Yuksekova - Tatvan

  Tatvan, Turkey
Friday, November 23, 2007

Itinerary : Yuksekova - Tatvan
Dates : 23rd of November 2007
Mileage in Turkey : 300 km
Mileage so far : 15700 km


We woke up in our shit room in Yuksekova with only one thing in mind : "is there snow outside?" And without any real surprise when we opened the curtains, there was snow and it was still snowing...We still decided to jump on the bikes as soon as possible to ride as far as we could and improvise when the time comes. So at 6 am, we were on the bikes on our way to Diyarbakir, which is at 550 km from where we were. So we started with our rain gear on, and ready to take whatever the guy up there would decide to throw at us! Kevin was a bit less well equipped as I was, and he was not really aware that this part of the trip would be the crucial part. I knew when I planned the trip in Singapore that Kashmir would be difficult but possible with luck and sunny weather was on my side, but I was also aware that the Iran-Turkey passage would be the most difficult part of the trip because of our timing. So Kevin only brought hiking boots! Well guys, without any real surprise, this is the second most difficult day of the trip, after the "Keylong-Leh" road and it was Kevin's most difficult day of the trip. It was even more difficult for him as he was practically barefoot and his GS doesn't have any windscreen!

What we woke up to in the morning...

How i found my bike in the morning...

Off we went...not knowing what was waiting for us.

We started the first few km at a very slow pace to test the road grip and it seemed to be not to bad. Actually it was more melted snow than snow and it was probably the equivalent as riding in heavy rain so it was not so bad. The most dangerous was actually our vision because of the falling snow and I couldn't see a thing trough my visor so I was riding wıth my visor up. Then things started to get really nasty when we reached the highest pass at 2800 meters and it was minus 2 degrees where it was snowing heavily and this time we were really riding on snow. It was my first time and hopefully it will be my last...Maybe I'm a little bit more daring and unconscious so I was relatively relax trough this experience but Kevin was very "edgy". He was really scared to get stuck in the snow that he didn't take advantage of this day. I think he was too cold that his brain was not working properly and he was taking funny decisions! So we make a good team as I am telling him we can't die, he's telling me we are going to die, so at the end we agree on we might die so let's be careful...It was the second hardest day for me but like in Kashmir, I actually honestly enjoyed it! I really enjoyed the thrill and adventure, and was taking advantage of every moment...I was telling myself after all, when will I ever ride again on snow in the eastern Turkey mountains at 2800 meters minus 2 degrees with a motorbike on snow...So I was taking my time, doing a lot of stops to take it easy as it was tiring, watching the scenery and taking pictures...But Kevin didn't want to stop at all! He didn't pee, didn't want to eat, didn't want to drink, didn't want to stop to rest and when he was thirsty, I was the one getting the drinks for hım! Haha no prob...This is team work and he would have done the same for me. So a bit of a little clash today but he apologised as he realized that he was maybe "loosing it" and over panicking...

A bit worried...

Great! we can overtake now...

Huh...is this the right direction?

Once we reached the other side of the pass, the snow stopped and the road was clear of snow...Great I thought, we just did the hardest and made it in one piece. Kevin was still freezing cold and I think his toes were not far from dropping off...So I told him to go at his pace, I will go at my pace, and to meet at the next junction. Kevin went off in front, head down, probably talking to his toes and tellıng them to hang on in there...

Back in the dry! hopes are high! not for long...

Then maybe 20 km down the road, there was this little covered rest area along the road where I saw Kevin's bike parked. So I stopped as well and consulted Kevin on his health and he felt like shit. His toes were so cold that he actually took out his Swiss knife and cut off a piece of the plastic that was being used as the shelter's roof top to put inside his shoes! That's desperation! So I told him to move and that I will meet him down the road again. I felt bad for him because I could see that he was not OK to the point where his behaviour changed and was acting weird.

Irishman in destress...

the rest area shelter...with vandalised roof...

Irish refugee...

So it's with no surprise that I was stopped at the next police checkpoint and Kevin had actually fled the checkpoint while the policeman was waving at him to stop. One of the funny decisions that Kevin took today...You can do that In Malaysia, maybe Thailand, but not in Turkey Kev! So when I stopped at the checkpoint at my turn, the policeman was just doing a routine checking and was nice to me until I asked him if he saw my friend pass earlier...Then he started to be a bit angry and told me the story about Kevin not stopping and that he got himself into trouble...The next checkpoint had been warned that a motorbike had refused to stop...So when I arrived at the next checkpoint, Kevin was there and he explained that he had just been yell at! He then explained that he didn't stop at the previous checkpoint because he was too cold...So this time I decided to ride with Kevin and open the road...The weather was getting a bit warmer (+2C) and it was raining but I was actually pleased to have rain instead of snow. Unfortunately, after a couple of kilometres, it started to get cold again so I glanced at my GPS and saw that we were going up again and the temperature had dropped to minus 4! With no surprise it started snowing again and when we reached 2200 meters, it was complete chaos! Meaning there was ice on the road for about 2 km and there was cars, buses, trucks stopped all over the road, stuck because of the ice. So we were not an exception and I dropped the bike 4 times in 500 meters! It was so slippery that we almost couldn't lift up the bike as our shoes were not gripping on the road! Even when the bike was up and on a stand still, the tyres would just slide off...And when I managed to keep the bike up, I couldn't even move forward and was sliding backwards! Kevin went crazy up there and completely lost it! I was relaxed, maybe too relaxed and maybe not realizıng what could happen...He was literally telling me "Chris, we are going to stay stuck here without being able to go down and we are going to die!". So I calmly replied "you die if you want to, me I'm getting down, maybe with a few bruises but I'm getting down, and I'll slide the bike down on it's side if I have to!". Kevin went even more nuts when one of the cars slid down the road and bumped into our bikes! I knew the GS was made to take knocks so I was not really impressed...And like I mentioned earlier, I was expecting this and i was told by more experıenced travellers (like my friend Marc Edelstein) before my departure that this part would be freezıng at thıs time of the year. This is what is suppose to happen when you ride on snow or ice and decide to cross this part of Turkey at this time of the year i guess...

First of the many falls...

Still not impressed...

Back in the snow...

Anyway, we made it down in one piece again and when we were stopped at the next checkpoint, there was a fire place where I proposed Kev to go and warm himself up. I think it was his high of the day. I was ok and actually enjoyed that stop. Most importantly I was not cold...After having lived 3 years in Grenoble and going back home almost every week-end at 4 am in T-shirt, I was immune to this type of weather...Notice the difference in face expression on the pictures between Kevin and I?

Kevin not enjoying the day...Dreaming of heat...

Stopped at army checkpoint because of the snow...

Snowing big time at the checkpoint...

Not impressed by snow after 3 years in grenoble!

After 9 hours on the road and 300 km, I think Kevin had it and it was time to stop. So we did about half of what we were suppose to do today and we ended up in this town which is a ski resort! On our motorbikes in end-November! I'm almost sure this is not the end of the snow for us and tomorrow will be a very difficult day as well....The map shows a chain of mountains to cross with one last high altitude pass...Anyway, tomorrow is another day...So we'll see when the time comes...

When we arrived in the town, I found an hotel that looked ok and pointed it to Kevin, but Kevin saw a top-end hotel which he couldn't resist and turned in without signalling me...When we entered, he didn't even ask if they had rooms or the price, and directly asked if the rooms had good heaters! Poor Kev...He really had a rough day...So I went out to grab some food for us while he was soaking his feet in the bathtub and I noticed a hiking shop where he could buy some warmer boots, gloves, hood, scarf, socks...Well almost everything you need to ride bikes at this time of the year! You crazy Irishman!

Time to stop in Tatvan...getting dark...

What i look like after a day riding in snow...Hmm

So tomorrow, I'm afraid that it's going to be pretty much the same thing and if the weather is bad when we wake-up, I proposed Kev to put the bikes on a train...It was maybe a little bit just too dangerous...With the trucks, the ice, the snow, the low-vision, the cold,...Actually Kevin doesn't want to hang out and visit eastern Europe anymore!

Hopefully my next entry will be more positive and pleasant...And Kevin would have gotten back his sense of humour which is apparently linked to his body temperature!