Russian Arctic Coast 2015 trip.

The Russian travel on E31 - a rarity. This is due not so much to the state of the roads (in many parts of the roads are very good, as most of the main routes), but with a distance greater than the European average in several times - a long road and the road (even with our prices for gasoline), and often tedious - travel per day 1,5-2 thousand. km is not easy, especially when you consider that the maximum speed on a highway in Russia is limited to 90 km / h, and on highways - 110 km / h. In recent years, most roads on a plurality of radars, so that a limit is exceeded too often you can forget.

However, E31 - Gran Turismo car class , and then have to use it for this purpose.

This year, I dropped out a few days in early August , and I went to the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk - the city where I lived as a child and where I still have friends.Left on Thursday morning from Peter, the day arrived in Petrozavodsk, where he stayed for about 5 hours, and from there headed for Murmansk.The route St. Petersburg-Murmansk - in perfect condition. Many new sections straightened, roadsides, fences, signs, signs - all on 5. You can fly, but I went 100-110, sometimes only accelerated to 160-180 km / h. Machine small, because season return from vacation yet to come. Many expeditions jeeps coming together for 2-4 cars.I sleep in Kemi, on the track after a single 5-km stretch of unpaved - there is a repair and the bridge is done. A few bridges do in North Karelia and the Murmansk region, but there are no traffic jams.At 3 am Friday continued the flight. It started to rain, and on the approach to Khibiny - fog.

My E31 - 1990, Japan edition, full original.

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A complete map of the route , the route M18.
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Petrozavodsk-Segeja, M18.
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Louhi-Kandalaksha, M18.
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Zalenoborsky Village , 5 in the morning . In the background - hydroelectric power . М18, on the border of the Kola Peninsula.
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In the center of the Kola Peninsula are mountains Khibiny, crossing it from west to east . They also share peninsula two climatic zones - north and cooler in the summer humidity is higher in the winter on the contrary . Hibiny usually tight fog.

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At the entrance to him, I stopped near the lake , which led private asphalt road . Lakes Peninsula very much.

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Actually, the "flight" across Hibiny was the most difficult section - constantly was rain in some places - heavy fog , but the excellent condition of the roads and the almost complete absence of cars made it easier for some .
But in any case, despite the gray and cloudy weather , views were stunning , and the nature - gorgeous.

In Murmansk I arrived around 8 am on the last liter of petrol . By the way , the situation with gasoline throughout the normal route , but the number of refills, of course, is not as great as in the central areas - because of the small number of settlements and large distances between them. Few motels - it is easier to turn into town not far from the road and spend the night there . In North Karelia and Murmansk region almost no motels .Many sites - and they are also used by heavy trucks and autoexpedition . Murmansk greeted the morning sun and periodic rain. Road conditions are generally good, if you do not get into the workers' quarters (but of course, I climbed ) .

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In the future, the weather was and remained - on Friday the sun - rain - fog, on Saturday - lots of sun , heat almost , and only in the evening , rain and fog .

I ride around the neighborhood - on the other side of the bay, to the N.-Tulomskaya hydroelectric , on different roads leading to the Norwegian (Е-105) and Finnish borders (P-12). Everywhere beautiful asphalt, and only if you move out down to the docks , was a primer - but it is quite tolerant to move at a speed of 30-40 km / h .

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Murmansk - not only the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle , but the main base of Russia's nuclear icebreaker fleet . The world's first nuclear-powered icebreaker ( and the world's first surface vessel with nuclear reactor ) , "Lenin " was commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1989 and is now a museum ship .
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I stayed with a friend, from the window of an apartment with a stunning view.

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On Saturday, I went on a trip around the neighborhood and the city.

Kola Peninsula - the main base of the Northern Fleet, the largest naval group in Russia. Here are based the most powerful surface warships in the world - such as nuclear missile cruiser "Peter the Great" ("Kirov" klass) and heavy missile cruiser ("Moscow" klass).

In Severomorsk based Russian aircraft carrier "Admiral Kuznetsov", and in a variety of bases on the coast of the peninsula - nuclear submarines, including 2/3 of Russian nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles - a component of the Russian nuclear shield.

There are numerous airfields, radar stations, air defense systems, coastal batteries, military factories. Because of this, most of the towns on the coast is closed for entry of ordinary citizens. But, at the same time, thanks to the peninsula a good road network.Roads in the area stretching for hundreds of kilometers apart. Most of them leads either to the border, or to naval bases, or to any other private facilities. Therefore, despite the very small number of towns and villages, most roads - asphalt, and in good condition.
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Murmansk, on one side , acquires all the new shops , shopping malls , getting rid of dilapidated housing , but the total population it increases and decreases ( insignificantly ) . Because of this little building of new homes . In general, with more than 450 thousand people in 1989-1990 the population over 25 years was reduced to about 300 thous in 2014-2015 . However, the title of Murmansk as the largest city in the world north of the Arctic Circle is still not in danger.

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After some deliberation, it was decided to go way back too early in the morning and at 2.00 on Sunday . It was connected with the fact that I was going to drive into the city, which the M-18 bypass ( Kandalaksha , Louhi , Kem , Medvezhyegorsk ) and S.-Peter I had to go back to the night , and through Sortavala . Well, the main reason was to leave early to get to Varzuga task complicated by the lack of information on the state of the road leading to this village .

Leaving 1.30 , immediately got into a band of rain and fog. Fortunately, there is still not over the polar day (now there like in St. Petersburg in the middle of the White Nights ) , in fact, the photo shows that even though the sky is overcast , but bright . The photos are made between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning .

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Due to the fact that the route to be large, and the time was limited to travel , I went to Murmansk - on the cruise control with a speed of 100-105 km / h , the optimum in terms of both rights and flow ( 12 ~ L / 100 km ) it was difficult. Furthermore, in some areas the fog was such that had slowed to 60-80 km / h . Therefore , as soon as the fog -free areas , the rate went over 160 km / h . This was facilitated by the almost complete absence of cars and road conditions .

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Flight across Hibiny...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5Y3EIf3ZpB4
...I turned off the M-18 near Kandalaksha , passed the city and headed for Umba . Upcoming path length of about 260 km - 125 km to the Umba and ~ 140 km to Varzuga . Actually, what was known : the road goes along the coast to the village Kuzomen , and she had to be covered with asphalt . Before reaching ~ 30 km to the Kuzomen in the left side of the trail on Varzuga . This piece ( ~ 20 km) was ground, but smooth ( grader ) .
" Do not go, there you are waiting for trouble! - But how can you not go, because they are also waiting for you! " . Especially after traveling through the fields Ukraine for Alpina 5.0 №79.:)

A little bit about why it wanted to get to these places. Varzuga - one of the oldest (first mentioned in 1466), and, at one time, the largest village of the Kola Peninsula. For a long time it was the domain of the Solovetsky monastery, and now in this small (less than 400 people.) The village is as much as 4 churches, including the oldest on the Kola Peninsula Church of the Assumption (1674). In addition, interested me begin Varzuga tracks (country roads) into the interior of the peninsula, but it is not pertinent to this trip.

Excellent asphalt road to the Umba (125 km), I went less than an hour. In the village the eyeballs refueled and headed on.

After about 70 km on a new , fresh asphalt ( less than half an hour ) , I ran into the primer . The last 60 km is being renovated , the asphalt is removed and the primer with holes for which go more than 30 km / h is difficult . How many runs this site - is unknown , but I have to check it has not been . As a result , a bite in solitude in the midst of the marshes , I turned around and flew back .

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Kuzreka village.
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Kuzreka-Varzuga road.
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On the way back he stopped in the village Kuzreka , where the eponymous river flows into the White Sea . Going down to it , I'm so 2 days went by as much as two seas at once. Interestingly, on large-scale maps of this village is listed as non-residential .

The way back to Kandalaksha took me less time (excluding stop Kuzreka ) - about 1.20 . The traffic was very sporadic - some 4x4 vehicles ( expedition ) and a couple of morning buses.

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This was followed by races in Kandalaksha , Zelenoborsky , Louhi and Kem . In all these cities look not much to see , (excluding natural , of course) except stations and hydroelectric power - in fact, the port and a few plants ( Kandalaksha ) , hydroelectric power ( in Zlenoborskom and Kem ) and Railway ( Kandalaksha , Louhi and Kem ) are the main source of jobs for local people. Even if no time limit , there is nothing special to do .

Kandalaksha

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Zelenoborsky
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Louhi
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Kem
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Around 20.00 I drove to the Pryaja , where the M-18 highway took to Sortavala . It has been recently renovated - perfect finish , marking . Only three places went repair bridges. Machines were very few , and 210 km to the Sortavala I went in less than 1.30. But the road from Sortavala to Peter was the most difficult segment of the whole trip - the night rain , streamers , 15 km terrifying primer ( washboard , which go more than 20 km / h was not possible ) , also began to affect fatigue. As a result , I was at home at 3.00 on Monday.

Kem-Segeja, M-18 road.
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Medvezhyegorsk
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Total for 4 days had passed almost 3600 km.
Of these, from St. Petersburg-Petrozavodsk-Murmansk - ~ 1,400 km at an average speed of about 90 km / h and an average consumption of 13 l / 100 km, most of the way - on the cruise control with a speed of 100-105 km / h.
In the Murmansk region - about 200 km.
From Murmansk-Kandalaksha-Umba-Kuzreka+piece at Varzuga-Umba-Kandalaksha-Louhi-Kem-Medvezhyegorsk-Pryaja-Sortavala-Priozersk-St. Petersburg - ~ 2000 km with an average speed of about 90 km / h and an average consumption of 15.5 liters / 100 km, but with a different pace of movement - up to 60 km / h to 170-200 km / h. Of course, on a section of the navigator showed 250 km / h. Total return trip took almost 26 hours.

The first map - the road to Murmansk , in the second - the reverse route ( whole ) , the third - the route Kandalaksha - Varzuga , and on the fourth map route Varzurg a large scale , a cross marked the point where I turned back.

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As for the car.
On the one hand , on my machine are Eibach springs and Bilstein shock absorbers ( front) and Saks (rear) , on the other hand - wheels R16.
If you do not take into account the terrible piece under Sortavala (near Lahdenpohja ) , no discomfort I experienced - has always been soft. At the same time , there were high speed , but the car all the way was like glued .

Ground clearance always enough.

Everything worked smoothly and any problems .

But the car 25 years !

I hope that my report will be of interest to everyone who is going to visit the north of Russia in the car.

I went alone, for me it's familiar. Pictures I corrected , and now everything works.