"The Road of Bones" Magadanskaya Oblast' by jorgejuansanchez

I have jusr arrived from a 3 months journey to Siberia and back to Spain, overland. I am tired now, but soon will write a full report about the Road of Bones, in a microbus called bukhanka, in 7 days.

It is not difficult at all to make the Road of Bones, even if you go alone will always find cars to cross from Yakutsk to Magadan or viceversa. From Magadan to Susuman there are regular buses every 48 hours, or shared taxis every day. The same happens between Yakutsk and Khandiga. You can hitch hike the rest of the road. If you are in a hurry, in 4 or 5 days you can do it, as follows:

Yakutsk - Khandiga - Ust Nera - Susuman - Magadan.

There are hostels everywhere, and restaurants. So, do not worry, the Road of Bones is presently very used, especially in summertime.

But be aware that there is another Road of Bones, the authentic, that runs from Khandiga to Tomtor, the old road. It is harder, there are holes with water in the way from Tomtor to Susuman (to connect with the new road) but many people cross it, even walking or by bike or in good land rovers (with the bukhanka I could not, after trying, and had to come back to take the new road untill Ust Nera, etc.).

Better try the old road !

I was in a small group of 5 PAX and could not, because two of them had booked an airplane ticket from Magadan to somewhere else and could not risk going through the old road for fear to lose their ticket.

Anyway, even if you take the new Road of Bones, it was a most interesting and remarkable journey !!!

If you have the opportunity and are brave enough, pls, DO IT!

In Magadan there is a monument devoted to the millions of people who died in the GULAGS around Magadan and constructing the Road of Bones, sent there by the criminal Stalin.