15. Another adventure trying to take Natures road to Kluchi, rather than Man's shortcut!
"Kamchatka Peninsula" by Bike and Kayak
Fri 3 Aug 2012 10:09
I strangely woke around 3am, and soon found out why?...No not nightmares about my Kindle, nor the five invaders, but rather a beautiful full moon over the volcano, and a deep orange colour I hadn't seen before, could it be reflection from the molten lava. Right in the middle of the big video camera window captured on tape for those asleep . I was Hopeful daybreak would bring a clear viewing sky. On plan I was on the bike by 7h30, but sadly the almost guaranteed, daily fog had the curtains closed again.
I'd seen on the map that the road to Kluchi (85km) went around Mt Klyuchhevskoy, and in attempting to shorten the distance it was built just above the bigger diameter base. However the downside of this was that the road had quite serious undulating hills as it went up and over the almost symtrical spines running down from the cone. No problem for motorised vehicles, but a lot more challenging for the legs of a fully loaded, touring bike, cyclist. I'd also noticed that the Kamchatka River which meets the road at my next ddestination stop, Kluchi, took a much longer more gentle route arround the big volcano, and surprise, surprise, my contour map showed a 'foot path', from the little village of Mayisko (35km from Kozyresvsk) following the river the whole way to Kluchi, with no other road users. Mayisko was 3.5km off the main road, and probably a good place to explore aswell. All in all, even with alll the unknowns and uncertainties, it sounded like a worthwhile detour: Follow Mother Nature's more soulful, less instant gratification, path.
Well the little village was 'interesting'.... As I rode in it really appeared like a deserted, bombed town, but as I explored further it's inevitable soul came out...down by the river. I've concluded that the villages with the most number of side cars, have the least motor cars and the warmest community souls! This one had a high 'per capita' side car rate. These villages still astound me, with their nicely built timber houses, some fairly ornately decorated, and then around them usually deserted, broken down buildings and infrastructure that were once someone's pride and joy. The owner clearly long time turned their back on it and nobody has picked up the pieces of opportunity. I guess the owner was the communist state, and the liberated villagers lack the capital nor commercial drive to reverse it all.
I found a soulful, mosquito free spot at the river with good perspeective views, and decided to relax and make a homebrew coffee at the river. There were two speedboat type fishing boats beached on the river bank, and soon a side car arrived two men, for the one boat. Quite cool, they parked the bike near me, left it all unlocked, went down to the boat with fishing gear and were soon vying for the Kamchatka River's summer delights. I felt pretty content, and happy with my detour plan, just a bit anxious as to how I'd find the path to Kluchi...I doubt it's well used, and guarantee it's not marked!
After the coffee, filling water bottles and packup, I explored a few potential paths but all lead to dead ends. I find some teenagers, the youngest speaks a little English (a word or two!) Like all the others I'd asked, they hear "Kluchi", see me on a bike, and think I'm a real dumb tourist, and start directing me to the main road. The youngster eventually gets what I want, and with apparent genuine intention to help, says "Come Mister". He walks me a few hundred metres down a very likely looking track, points to a left fork and says "Kluchi"... Hey, that's it, man another stroke of organised luck! The path is firm, and smooth for the bike, and is in a beautiful enclosed moist tundra forest. Ideal for cycling, other than bears: Looks ideal bear country but few escape routes for startled bears, other than the road and that's where I'll be! No problems, the normal "Hey bear" calls but very frequent.
I'm really enjoying the ride, so nice to be away from river pebbles and corrugation for a change. I exit the forest into a huge picturesque open tundra meadow, the openess is relief from a bear encounter point of view, and I feel the apprehension level reduce. There is even the silouette of the Soon back in forest again, but loving it all and so proud of my path 'find'. In and out of open pastures and forest, and next the road becomes very muddy and drops steeply as if heading to the river. I'd been going 5-6 km by now, and at the bottom of the downhill is a cottage and what looks like a small commercial salmon fishing operation, but the road looks like it dead ends here! Three guys witth full waders fishing gear come out, initially seemingly aggressive thinking I was some 'inspector'. They soon worked out my 'crazy touriste' status, and then gave me the bad news: This was it, the end of the road and there isn't a road along the river to Kluchi, I have to go back to the main road! They were such nice guys, wanted to know all about my travels, amazed at my South African herritage, and just guys who related to the spirit of adventure, but were being given a new benchmark! They warned me about bears, and were amazed I had no gun! Another guy arrived in a boat heaving with salmon. These guys live here for the season, and obviously make good bucks. I was offered fish and vodka, but they knew I had other priorities at the moment.... Just the ride through the forest and coming across these guys was worthwhile for the 'wasted' effort. As usual the journey back seemed shorter and faster, and before I knew it I was back on the nasty main road! Passing through the village I didn't see those teenagers again, and did wonder what if anything I'd read wrong in his apparent genuine desire to help?
Oh well, the main road was everthing I expected and more: Back to the straight road and forest lined blinkers, but now added were the fairly serious undulations. With the uphills and downhills the corrugation seemed to get worse, so speed was down and discomfort up! Trying to flatten out the undulations, I'd pedal as fast as I could on the downhill into the climb, push hard as the uphill load bit in, momentum was key, and resisting the temptation to crawl up in high gear. This strategy was effective in it's greater speed, but it was hard thirst work in the heat of the day, and my thighs felt leaden at the top of each hill. At each lowpoint I was expectant of a river flowing down from glaciers up at the volcanoes, but I only was rewarded once, aand this river was like none other I'd seen before so far..it was almost a reddish brown colour, flowing strongly loaded with rich soil from a river cutting new tracks in virgin ground. Not ideal for filling a desperately empty water bottle!
The road levelled of quite a bit, but the corrugations hit new highs. This section was only 53km, but suddenly doing 10km in an hour was a challenging objective. Not good for my mind!
On stopping for a pee, I was shocked to see my urine was the reddish I've ever seen it...What is this problem, man, it looks serious, but doesn't feel serious. Then it dawns on me that this is internal kidney damage from the violent shaking of the corrugations! I need a kidney belt like some truck drivers wear! Haha, in all my cycling around the globe, I've never needed this before..! Let's see, if it clears up again tonight, then it is definitely the cycling causing it.
In trying to wash away the problem my water stocks were low, I was hot, dusty and tired, and with no guaranteed prospects of a river before Kluchi, I deccided to head off the mai n road in search of the Kamchatka River at the first opportunity thhat came up. A path off to the left soon appeared, and almost with instinct I headed offroad at least in the rigght direction of the river..l.It can't be more than 2-3 km away? Well I ride and I ride, a pretty remote path, quite soft sand in places, but with the slight downhill I barge through, and it's actually a great ride, huge relief from the pebbles and corrugations, but where is it leading? Four kilometres now, and the road makes a sharp right, seemingly now going paarallel to the river...Hmmm, I can't be wrong, this must eventually meet the Kamchatka, but the big question now is, when? I'm in that bad zone...Forced commitment. There is no going back now, I have to press on no matter what..."Trust your instinct mate!"
Eventually I come around a sharp corner and to the left is a serious gate, and an obvious "Keep Out" sign, the entrance to a Russian military field camp! Still no river, but a good sign, as they'll need water. Fortunately the gate is unguarded, so nobody sees me as I move to a foot path that bypasses the camp and must lead to the river. A kilometre on, through tall grass, I eventually come to 'My River'... Gee, this feels good, and what a great river bank campsite I can make for myself. Shade of the trees, a small stone beach a bit downstream, great views upstream, and as I turn around loooking back from whence I have cometh there larger than life is Mt Klyuchevskoy and Mt Karmen, Tolbachik is too far away now. A beautiful sight, and that all too familiar, inspiration from Nature's beauty connects for the day's high! See, it pays to look back sometimes hey!
Time for a bath and swim, basically the bath being splashing the icy river water over me to clean up, and the swim being the braver, full immersion under the surface! (That St James, relatively cold Indian ocean water helps, but I wish I'd had the more extreme Atlantic side training!) It feels all invigorating, and the surprise news is that the mozzies are good! It's real tranquil here at the river, I can see evidence of the odd campfire, and wonder whether I'll get intruded on again, this time by real military guys? For the moment it's all good and quiet, and as I track it's course, I can feel that the Kamchatka River is grabbing a mystical hold on me.
Sunset is superb, and the volcanoes are bathed in a pinkish tinge...It's just not crystal clear enough for great photos though...These are the private ones, that will only be etched on my memory, but forever! A simple scene at the end of another big day, nothing very extreme nor very special, but as a package it's been another extraordinary day!
More good news: My final pee of the day is back again to 100% normal, I think my kidney damage theory is right, and I need to somehow restrict the time spent shaking my kidneys on corrugated roads.
10pm, just after sunset, I'm snoozing off, and I hear voices on the river getting closer, maybe even landing near my campsite. I peek out of the tent, and yep, two military guys rowing in a small rubber duck. They see me, respect my privacy, and to my surprise just head off! No interogation, or forced eviction, I sensed they were freedom seekers themselves...
I'd decided I didn't need the electric bear fence tonight, just having my psychological garden sical alongside me for the night. For a moment before falling asleep I wondered if that was a good idea, but the lack of bear foot prints around, allowed the thought to be packed away, and me to slip into heavenly dream land, just the occasional gurgle of a fish in the river breaking the silence. Kluchi tomorrow!