Bicycle tourism. Russia. South Ural. Report about six-day bike trip.
Ural lakes
Report about six-day bike trip from 17 to22 of June 2003 year by route
Ekaterinburg-Miass (lake Turgojak). Length 504 kilometres
  • Goal of this report is generalize experience to organize a trip around Ural lakes and little tell that Ural has not only beautiful mountains but there are lot of delightful lakes.
  • Because it was a solo trip I have to notice, all of my description are relevant only to solo trip. If you ride with group of bikers many things will be different. I have never participated in long-day bike trip. And my advices are relevant to people who has experience less then me.
  • As for me, the main goal of this trip was actively to rest and watched a beautiful lakes. In this time I am interesting trip process itself. I am not interested to achieve any specific aim, for example sports grade. Because it was rest, at last actively rest, I want minimum comfort. Which include: food three times at day, warm and dry passing the night, absence a corns, absence of mosquitoes and ticks problems, absence of overwork.

  • lake Boevskoe

    Tuesday 17 of June 2003 year. (First day)

    Kyshtym Slope to Argazi lake The Argazi lake (the dam before Karasevo village)) The road after Muhametovo village The view from road I think Turgojak is the most clear, healthy lake Irtiash Way to home. View from road Zlatoust-Miass
    fork on the road Kasle-Kesegach The forest's road around Karabash town Slope to Argazi lake The Argazi lake (dinner near Baidashevo village) Before Novoandreevka village South shore of Turgojak lake. It is not far to sanatorium 'Turgojak' Has very much pleased quality of roads
    After very long assembly, even so, at ten o'clock in the morning I left my home. Have rode roundabout way through the city and after 25 kilometers, finally, have cross border of my town. The first plan is pass 40-50 kilometers and have a dinner nearly Sysert city. The road is good (concrete-surfaced road), of course asphalt is better for bike but all things cannot be ideals. The weather is bad, at first it rain, then began excess rainfall and finally hailed. I wait till the one heavy shower is over under the bridge, next one - in the forest under the tree. There are many small shelters of branches along the road. It used native sellers of mushrooms for wait till bad weather. Some shelters of branches are empty and you can use it. There are Cheremshanka river, before road turn to Kashino village. And in this place you can have a dinner. There is small shop with road food. But as for me, I didn’t stop here, because it rain and I don't like to eat under the rain.
    There are two snack-bars along the road where you can buy shashliks. I mark it by GPS
    1. N = 56 deg. 31,144 min.(north altitude), Е = 60 deg. 53,86 min. (east long.)
    2. N = 56 deg. 25,216 min. (north altitude), Е = 60 deg. 52,541 min. (east long.)
    I stayed near Gabievka river and had dinner under the bridge which saved me against rain. Distance from home to this bridge is 57,68 km. It's hard to turn pedals after dinner and relax, especially first 5 kilometers, but next I adapt.
    My home plan was to stay the night near the Bagariak lake but I pass this lake - even didn't saw. Then I understand my mistake and decide to reach Boevskoe lake and stay there.

    At 6 o'clock of the evening I reached the lake and have lot of health to ride further. But lake is nice and I don't know will I meet such comfortable place or not. And I decide to stay here. In generally, for good rest, the best decision is to stay the night in the nice place.
    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 85,35 (distance in km.)
    Av = 19,3 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 4:25:19 (time of tune of first wheel)

    Day results:
    All is good, In the meantime. I can bring less of food because there is snack-bar along the road. But I didn't know where it locates and I didn't sure about quality of food.
    And the next, I want to test an apportionment of food which I made in home by using application of Yugeny Polkin «Outdoor food ration calculator» http://softpole.narod.ru. Forestall I say that my apportion was not quite right. I thought that physical activities in bike trip and hiking are same. And application cannot calculate ration for bike trip. But now, to my mind, calorie content for bike trip must be more than analogy hiking. Because if you feel giddy when ride it's rather dangerous. In bike trip besides physical load there’s great psychological load and I don't know what's more difficult to turn a pedals or to elude crazy drivers which hurry up to a cemetery.
    In addition, solo trip has many different from group trip. In the evening, when you stand, you need to move very fast in spite of weariness. Primus heater helps me very much. Because when you're alone it is very difficult to make a campfire, prepare a food and install a tent at the same time.
    Wednesday. 18 of June 2003 year. (Second day)
    Still I cannot move fast in the morning. I got up at 6 but began ride only at 10 o'clock. There's 28 km. from Boevskoe lake to the turn of the road to Kasle town. The road is change. It becomes one strip road instead of two strips and asphalt instead of concrete-surfaced road.
    Today is sunshine and beautiful. I become a sunburnt. I don't know why but after 35-40 km. from start I feel giddy. Maybe the reason is sun, maybe riding without any order. In hiking trip, usually we walked during 25 minutes and then 5 minutes for rest. But today I ride without any rest and get this bad result. Maybe I need more often to eat and drink. To be short, I stopped and during 15-20 minutes come to oneself. Yes! Riding and hiking are different. Seems all is okay, but suddenly fall weariness and become too difficult to move.

    I stopped near fork on the road Kasle-Kesegach. The first I thought to had dinner in Kesegach lake but from afar shore looked swamped and I decide to ride forward and looking for more comfortable lake. The next lake was Big Kasle but I didn't see a good approach to lake.
    Forestall I say that the best decision to reach Irtiash lake which located after Kasle town. There's more pure water and nice places.

    But I reached Kirety lake (before Kasle town) and had dinner there. The lake is nice but water is dirty and covered with duckweed. I have to looking for more pure water for a long time. After dinner my riding was continued. The profile of road is changed. Slopes become more steep. Big trucks are rather dangerous especially trucks with trailers. My plan was next - to stay the night near the Sugomak lake or near Dalnaj Dacha village but there was too terrible placards that don’t stay, don't litter, protected by State and etc. I have some time and decide to ride to Kosaj river and about 7 of evening I stayed the night in the forest near this river. As usually, was rain and getting dark. With speed I prepared supper even found mushroom and add it to soup. There is co-ordinate of my sleeping place N = 55 deg. 36,347 min. E = 60 deg. 26,705 min.

    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 93,84 (distance in km.)
    Av = 18,3 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 5:07:14 (time of turn of first wheel)


    Thursday 19 of June 2003 year. (Third day)
    Today I got up late because was pouring rain and the best decision was slept in dry tent inside sleeping-bag under the big fir-tree. At 8 of morning I climb out from tent, had a breakfast and at 11:40 got start. Maybe I had wet thoroughly and caught cold by riding maybe I start this trip not quite healthy but I have a sore throat. I treat it by yoga ("pose of lion") - very effective method. After exercise of yoga swallow already not so painfully.
    It's unbelievable but rain was stopped. Becomes sunshine and more cheerfully. There are some branches to sanatoriums and tourist centers on Uvildy lake. But my goal was Turgojak lake. There's not bad car parking before Karabash town N = 55 deg. 30,1990 min. E = 60 deg. 18,8330 min. The road is good but slopes and rises are serious (12% on traffic sign). I decide didn't make a loop through the Karabash town and ride by forest's road and at the same time to admire the Argazi lake.

    Argazi lake is pure and nice, but my way becomes more long because the forest's road becomes too poor after everyday rain. Here and there I had to ride knee-deep in water. That is to say I turn the pedals under water and loose lot of time and strength because it's difficult to hold the bike with 30-40 kilograms rucksack on slippery road. I pass Karasevo village and stay for dinner on the shore of Argazi lake near Baidashevo village. After 2-3 kilometers of bad forest road I reach main road which lead to Miass town.
    Near Novoandreevka village the main road has fork. The left branch through the hill and the right through the village but finally both of roads are junction. As for biker the best to fork right through the village (you don't need to rise). As usually I didn’t know it and rode through the hill.
    There were 6 of evening when I pass Novoandreevka. I decided didn’t rode to Turgojak today and to stay the night on the bank of Miass river. It's a beautiful place and there are no one people here and pure running water.
    (N = 55 deg. 18,2150 min. Е = 60 deg. 11,9430 min.)
    My speed was low down because I rode by forest's road. So, who will ride by this route need to decide what the best ride through the dusty Karabash or through the forest.
    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 47,23 (distance in km.)
    Av = 13,5 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 3:28:19 (time of turn of first wheel)

    Friday 20 of June 2003 year. (Fourth day)
    Today I got up early in the morning. Benzine for primus remained for prepares only one dinner but it is not a problem because there is lot of petrol stations along the road. One hour after start I bought benzine in petrol station and continued my trip. Note: minimum quantity of benzine you can buy is 2 liters. All right, now there’s enough benzine for primus for all trip. My first plan was stopped on the north shore near the village Turgojak. I reached Turgojak lake rather quickly, but made a mistake - choose road to Zlatoust and stopped on the south shore of lake. The shoreline is very steep, but there's stairs direct to good sand beach.

    It’s a pity but weather become worth again. All time is cloudy or drizzling. From start to lake come in 30 km. Generally speaking it is possible to ride this distance yesterday. But I don’t want to look for sleeping place yesterday night in shore dense with population. I had a chat with native. They sad there is payment place inside health centre area where may leave car or bike. If foreknew, likely and would make still yesterday. Well and today for me it already has not enough sense. I have had dinner and have decided to go back home. First I wanted to ride on Taganai and to leave to Karabash along small river Kialim but after has tried to be passed a little on wood road to lake Argazi, I have understood, that on it I have no forces. A too wood road is dim rains, and by single to get involved in this adventure is unsafe.
    On a return way I considered mistakes and has a little simplified to itself a life. I have passed through Novoandreevka, instead of through roundabout road. Then I have passed through Karabash on asphalt, instead of through Baidashevo-Karasevo on rit-road. Through Karabash to ride too it is not so easy. All time road lead uphill practically along all city and only already at the end of city rather abrupt descent where I was dispersed up to 55 km/h almost not turning a pedal. On spending the night I wanted to stop in area of base of rest “Repus”, but have not noticed turn off the road and has slipped up to village the “Kosoi most” (“Slanting bridge”). I wanted to jump out to lake Uveldy, but unfortunately there was already too much time and I have pierced a back wheel. It was necessary to stop approximately in the same place where I slept before, only on the other hand of road. There the approach to small river is much better.
    Here coordinates (N = 55 deg. 36,7110 min. Е = 60 deg. 26,4980 min.)
    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 104,88 (distance in km.)
    Av = 18,0 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 5:49:04 (time of tune of first wheel)

    Saturday. On June, 21, 2003 (the fifth day)
    Already more has less quickly had breakfast and has gathered. I have left somewhere in 10 mornings. Has rather quickly reached to Kyshtym and has noticed, that the back wheel has flat tire. I thought, that the new tube which I yesterday already in darkness has put instead of punctured is guilty in it. Has pumped up a wheel. I passed a little more - the wheel has again flat tire. I decided to consider a tire cover more closely. Though last night and so it rather closely considered - searched for a thrust nail. But in that cut in a tire cover there was a splinter of a glass which I yesterday in darkness have not made out. It certainly because of small experience of riding. I have inserted the stuck second tube, pumped up and gone. After Kyshtym there is a parking where offer a shashlik. (N = 55 deg. 46,51 min. Е = 60 deg 35,86 min.). This time the dinner I have decided near lake Irtiash before Kasle (N = 55 deg. 36,711 min. Е = 60 deg. 26,498 min.). Lake is very beautiful and pure.

    To stop on spending the night has solved either on lake Bagariak or on lake Boevskoe on a place of the first parking. Probably saved up weariness makes it felt. I reached up to lake Boevskoe and had decided to stay the night here. Ride up to Bagariak is not present what desire.
    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 93,07 (distance in km.)
    Av = 20,3 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 4:33:50 (time of turn of first wheel)

    June, 22, 2003 (the sixth day)

    Well, today I should reach home. The first I thought to have dinner in area of a village Oktiabrsky, but then have decided to not warm up a dinner. It would not be desirable to spend two or more hours. All the same at driving on a bicycle it is necessary more calories and more sugar. Halva, “Snickers”, “Mars” is a good help but though it can help only in any short time interval. In trust, certainly preparation for trip was obviously small - only 165 km in a season of 2003. But it, by the way, speaks that if a quite good bicycle (at me Wheeler 2900) that is possible and with such preparation, alone to ride up to Turgojak and back.
    For this day my bike computer displayed the next:
    Dst = 80,26 (distance in km.)
    Av = 20,4 (average speed km/h)
    Tm = 3:55:18 (time of turn of first wheel)
    The general results:
    General distance for 6 days is 504,63 km.
         Has very much pleased quality of roads. I generally expected considerably more the worse. While went, involuntarily compared roads with American on which I went a half of year by a bicycle. In my opinion they are quite comparable. Especially a good road is from Tubuk up to Miass. In America I could not go on highways (there it is forbidden for bicyclists), those roads on which I went how many it is not better than ours. As asphalt, holes are beaten off. There only the culture of drivers is higher than at ours. Though too fly on car young cretins and thrown to pedestrian by fine coins. Probably at this age everyone hurry up on a cemetery.

  •     It is possible to tell what actively to have a rest and admire the fine nature of Urals Mountains quite under force to any normal person.

  •     Merely a word, to go alone there are some features which I have tried to describe in the given report. I will be glad if this report will be useful to someone, and as I will be glad to all responses.







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