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Mobile connection still works here…

Its population is about 2000 people. Houses, shops, a school – the town has everything.

Its people are very civilized. No tents, sleds or national dresses. They live in modern houses, wear ordinary clothes, have electricity, telephone and even the Internet.

Here are a lot of children.

One of the northernmost hotels in the world.

Drinking water is usually kept near the houses.

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Deer’s fells are widely used here.

Here they don’t have gasoline, and diesel oil turned out the most expensive on the whole route – about 50 rubles ($ 1.8).

A local driver knows the way to Khatanga and agreed to guide the expedition.

A blizzard hid the winter road.

But soon it’ll be clean again.

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Sunset on the river ice… The other bank is barely seen.

The colors of the north sky.

Yuryung-haya, the final “asphalt” section of the expedition.

It’s the border between Yakutia and Taymyr. The tundra and desolate expanses of snow.

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The temperature is -30 º C.

Here the winter roads are not served. Further is only virgin soil of the tundra.
Local people have no need for transport communication with Taymyr, and therefore there is neither traffic, nor a road, nor even a direction.
Occasionally, about once a month, freight transport passes here – some local entrepreneurs sell deer meat and products.

Luckily, a week ago the KAMAZ went in the direction of Khatanga, and the road is still visible.

That’s how it looks from the high bank of the Anabar. It’s about 500 km to Khatanga from here.

The road is in a terrible condition. Morning exercises at dawn.

In some places, the tracks are quite deep and the cars get stuck in them very quickly.
So the crew had to search for detours…

Generally, the first day was all about choosing the tactics – how to move through the snow, what pressure should be in tires, what transmission should be used, etc.

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At first a car goes well.

Then a rear axle gets stuck in the snow a little.

Then a little bit more.

It should be noted that the snow in the tundra is not the same as we got used to see in the European part of Russia. It is solid and clear. It’s often possible to walk on it like on concrete. Cars too can go over the snow but it takes a slightest slip for them to start sinking.

So it’s extremely difficult to ride on these northern roads. Over the first day the expedition covered only 20 km (out of 500 km to Khatanga). In total, it took 5 days to get there.

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A spade was the crew’s best friend during the journey.

Physical exercises. What can be better in the frosty morning?

The banks of the Kharabyl river and a beautiful halo.

Halos followed the crew during the whole expedition. At first they photographed it in various ways, but then lost interest in it and even stopped to notice it.

Nothing alive, only snow and the sun. The nearest settlement is 300 km far.

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One can admire the snow forever. It rings under your feet and shines in the sun… Local people distinguish dozens of different types of snow.

The sun is also absolutely different here. It is not bright, like in a haze, and colors everything around in yellow.

The river ended and the crew went out into the tundra.

Almost every day they changed the wheels. Two cars had no inner tubes, and tires at low pressure quickly let out the air.

Guys on the KAMAZ had to change the wheels as well. One wheel, by the way, weights 100 kg.