The team are up and into it at 6am but with pouring rain and atrocious road conditions it’s not going to be much fun. The 3 drowned rats get some help from a Russian gateman and Gareth’s bike gets totally flooded and won’t start. Frozen and stuffed, they must reach Ust Nera for the night.
Up at 6 am and on the road by 6.45 am – rain from start to finish. Patches of atrocious road conditions. Morning chai under a fallen bridge out of the drizzle, afternoon chai at the gatehouse of a factory at Arctic with the gateman. Most hospitable. Onward to Ust-Nera, warned about the very slippery road and point where river had breached it. Both true. Gareth drowned his bike riding through – Jo & Dave more sensibly pushed their’s through. 2 hours spent getting Gareth’s bike fixed. Van came along, entered the flooded highway and stalled. Ust Nera had parts with a 3m flood in it, we were late to look for dinner (after 9pm), only the minimarket open – so again Russian sardines, ready to heat spaghetti and beer. Easily to sleep, very weary and sore.
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