Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Trucking on the M-54 Krasnoyarsk to Kyzyl

The M-54 highway runs from Krasnoyarsk about 850 km through Abakan to Kyzyl in Tuva on the other side of the Sayan Mountain range.  My brother-in-law Valerie trucks coal across those mountains summer and winter.  Tanya and I traveled the road from Abakan to Kyzyl in June 2006 and there was still snow on the high passes.  Beautiful country but not one I would care to drive a semi truck over in mid winter.
Doesn't look far on a map
Valerie's Scania and coal trailer

This is early June 2006, a late spring


The video is the Sayan Mountain road in winter.  Be glad you don't have to drive it for a living.  Valerie is a good driver and makes pretty good money for that part of the world.


8 comments:

  1. From the video it looks like a pretty busy highway. In a snow storm they could be stuck there for a while. Are there any stops along the way or 850 km to the next service station?

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  2. Not a pastime that I would enjoy at all. I don't like big trucks, and I'm not fond of heavy snow on roads. I suppose that if one grew up with this, one would be accustomed to it. But for a Bear, snow means sleep.

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  3. From Krasnoyarsk to Abakan the highway is just a regular highway with several truck stops and towns along the way. From Abakhan to Kyzyl, there are few towns and few truck stops but they do exist.

    I don't know how one would ever get used to driving in that kind of snow country.

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  4. I agree with you on the "snow means sleep." But, what an exciting job if you're younger, and what absolutely beautiful country.

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  5. Early June 2006, all I can picture is an avalanche on top of the two of you. *Achoo!*

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  6. Fantastic video: reminds me of the Dalton Highway (Houl Road) between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay in Alaska.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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  7. Beautiful country, the scenery is alot like B.C. Enjoyed the video, perfect music for it too.

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  8. It is beautiful country. You mean there are more bad highways than just in Russia?

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