyone in particular. But still there are no guarantees that this option will work a second time - the driver may not agree to this.
Back, from Titovka to Murmansk, I drove along the highway. I agree with the opinion that I have met more than once. You can drive along the highway once for fun, but in general it is a long, boring and tedious road. It is better to go bypass dirt roads in two days or order a taxi.

On the first day I drove extra 11+19.2=30 km, 1+1.47=3 hours, 420 meters of climb.

About bike trips
I do not recommend cycling to anyone. Especially to the North. Especially on roads where only jeeps drive. I wanted to convey this idea to all acquaintances and strangers almost all the way. When you go very bad road or heavy lifting, it seems that you will never go on bike trips again. But as soon as you start on a good road, you immediately forget everything. And when the bike trip ends and you come home, you immediately start thinking about where to go next time.
A friend of mine - an avid cyclist - says that in cycling the most buzz is climbs. There is some truth in this. For example, while cycling on the slopes, you look around more and notice more. You barely drive, there is no need to keep a close eye on the road.
Very great importance has a psychological state. Many times in this campaign I was riding, it seemed, already at the limit of my strength, but various pleasant surprises, like the peeping sun, impressive view, finding horns, filled me with energy again. Of course, when you're riding with someone, being able to support each other really pushes the boundaries of what's possible.
A lot depends on the experience of such trips. In some difficult moments on this trip, memories of Iceland gave me strength and self-confidence: about the very weather, about the very overnight stay and about the very road along the power line.

About food
I took sublimates from Gala-Gala with me as the main meal. Didn't regret it. They have all sorts of buckwheat with beef / chicken, soups, omelettes and cereals that are quite suitable. I have no idea how much weight gain sublimations give, but they have two obvious advantages:
- they are securely packed and are not afraid of moisture and mechanical stress;
- for cooking it is enough to pour them hot water(I think, in extreme cases, you can also cold, but I have not tried it)
That is, fuel is saved (and this is an additional gain in weight) and time. At the same time, at the exit you get quite tolerable food, much better than any doshirak.

Menu of the day (sometimes more)
Breakfast
Oatmeal porridge with berries (subl) - 2 packs of 40 gr each (320 kcal)
Cheese (small piece)
Rusk + oatmeal cookies (small, because cookies with crackers)
Sweet tea

Snack
Snickers (198 kcal)
Corny (194 kcal)
A bit of nuts
Sometimes sweet tea

Dinner
Buckwheat (sub) (150 kcal)
Cheese (small piece)
Sausage sometimes
Cracker + oatmeal cookie
Sweet tea

Calculated 860 kcal, but it was a little more

Breakfast. Cheese was not included in the frame)

Despite the small amount of food, he did not suffer from hunger, did not fall from impotence. But I lost 4-5 kg in 7 days, which is a lot for my physique.

About equipment
Here I would like to make a few points.
1. At first, I planned to take paper maps with me and have a phone in case of emergency, as a navigator. But when I realized that it was quite possible to go around Rybachy in a circle, and there were no road maps in its southeastern part on paper maps, I realized that I could not do without a navigator. The main advantage of the navigator is its relative energy independence. it runs on batteries. And of course, since it is designed to work in the field, it has many other advantages such as special ergonomics and moisture and shock resistance. As a result, I went with the Garmin Etrex 20 navigator and was satisfied with it.
2. Since I was going to go alone, and this was unusual not only for me, but also for my relatives and friends, for the sake of peace of mind, I took the SPOT Gen3 with me. In our country, it is not very popular, although it can be useful in many cases. Thanks to Spot, people who are interested can follow your location while sitting at home and drinking coffee, even if you do not have access to mobile communications. The main thing is not to climb into the caves, do not dive under the water and keep Spot on;)
3. Clean everything in hermetic bags. I felt the importance of this even in Iceland. Some get by with garbage bags, but with hermetic bags it is safer and calmer. You can at least completely bathe the backpack in the river that you ford.
4. I bought myself a windstopper jacket. All the time it proezdil and was happy as an elephant. And the truth holds light rain, and saves from the wind perfectly and at the same time you don’t feel like in polyethylene in it.
5. Traveled with Jetboil Flash. The thing is convenient, but for such an application it makes no sense to spend so much money. Is it just for aesthetic reasons. For the most aesthetic, there is a jet coffee press =))
6. The Marmot Limelight 2P tent is very pleasant, well ventilated (sometimes too much), light, but takes up a lot of space when folded for one person's luggage. The vestibule is small, but quite spacious inside. There is plenty of space for one, for two with things it may seem cramped because of the small vestibule. I have an option with an additional bottom, which turned out to be a very convenient option. Among other things, thanks to the additional bottom, you can first put up the awning in the rain, and then hang it up inner tent. In general, I am satisfied with the tent.
7. Trekking boots or contacts? Although it’s high time, I won’t switch to contacts in any way, so for me there was no question of what to go with. Trekking boots are more likely to keep your feet dry, which is very important for that weather. Wet shoes at those temperatures and humidity definitely do not dry at night. And getting into wet boots in the morning… That was enough for me in Iceland (in extreme cases, there is always the option “dry boots in a sleeping bag overnight”, although I haven’t tried it yet). On the other hand, the knees are not state-owned and contacts are very useful for driving over rough terrain in large volumes. In short, for such cycling trips, you need to buy trekking boots with mounts for contacts =)
8. Bicycle backpack. I rode with big cycling pants and thought about the fact that next time I should try to distribute the weight along the bike. It is very inconvenient to carry a bike with all the cargo on the rear rack.

How it was
Every day on the peninsulas was about the same. I woke up, I was cold. He continued to sleep until the moment when the street did not get warmer and it was no longer so lazy to get out of the sleeping bag. Dressed, went for water. Cooked breakfast in the vestibule of the tent. I hurriedly had breakfast. I collected a backpack, fastened it to a bicycle, turned on the navigator and a spotlight and rode. I looked around, sometimes took pictures, thought about anything. Every 3 hours or 20 km I ate a Snickers or a muesli bar. In very difficult moments, he stopped and drank sweet tea with a bar. In the middle of the day's haul, I went nuts from the fact that there was still so much to go and thought that it was unrealistic. A couple of hours before sunset, I thought maybe today I wouldn’t chase the track and get up early for the night. I thought I would drive up that hill / drive to the river / lake and look for a place to spend the night there. Then there was the next hill/../.. Then there were a couple of kilometers left, which I definitely had time to reach before sunset. The sunset, of course, was conditional there, it was getting dark slowly. I came to the place where the guys spent the night, I understood that best place still have not met and it's good that I arrived. With the feeling that I had reached home, unhurriedly took apart my backpack, changed into bivouac clothes, turned off the spotlight and the navigator, cooked dinner, ate, went to bed.

home

Selfie for a snack

What happens along the way on the peninsulas is perfectly described in Tatiana's report. So I will not describe in detail what I saw every day, but just tell a few moments that I remember.

About mistakes
Satisfied, I got out of the minibus in Titovka, unhurriedly assembled a bicycle, attached a backpack to it and went to inspect Titovka’s ‘random place’. I went to a cafe, ate a bun with tea. Mmmm ... what delicious buns with cottage cheese were there ... I went to the museum. Ate another muffin with tea. Well, everything seems to be tuned in ... Let's go ... As soon as I got on the bike, all the worries disappeared and the world became quite friendly and soft. Excellent road, lovely views, the sun peeps through. But where is the exit from the highway to Rybachy? It seems to be somewhere near Titovka. After 6 km I realized that I was going in the wrong direction. I was driving along the track, but along the part where the guys were returning from Pechenga. Well, no problem! Today is the first day, the main task - to get to Titovka - has already been completed, I am alone and there is no need to blush for my mistake in front of anyone. Just think, 6 km on the highway. I returned to Titovka almost instantly, quickly found the exit to Rybachy and, taught by a mistake, began to carefully follow the map.
Right now I will reach the pass through Musta-Tunturi and there on the Middle there is a fork and a left turn. Beautiful views excellent primer. After a while, the ups and downs began. There is a lot of energy, I remember Pasha's words about the fact that climbing in cycling is the most thrill. Soon the track forks and I go to the left. The road becomes even better and more picturesque. Still climbing the mountain. It's strange, it seems that after the turn on the Middle there should be a plain ... Well, I didn't study the map very carefully, but I have a track. Probably, the mountainous terrain still continues on the Middle. And the road is great. I have read rave reviews about the quality of the German Road. If there is such a road on the Middle, what about on the German road? I am driving, admiring the views, partially falling into the cloud. I'm leaving for the pass. Delight! Indescribable beauty. The feeling of unreality is aggravated by the fact that, despite the height, there is absolute calm around. I stood for about 10 minutes, examined the surroundings through binoculars and rushed down. I remember that shortly after turning left on Sredny, the guys stopped for the night, and I kept going and going. At some point, I move the map away to find a place to spend the night, and ... It turns out that I stepped on the same rake for the second time in a day. I didn't get to Sredny and turned onto the German road. And drove on it in the amount of an extra 18 km. And scored an extra 420 meters. And lost 3 hours. But I'm alone, so I just swear at myself for a minute and calmly go to reverse side. Well, what to worry about. In the end, I looked at the famous German road. This is wonderful, I was not going to call on it on the way back, unlike the guys.

One of gorgeous views from the German road

There were no more orientation errors on this trip, and there were no particular reasons for them. In some places, I even chose the option of the road better than the guys.
Once again I was convinced that the presence of a navigator relaxes, and this is a fertile ground for the most ridiculous mistakes in orientation. Still, you need to learn how to work with a navigator - the style of using it differs from the style of working with a map and requires, albeit a little, but practice.

About the military
I met as many military men there as civilians, and even more.

Episode one
Morning of the second day. I just left, and now in the right direction. The marching process has entered the right track. But it was not there! Suddenly, an armored personnel carrier taxied towards me from behind a turn and stopped next to me.
Military: “You can’t go there, there will be shooting there now” (well, this is the same training ground on the Middle, which I read about. I’m “lucky” ...)
Me: “What, I won’t have time to drive?”
Military (looking at his watch): "No"
Me: “Is it possible to bypass it somehow?”
Military: "No"
Me: “And how long will it take?”
Military: “Up to 7 hours”

CRAP! Up to 7 hours! This is for me to lose all day or change the route and go around Sredny on the other side. And which option is better? Both do not like.
While I thought so, the armored personnel carrier drove on. This means that the words of the military were more informational in nature than directive. So you can try to get to those military men who will no longer let me go further and either stop for a day not far from them, or find out possible detour routes. And anyway, the guy who told me that I would not have time to slip through did not say it very confidently. So you have to try!
For the next few kilometers, I stopped at each hillock, examined the surroundings through binoculars in search of the military, listened to see if someone was catching up with me from behind, or if they were coming towards me. I tried to go faster, so that at the moment when they stopped me, it would be easier for me to drive through the firing area forward than to go back. At some point, I heard the noise of engines from the sea, down the slope below me. I thought I almost passed. But at the same moment I realized that the targets of the tanks should be somewhere on the slope. At first I tensed up, but then I decided that as long as I did not see craters on the road, everything was in order. Let's go further...
Until now, I was driving among bushes as tall as a man, and suddenly I drove out into an open area. All right, now they will notice me and chase me back. Ahead, on a hill next to the road, I saw the military - there they have either an observation and command post, or just a guard post. Someone separated from the military group and ran across me. What will happen???
But the out of breath soldier only told me that the shooting would begin and I had to leave the square either back or forward. Not believing my luck, I asked if I could really go further? Can! Great! The day has already been successful!
Almost immediately an armored personnel carrier followed me and left the post of two soldiers so as not to let anyone in from where I had gone. Lucky so lucky...

Episode two
First half of the fourth day. Tsyp-Navolok. Having left for the valley of the Anikieva River, I saw some movement on the opposite slope. I looked through binoculars - there is a military camp, and a barrier and some prohibition signs have been installed on my intended path. Well, what to do - you have to try to drive further, it's already too far to return, and there are no detours on the roads here. I crossed the river and, not reaching the barrier, stood in thought for several minutes at the sign “Access only for MO transport”. And there is no one to ask what I should do with it... But I have naivete and righteous anger on my side =)) Nothing is written on the map of the reserve about the fact that you can’t drive here! Looking around, he slowly drove towards the barrier.
There is an oil painting: on a stone, with his head propped up, a soldier is sitting sideways to me with a machine gun in his hands. Either dozing, or delving into mobile phone. Doesn't notice me. Before long, I got off the bike and quietly called out to him. The soldier was startled. He says you can't go here. I am outraged. He calls his commander. The commander says, as if apologizing a little, that it is impossible to pass here. We peacefully agree that I will go around.
When I had already bypassed the territory of the camp and drove along the road from it, a cry “Stop!” was heard from behind, and then stomping and sniffling. “How did you get here?” “Walked around your camp” “That is, you didn’t pass through the territory” “No, they didn’t let me in there” “Good.” Weird and funny dialogue.

I also saw a lot of military trucks, the drivers of which, unlike jeeps, did not greet me and maybe even looked unfriendly. It always seemed to me that the military think, they say, why did he forget here. It must be hard to serve in that climate.
I saw submarines in Motovsky Bay. Two at once.

The second submarine was far away

About nature
I saw a herd of deer for the first time not far from Waida-guba. Then I saw them almost every day up to the Eina River and once I was even able to go up to 100 meters and look at them through binoculars. But in general they are very shy and run away immediately. Nevertheless, when we looked at each other with them, I understood that if they wanted, they could make a cutlet out of me, and this made me not very comfortable. =)

Climbed up on the lee side

It was not possible to examine the deer themselves closer, but I did find antlers! I dreamed about it and was happy when I was so lucky.

Favorite photo from this trip.
I found several horns and brought home the most beautiful one.

Once, about 50 meters away, two very beautiful fox cubs tumbled in front of me on the road. But I only had time to examine them through binoculars - they quickly noticed me and ran away for the nearest hillock. I climbed it and once again managed to see through binoculars how the cubs were looking at me warily.
And there were running in crowds, as I called them at first, mice. Then it turned out that these are the same millions of lemmings that cannot be wrong))
As I already wrote, I drove past almost all the sights that I read about in preparation. But there was one place I really wanted to go. M. Oreshta in his book described a picturesque stream, which upstream from the road has a waterfall and a beautiful canyon. I found that stream and went upstream. The stones are slippery, barely making it through. But it was worth it! At some point, the gently sloping banks abruptly turn into a canyon with high sheer walls. In that place I took off my shoes and tried to go further along the stream bed. The depth increased, became above the knee and I began to make my way along the ledges on the wall. The ledges were slippery, but I walked barefoot, so it was quite comfortable. If I had known what would be there, I would have immediately taken sandals and taken off my pants so that it would be convenient to walk on the water. At some point, I got tired of traversing the canyon wall, so I did not reach the waterfall. And yet I got the impressions I was looking for! It was probably the most beautiful place for the whole trip.

Canyon. The feeling that you are somewhere in the south.

An unimaginable amount of mushrooms and berries grows there. For the most part, crowberry is found from berries - the whole earth is covered with it. Some red berries are also often found, but these are not lingonberries. Blueberries come across less often, but in large numbers. I hoped to eat cloudberries, but I almost never met them along the road.

And that's how mushrooms grow. There's a couple closer, a couple farther to the right.
In some places you can go for mushrooms with a scythe.

About fords
Brody is a wild fan! You drive up to another stream and try to figure out if you can run over it on the move. If you can see the passage line, the stream is not very deep and the stones at the bottom are not very large and not very finely loose, you go ahead. And there already how lucky. The main thing is not to stop pedaling under any circumstances and to hold the steering wheel more firmly. Sometimes the rear wheel spins, sometimes big rocks change direction. Sometimes you ride like that and you turn with the flow or against the flow. The main thing is to keep pedaling and strive for the opposite shore. Sometimes you stop completely, but even in this case you should not lose hope of getting away with it. When everything is over, you feel great satisfaction. =))
There are, of course, more boring fords that you can get around on pebbles. There are also quite boring fords that you have to cross the water on foot. On this trip, I took off my shoes in front of the ford only once.

About people
From Titovka to Titovka, I met people passing in the opposite direction, but it happened to communicate only with the military because of the need.
I met cyclists only at the entrance to the pass through Musta-Tunturi. A huge group of cyclists from Yaroslavl passed me towards me. They stretched out along the road and there were so many of them that in the end it was already funny for me to greet them (maybe someone will understand what I mean =)).
On the way back in Titovka, I met guys who were going to bypass Rybachy in the opposite direction. It would be interesting to know how they got on. They were very lucky with the weather.
On the way to Murmansk, the most interesting meeting took place - I met a Canadian woman who was cycling from St. Petersburg through Murmansk to Kirkenes, going to Norway to hang out with friends and then on a trip to Poland. At the time of the meeting, it was 1368 km to St. Petersburg, so you understand. She travels all over Europe, staying in hotels. On his usual road bike, he rides 150-170 km a day, not in contacts. If he visits sights for 80-100. Here is such an unpretentious traveler. Rides alone and says it's The best way for traveling. When you see such people (and I later read about other similar travelers), your ideas about the boundaries of what is possible (affordable?) for the average person are greatly expanded.

Conclusion
There was no romance, everything turned out somehow everyday.
Unlike Iceland, which, without embellishment, is magnificent in any weather, although it is beautiful there, there are no such stunning views. Nevertheless, in the nature of the North there is something that is not striking, but sinks into the soul and you want to return there again and again. She is calm, graceful, moderately colorful and diverse. IN good weather I like being there very much.
The first days I pedaled and kept thinking why did I go there, and alone. But in the end I went for a week, and the impressions were left as in a month. This trip was definitely not in vain! Now she is in my top 5 the best holidays for all time.
During the first 4 days of the trip, I experienced the pleasure of “here and now” only at certain moments, and on the final 3 days, it was constantly from good weather and the approaching end of the trip. Nevertheless, I would recommend going to Rybachy only in good weather (at least without rain).
The strongest feeling on this trip was the satisfaction from the successful implementation of such unusual plans for me. But it rolled already on the train.
When I was lifting the bike onto the luggage rack, an elderly female fellow traveler with a hint of disgust on her face asked me: “Tourist?” “Tourist”, - with the subtext “So what?” I answered. “I myself know that I smell unpleasant, we’ll fight it,” I already thought. Fortunately, I prudently left a complete set of clean clothes for the train.
This disgust seemed so petty compared to the sensations and emotions that filled me all the past week ... Probably, all her life she fenced herself off from nature with a wall of comfort and control.

I got a very valuable experience, because for the first time I fully prepared myself for such a trip. In the next trips, I would like to ride more measuredly, plan the route myself, and pay more attention to camping life. I would also like to take a more thoughtful approach to the selection of equipment and try to significantly lighten the backpack in order to have greater freedom of movement.
I liked to ride alone. But this is not the same format in which I would always like to ride. Just sometimes I would like to make such sorties so that nothing fences you off from yourself and nature.

Expand discussion thread

A trip to Rybachy by car is our most ambitious travel idea so far. And the degree of ambition and complexity is added by the fact that as a means to achieve the cherished goal, we have only a front-wheel drive right-handed Honda minivan. He is, of course, grated, experienced and has seen a lot of things, but still he is far from off-road ... Well, okay, what, let's try!

We really doubted for a long time whether or not to include the Rybachy Peninsula in the travel program. They were afraid to just lose time or lose the car, or maybe lose both. We conducted an online public opinion poll on the possibility of getting to Rybachy on an underdrive, read blogs and trip reports on Rybachy, but there were always cars with reinforced bumpers, winches and large wheels in the photo.
Convinced that it's worth a try anton_ermachkov (superblog with superphotos). Actually, while reading his reports about the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas, the idea came up to drive there, and then he wrote to us that Rybachy is available for any transport (joker) and doubts disappeared.
So, at the checkpoint we show the passport, after a hundred meters we turn off the road to the right.

After another hundred meters, the asphalt ends and a very unpleasant rocky road begins. For a reference in time and space, we stumbled on the navigator the village of Big Lake, somewhere between the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas, the navigator counted thirty kilometers, and we drove at the speed of a tired traveler - 6 km / h maximum.

We drive along the river. Sometimes we are overtaken by jeeps and motorcycles. Sometimes an oncoming lane passes by, they look at us like we are fools. From time to time we stop and ask the fishermen how the road is farther? Their forecast is that we will be stuck in five or ten kilometers. We don't want to get stuck, but we keep going anyway.

Monuments of the Second World War begin to come across.

And then the road begins to climb up, the roadside bushes slowly disappear and beauty begins.

A small travel car is going to Rybachy.

Another monument.

War artifacts.

More beauty.

That's how slowly we got to the Sredny Peninsula. And we saw the waters of the Motovsky Bay and the Rybachy Peninsula on the horizon.

And this view was beautiful.

We stood for a long time and looked into the distance, and then drove on. The road deteriorated: it twisted and led through the passes. We drove very carefully.

And then the road led to the sea.

And beauty has become even more!

Ferrous metal is rotting on the shore.

Little by little we reached the Rybachy Peninsula and an abandoned military settlement.

We looked into the entrance.

Picture on the wall.

Insanely beautiful, nobody's view from the window of nobody's apartment.

Several military men in the Urals are camped, they say that they are waiting for the authorities. They have a biker from Ukraine repairing his motorcycle.

We decided to try to get to Cape German to look at the lighthouse, but we didn’t succeed. First we went through the center of the peninsula, but we couldn’t get through there - the road was very bad, we tried to drive along the coast, and there you have to ford a lot of stream. We overcame a couple or three, and then we came across a very deep stream with big stones at the bottom, they did not take risks and did not go further. Quietly drove off the road, found a nice place on the shore.

Well, what ... for Rybachy! We arrived anyway.

In the morning we swam in the ice-cold water.

Crabs were not seen in the sea, but many crab parts from crab were found on the shore. They made something out of them.

We quickly packed up and headed back.

I would like to separately say good things about the tourists who climb into these parts. Despite the remoteness and inaccessibility of the peninsulas, the traffic there is quite active. People ride jeeps and motorcycles, quadrics and bicycles, even on foot with large backpacks. Almost everyone you meet will wave his hand, blink his headlights, stop and ask how things are going, find out where and where you are going from, tell where he is from and where he is going. Very positive and responsive people. Evil and gloomy people don't go there :-)

Again we go along the sea.

Monuments meet again.

It has its own mood, its own atmosphere, its own spirit, its own magic, its own music.
I think this song is perfect for those places.

Finally convinced that it's worth trying anton_ermachkov (superblog with superphotos). Actually, while reading his reports about the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas, the idea came up to drive there, and then he wrote to us that Rybachy is available for any transport (joker) and doubts disappeared. So, at the checkpoint we show the passport, after a hundred meters we turn off the road to the right.