BAM Road is 4.300 km of off-road through Siberia
By dangerousroads
BAM Road is one of the toughest adventure roads remaining on this planet, presenting a genuine test of physical and mental endurance. This old railway service track runs roughly alongside a railway track in extreme Siberia, Russia, featuring everything from rickety old bridges to waist-high water crossings and, at points, being miles from civilization.
What is the BAM in Siberia?
This unmaintained road was constructed in the early 1970s to build the BAM railway, stretching from Vanino on the Russian Pacific coast through Komsomolsk, Fevralsk, Tynda, Severobaikalsk, Ust Kut, Bratsk, and back to the Trans-Siberian Highway near Taishet. The BAM road is an old service road used during the railway’s construction, experiencing little, if any, maintenance since then, resulting in a very poor state. The road is passable only by the most extreme off-road vehicles and adventure motorcycles. Riding the BAM road in Russia is an experience that cannot be accurately described in words alone, making it possibly one of the most exciting adventure roads left in the world.
How long is the BAM Road in Siberia?
This railway service track runs approximately alongside the 4,324 km (2,687 mi) Baikal–Amur Mainline railway.
Is the BAM in Siberia difficult?
BAM Road is today one of the world’s most arduous adventure driving routes. The road is mostly unpaved, with broken wooden bridges and extreme weather conditions. Fallen into disrepair, many bridges have collapsed, earning it the reputation of the Ultimate Test of Man and Machine. It has become a magnet for adventure motorcyclists and 4×4 drivers. Hazards include rickety structures, bogs, decaying bridges with huge holes, deep and fast-moving rivers, gravel tracks, broken or collapsed bridges, dangerous river crossings, severe potholes, “unrelenting energy-sapping bogs,” and train bridges you must ride over, with no idea when the next train is coming. Riding this remote, poorly maintained dirt road is a challenge for adventurers, and only a few have successfully completed the entire route.
When can you drive the BAM Road?
Located in Siberia, one of the coldest places on Earth, the road is inaccessible for much of the year due to sub-freezing temperatures. It’s best ridden during the summer months, between June and August. Conditions can be unpredictable, with rain and storms that can transform a dirt track into a near impassable bog in minutes.
What’s the Vitim River Bridge?
The BAM road is lightly used, muddy, and crosses thousands of rivers and streams. The bridges are in disrepair, with some partially erect while others have completely disintegrated. One of the most challenging parts of the road is the infamous Vitim River Bridge, a 570-meter (1870 feet) long bridge crossing the Vitim River, a major tributary of the Lena River.
Pic: https://1gr.cz/fotky/lidovky/17/051/lnorg/APE6b0a9a_IMG_1961_4.jpg