The third part of our freeride film series Outlaw Diaries is finally ready. Prepare for a rough adventure far away from the usual bike destinations.
The first part of this series took place in Germany near Patrick a.k.a Bengel’s hometown. The second one brought us to British Columbia, following the tracks of all those legendary freeriders that set the foundation for our sport and inspired Bengel’s way of riding. After returning to B.C. for 6 years in a row, the time had come to seek for something new.
We left our comfort zone in search of a place where we could be pioneers again. A wild place, where no bike tire had touched the dirt before, with infinite opportunities to ride, especially steep and long runs. The east is calling. The Wild Wild East. Join us on a trip to the wilderness of Kamchatka, Russia.
About Kamchatka
Kamchatka is a peninsula in the Russian far east. It’s located in the Pacific Ocean north of Japan. It has a wild coastline with 160 volcanoes, 29 are active at the moment, rising from sea level up to 4.700 metres. To get there you take the longest domestic flight in the world from Moscow all the way to the east. Until 1990, Kamchatka was a restricted military area that was closed to the public and especially for tourists. Those who are interested in winter sports might have heard about it. It became quite famous for heli skiing over the last few years. But for mountain bikers this part of east Siberia is still no mans land.
We visited Kamchatka for two weeks in late September 2017. It was exactly the time when the short summer comes to an end and the giant birch forests turn from green to gold. The weather on the peninsula is as rough as the landscape and we experienced everything from pouring rain, strong storms and snow to three perfect blue bird days. We had to learn that nature is the boss in Siberia and so we had to take the opportunities that the weather gave us.
Filmmakers: El Flamingo
Photography: Constantin Fiene
Guiding: SnowXplore
