0:00:02 > 0:00:05Five billion kilometres of roads network the planet.
0:00:07 > 0:00:11Our desire to develop means new routes are being forged through increasingly difficult terrain.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Across arctic wilderness...
0:00:16 > 0:00:18That was a game of chicken, there.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20..over high mountain passes...
0:00:20 > 0:00:23That's as big as a drop as we've seen so far
0:00:23 > 0:00:25..and through dense jungles.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27Good work, very good work.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31These roads may be a testament to man's ingenuity,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33but driving on them requires skill...
0:00:33 > 0:00:35I'm going to get out the car. I can't bear it.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38- ..stamina...- Andy!
0:00:38 > 0:00:40..and a steady nerve.
0:00:40 > 0:00:42HORN BLARES
0:00:42 > 0:00:50This programme contains some strong language.
0:00:51 > 0:00:54Good friends and fellow comedians Ed Byrne and Andy Parsons
0:00:54 > 0:00:58have teamed up to drive across Siberia.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Quite a dicey bit, I'm starting to get the willies, ever so slightly
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Only one road crosses this vast and inhospitable land,
0:01:05 > 0:01:07the Kolyma Highway.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10Built in the 1930s,
0:01:10 > 0:01:12it claimed the lives of over one million prisoners
0:01:12 > 0:01:18during its construction, earning it the name the Road Of Bones.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Keep it dead straight. Dead straight.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24Their aim is to reach the coastal town of Magadan
0:01:24 > 0:01:26known as the Gateway To Hell.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29I mean, that is a complete whiteout.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33The road they are taking has some of the most brutal driving conditions
0:01:33 > 0:01:37either of them have ever encountered,
0:01:37 > 0:01:41on one of the world's most dangerous roads.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Ed and Andy start their journey in the world's coldest city, Yakutsk.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Temperatures here rival those deep inside the arctic circle.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08It's a bone-chilling minus 27 degrees Celsius,
0:02:08 > 0:02:11and forecast to fall even lower.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17First stop is one of Yakutsk's many heated lock ups.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Not even cars can be left out in the elements.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25I'm guessing it's that one there. Hello. Zdravstvujtye.
0:02:25 > 0:02:30- Ed.- Andy.- Sergei.- Hi.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33How old is this car, Sergei?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41Is there anything we need to know in regards to the engine and the running of the car?
0:02:56 > 0:03:00Fuel stops are few and far between, so Sergei is showing them
0:03:00 > 0:03:03how to refuel on the go.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05- OK.- Wow, it's actually...
0:03:05 > 0:03:07You've got to suck it.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11How did it taste?
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- It's a bit...petroly. - That's a '94.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21I just think it's going to be an adventure,
0:03:21 > 0:03:23a proper, old-school adventure.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28The cold, I'm definitely going to be nervous of the cold.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31If we ever need to have a wee in the snow, when its past minus 30,
0:03:31 > 0:03:34you've got to keep spraying, keep moving,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37otherwise it's liable to freeze back up towards your penis,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39and nobody wants that, do they?
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Later, Yakutsk!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43We've known each other some 17 years.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46We haven't really gotten on each other's nerves yet,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50but I think this could be the tester, this could be.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53I think I could possible push him right to the brink
0:03:53 > 0:03:56of what is humanly possible to stand from another person.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59We are on the road.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01Let's put it there.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Sorry, I should've smacked that.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06It was nice to get a hold.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09Rather than just hold your hand like the end of Thelma & Louise.
0:04:09 > 0:04:13- Don't do it!- Let's just keep going! Let's just keep going!
0:04:15 > 0:04:20Stretching almost half way round the planet,
0:04:20 > 0:04:24Russia remains one of the world's true great wildernesses.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Nearly 5,000km east of Moscow
0:04:27 > 0:04:29is the frozen city of Yakutsk.
0:04:29 > 0:04:33And their route will take them over 2,000km
0:04:33 > 0:04:35to the coastal town of Magadan.
0:04:38 > 0:04:44It's actually quite nice, this stretch, the way it kind of wends its way through the hills, isn't it?
0:04:44 > 0:04:48Ed and Andy begin their journey on the Kolyma Highway,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51built to access the vast gold, oil, and iron reserves,
0:04:51 > 0:04:54buried deep inside the Siberian mountains.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58I say... Oi, it's quite a nice bit, this,
0:04:58 > 0:05:00where it wends its way.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02You just keep your eyes on the road.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06Today they have to cover over 300km to reach their home for the night.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10They'll be staying with reindeer herders
0:05:10 > 0:05:12high up in the mountains.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15We'll be sleeping in a yurt tonight.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17I have slept in a yurt before.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20And how was it? Was it a good experience?
0:05:20 > 0:05:22No, it was a load of shit.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Is there not a Premier Inn nearby?
0:05:25 > 0:05:29We'll light a fire. It'll be lovely. You and I could cuddle up.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- You and me could spoon.- Spoon?!
0:05:33 > 0:05:36I was trying to picture you and me spooning in a yurt, you know...
0:05:36 > 0:05:39You don't need to picture it,
0:05:39 > 0:05:44it's going to happen in a matter of hours, it'll be taking place.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47I'm sleeping with the reindeer.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52Ed's been behind the wheel for the past six hours,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56making good progress and they've covered almost 200km.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58This is quite a dicey bit,
0:05:58 > 0:06:01I'm starting to get the willies, ever so slightly.
0:06:01 > 0:06:03That looks fairly sharp.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08Whoa!
0:06:09 > 0:06:11Whoa!
0:06:12 > 0:06:14Shit!
0:06:18 > 0:06:21They've come off the road in the path of oncoming traffic.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Spotting their immediate danger, passing drivers waste no time
0:06:28 > 0:06:30and pull them out.
0:06:36 > 0:06:39Thank you, thank you.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44You weren't expecting the car to do that either, were you?
0:06:44 > 0:06:46No, mate.
0:06:47 > 0:06:52I only passed my test about three years ago.
0:06:52 > 0:06:56Apparently he only passed his test three years ago,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00now he didn't actually tell me that before we left the UK.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Had he told me that,
0:07:02 > 0:07:05I might've asked for a slightly more experienced co-driver.
0:07:05 > 0:07:10Reindeer herders are traditionally nomadic communities,
0:07:10 > 0:07:13living in makeshift camps.
0:07:13 > 0:07:17With no fixed address, Andy and Ed have arranged to meet them
0:07:17 > 0:07:21on the side of the road, but they're not sure exactly where.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24We should see them in the next 20k, or so.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27Yeah, so we're looking out.
0:07:29 > 0:07:32But over 60km on,
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and there's still no sign of tonight's accommodation.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40Let's not imagine all the things that could go wrong here.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- It could be you and I sleeping in our 4x4...- Yeah.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48..with the engine running all night.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54I can see some lights ahead.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59Yep, this could be our man.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03This could be our contact, our reindeer connection.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05Let's get down here. Let's have a look.
0:08:05 > 0:08:10Cheers, fellas. Now, you go, we'll follow you?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16With the temperature now well below minus 40,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19they head out across the frozen tundra
0:08:19 > 0:08:23following their hosts for the night.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27The Yakuts rely on reindeers for their survival,
0:08:27 > 0:08:29providing them with transportation, shelter,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32clothing, medicine and food.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34- Let's get in.- Oh!
0:08:38 > 0:08:39Ed.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41- Valentina.- Valentina.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48Oh, we're very late.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51Yeah, sorry about that.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54It's lucky we're having stew.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59How do you decide which reindeer you're going to eat of an evening?
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Old reindeers who can no longer pull a sledge?
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I love your cutting skills, there.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13I mean, that is a chunk and a half, isn't it?
0:09:16 > 0:09:17It's very good
0:09:18 > 0:09:22Valentina runs the herd with her four sons.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24How many reindeer do you have?
0:09:27 > 0:09:30A thousand? Is that considered quite a large reindeer farm?
0:09:37 > 0:09:39And you have done this all your life?
0:09:53 > 0:09:57So, tonight, we are supposed to be staying in a yurt,
0:09:57 > 0:10:01now you've probably heard of "glamping" - glamorous camping.
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Let me tell you this certainly isn't "glurting".
0:10:05 > 0:10:08This is the accommodation,
0:10:08 > 0:10:15that is ice, this is my sleeping beauty over here.
0:10:15 > 0:10:21That is the toilet facility for this evening.
0:10:21 > 0:10:24Solids will just have to wait for another day.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42With the morning sun comes light but no solace from the bitter cold.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46It's minus 51.
0:10:48 > 0:10:50So, last night was pretty horrific.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Turns out we were actually sleeping
0:10:52 > 0:10:54in the kitchen of the reindeer farmers.
0:10:54 > 0:10:58So they were coming in every hour to, in fact,
0:10:58 > 0:11:00put on more logs onto the stove,
0:11:00 > 0:11:04as you can probably see a little bit of stove there.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08So, in-between the massive heat coming off the furnace,
0:11:08 > 0:11:11and the ice on the side of the yurt walls,
0:11:11 > 0:11:13and the cars running continuously,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16I was having massive anxiety dreams,
0:11:16 > 0:11:19thinking that maybe I was going to be boiled alive,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21or frozen to death, or run over.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Before the 1930s,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34there were no roads in Siberia.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38The only way to cross this vast and inaccessible land
0:11:38 > 0:11:41was on sledges pulled by reindeer.
0:11:42 > 0:11:43Zdravstvujtye.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51You have some good looking reindeer and some fine looking sleds,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53- can we have a go? - This one has only one horn.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01OK, it's perfectly natural. He's not the crazy one
0:12:01 > 0:12:04We don't have to worry. Get on him.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06Take it away, Ed.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Oh, we're off!
0:12:08 > 0:12:11Oh, my goodness me. Here we go. Crikey!
0:12:11 > 0:12:14We didn't really know exactly what was going to happen,
0:12:14 > 0:12:18and the next thing you know, he jumps on me.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20And I was like, "Oh, OK. We're friends now, are we?"
0:12:20 > 0:12:23Wow, look at this!
0:12:23 > 0:12:27Mine's having a poo! Mine is having a poo!
0:12:30 > 0:12:33It was good, it wasn't as bumpy or as fast
0:12:33 > 0:12:36as I thought it was going to be, but my penis froze, I think.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47The next settlement on the highway is Khandyga,
0:12:47 > 0:12:51first established to build the Road Of Bones.
0:12:58 > 0:13:02Carved out of the mountain side by gangs of prisoners,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06the road is remarkable, not only for the sheer scale of its engineering,
0:13:06 > 0:13:09but also for the cruelty and inhumanity
0:13:09 > 0:13:13that was carried out during its construction.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15In the 1930s, the discovery of gold
0:13:15 > 0:13:18in the mountainous interior of Siberia
0:13:18 > 0:13:20prompted dictator Joseph Stalin
0:13:20 > 0:13:25to set up a network of forced labour camps known as gulags
0:13:25 > 0:13:29to construct a road to access the region's precious resources.
0:13:33 > 0:13:34Arriving in Khandyga,
0:13:34 > 0:13:39Ed and Andy meet up with Sergei, a local history enthusiast.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46So, these are all gulags, these are all sites of gulags?
0:13:46 > 0:13:50Far east territory.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56And so that is the Road of Bones?
0:13:56 > 0:14:01- From Khandyga to Magadan.- Yes.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27So, it's basically... the road is a mass grave?
0:14:32 > 0:14:34And can you tell us, in total, how many people actually died?
0:14:37 > 0:14:38A million people died?!
0:14:42 > 0:14:47It's a very sobering thought that the people that built this road
0:14:47 > 0:14:49probably died doing it, and you're actually rolling over
0:14:49 > 0:14:54a testament to slavery and imprisonment.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58So, can you tell us,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01what sort of things did people actually get sent to the gulags for?
0:15:13 > 0:15:17And is it right that you could just tell a joke against Stalin,
0:15:17 > 0:15:21maybe to a friend, and if somebody overheard the joke
0:15:21 > 0:15:24that was enough to send you away to the gulag in Siberia?
0:15:29 > 0:15:34I'm guessing a stand-up comedian never existed in Stalin's time.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Even if you got one joke and told that to somebody,
0:15:36 > 0:15:38that was enough,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40and not only was it if you told a joke -
0:15:40 > 0:15:41whoever heard the joke,
0:15:41 > 0:15:44anybody who was related to you over any period of time,
0:15:44 > 0:15:45anybody could be done.
0:15:45 > 0:15:48All over the world, there are people, even today,
0:15:48 > 0:15:50who can't do what we've taken for granted
0:15:50 > 0:15:52being able to do for a long time.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54We can make jokes about our government
0:15:54 > 0:15:58and jokes about our leaders and it really doesn't matter.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06After Stalin's death in 1953,
0:16:06 > 0:16:10the majority of the Gulag camps were closed,
0:16:10 > 0:16:14the inmates left to fend for themselves.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16With nowhere to go, many decided to stay,
0:16:16 > 0:16:20their former prison became their homes.
0:16:20 > 0:16:22Kyubyume, is that right?
0:16:22 > 0:16:24Kyubyume, yeah.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Completely deserted.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30I wonder... like, the fact that people stayed
0:16:30 > 0:16:33after it stopped being a gulag,
0:16:33 > 0:16:36and then they turned it into a town,
0:16:36 > 0:16:41how bad did life get then as a town that they finally decided to leave?
0:16:41 > 0:16:45Yeah. Do you fancy having a little walk round?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47I think we ought.
0:16:49 > 0:16:50You go first, Ed.
0:16:54 > 0:16:57That's an old projector.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00That is a projector.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04- Is it a cinema? - It's an old cinema, maybe.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09It must be, this must be the old projection room.
0:17:15 > 0:17:19That is incredible - somebody's cut it all up,
0:17:19 > 0:17:21didn't like what was in there.
0:17:21 > 0:17:25It's an old episode of Have I Got News For You.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30It'd be really cool if I could identify what film it was but I can't see anything.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Let's go round into the cinema bit.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36OK, Ed.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39I wonder if it doubled as a theatre, as well,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41You going to do me a quick five minutes, Ed?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44Hey, anybody here from Khandyga.
0:17:45 > 0:17:50Yeah, we know what you guys do with reindeers, yeah, am I right?
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Am I right?
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Tough crowd.
0:17:59 > 0:18:04There's something really eerie about deserted places, it's just horrible.
0:18:04 > 0:18:10If the sun wasn't shining, this would be particularly scary, wouldn't it?
0:18:10 > 0:18:14Yeah, I'm not a man who believes in ghosts
0:18:14 > 0:18:17but I wouldn't really fancy hanging around here at night.
0:18:17 > 0:18:22No, a town built on an old gulag that is now deserted, grim.
0:18:22 > 0:18:27- It's a horror story waiting to happen, isn't it?- Let's get out.
0:18:32 > 0:18:36Ed and Andy have reached the only junction on the Kolyma Highway,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39for the first time they have a choice of routes.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42They can either take a short cut along the old road
0:18:42 > 0:18:44which heads directly east -
0:18:44 > 0:18:46it's a less travelled route
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and the conditions are notoriously unpredicatble -
0:18:49 > 0:18:52or they can continue on the modern highway,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54but this is an extra day's drive further north
0:18:54 > 0:18:59and adds over 500km to their journey.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10It's, sort of, make-your-mind-up time, isn't it?
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Because this is the old road.
0:19:14 > 0:19:18And we've just passed the sign to the new road that goes north
0:19:18 > 0:19:22to the gold mines and is the longer route round.
0:19:22 > 0:19:30But the safer route, the longer, safer, easier route.
0:19:30 > 0:19:34- So, which route are we going to take? - What do you think?- The short one to the coldest place on Earth.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36It's a no brainer. A, it's shorter.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38- Yeah.- And B, it's more exciting
0:19:38 > 0:19:41because we get to visit the coldest inhabited place on Earth.
0:19:41 > 0:19:45- We're not going to miss out on that, are we?- No, no.
0:19:45 > 0:19:46Right, let's do the old road.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04This is a very different sort of road, isn't it?
0:20:04 > 0:20:09The snow is freshly packed, it's much narrower, all single lane.
0:20:09 > 0:20:14Guess it'll save us 500k but it could cost us.
0:20:14 > 0:20:19It could cost us one Nissan Safari.
0:20:19 > 0:20:23- Whoa, Andy!- Hang on.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28WHOA! Just... foot off the gas.
0:20:28 > 0:20:32Did the verge just get a bit too soft there?
0:20:32 > 0:20:36I don't know, it suddenly lost the wheel on the right hand side.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38But I will keep the speed down a bit.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46Andy and Ed are aiming to reach Tomtor by nightfall.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Along with its sister town Oymyakon,
0:20:48 > 0:20:53they both claim the title of the coldest inhabited place on Earth.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58In such extreme conditions, monitoring the weather is vital.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02Siberia has over 2000 weather stations,
0:21:02 > 0:21:06and the boys arrive as Sergei is sending through his latest report.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12In the time you've been here, what's the lowest temperature you've seen recorded?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20So, there is a competition between Oymyakon
0:21:20 > 0:21:22and Tomtor as to which is the coldest.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24What is the answer?
0:21:35 > 0:21:38OK, Oymyakon, that's the champion.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46I wonder if a town or settlement
0:21:46 > 0:21:52holds the record as being the coldest inhabited place on Earth,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55do you reckon its inhabitants also hold the record
0:21:55 > 0:21:58for the most bloody minded people on Earth?
0:21:58 > 0:22:02"I'm living here. I don't care how cold it is."
0:22:02 > 0:22:05Andy and Ed have made it Oymyakon.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Life in the coldest inhabited place on Earth
0:22:08 > 0:22:11presents a unique set of problems.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14Locals have come up with some ingenious solutions.
0:22:14 > 0:22:16Some cows on the right hand side, there.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Indeed. Hello, ladies.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Oh, look at that! One's got a little contraption round it,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23warming up its bits.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26- Did you see that, back up now. Have a look.- What?
0:22:28 > 0:22:33This one has got a jock strap.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35It's a bra!
0:22:35 > 0:22:39- It's a bra over the udders. - That is something else, isn't it?
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's not the most aesthetically pleasing bra, though, is it?
0:22:45 > 0:22:46It does look like a thong, doesn't it?
0:22:46 > 0:22:50It does, it is weird to think all the cows we've ever seen
0:22:50 > 0:22:51are topless,
0:22:51 > 0:22:55this is the first decent cows you and I have ever witnessed.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58You certainly realise just how wanton and disgusting
0:22:58 > 0:23:00the cows back home are.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Hi, are these your cows?
0:23:16 > 0:23:19And tell us exactly what are they wearing?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36And is it a matter of personal pride
0:23:36 > 0:23:40that you live in the coldest inhabited place on Earth?
0:23:42 > 0:23:46Have you ever thought of moving 40 km to Tomtor
0:23:46 > 0:23:49because it's a little bit warmer?
0:23:49 > 0:23:51Nyet.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It's colder than I could've comprehended.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57You feel it on your face,
0:23:57 > 0:23:59but you're wrapped up against it
0:23:59 > 0:24:02and you're all right for about ten or fifteen minutes.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05You can go out into it for short bursts
0:24:05 > 0:24:07and then you can slowly but surely
0:24:07 > 0:24:09feel your core temperature start to drop
0:24:09 > 0:24:11and you know you have to get back inside.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14It does feel like a very hostile environment.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25Arriving in Tomtor, they're parking up in a heated garage,
0:24:25 > 0:24:27and for the first time in four days
0:24:27 > 0:24:30they can finally switch the engine off.
0:24:34 > 0:24:36Sleep tight.
0:24:39 > 0:24:41We've done about half of the old road.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45We've got 320km to complete tomorrow to finish off the old road.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47Apparently this is the tricky part of the road -
0:24:47 > 0:24:50the locals don't do it they use the new road,
0:24:50 > 0:24:52which we decided we weren't going to do,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56apparently quite a lot of snow would have been blown by the wind,
0:24:56 > 0:24:59the locals reckon, which would've covered certain bits of the road
0:24:59 > 0:25:01so you can't even tell it's the road.
0:25:01 > 0:25:06Some of the bridges have not been maintained since the 1930s or '40s
0:25:06 > 0:25:08so it's certainly a challenge.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12If you are looking behind me thinking I'm in a wood - no.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16That's just the Russians idea of a cracking bit of wallpaper.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Tomtor marks the last settlement on the old road.
0:25:38 > 0:25:43Now out of town, they will need to be totally self-sufficient.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Try not to hit any potholes, I've got coffee in my hand.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52That could be going in your lap. There could be a court case coming.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55I'm telling you!
0:25:59 > 0:26:01This coffee is OK.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Today will not be a bad day.
0:26:05 > 0:26:07This coffee is a good omen.
0:26:07 > 0:26:09Lovely.
0:26:09 > 0:26:10Now.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13Have you burnt yourself?
0:26:13 > 0:26:15No, it's fine, it's OK.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19I'll be all right, just think of the mission.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26We've a long day of driving ahead of us so we can't dawdle.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29No, we're not quite sure how long.
0:26:29 > 0:26:33All we know is we've either got to get there or turn back.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35There's nothing in between, is there?
0:26:35 > 0:26:36How will we?
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Do you think it's a bit premature
0:26:38 > 0:26:41to work out how we'll celebrate this evening?
0:26:41 > 0:26:42And do you think it will involve vodka?
0:26:42 > 0:26:45I sincerely hope so.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Here we go, this looks like...
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Oh, no. It's just a big dip.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Maybe, let's have a look at it first.
0:26:54 > 0:26:56Yeah, it looks fine, doesn't it?
0:27:03 > 0:27:05Whoa, fuck!
0:27:09 > 0:27:10Sorry about that, mate.
0:27:10 > 0:27:11That's all right, mate.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Can you reverse? We'll be all right.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16OK, that's just spinning.
0:27:16 > 0:27:18- We'll try a bit of forward back, forward back.- OK.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31I would say that is well and truly stuck, wouldn't you?
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Maybe if we put the whats-the-name, the differential lock on,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38we might be able to do it,
0:27:38 > 0:27:42put it in, you know, low 4-wheel drive.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44Yeah?
0:27:47 > 0:27:53Ed, shall we tear those branches off to get it out?
0:27:53 > 0:27:55Do you think that's going to help?
0:27:55 > 0:27:58Well, it's blocked on this side, at the moment,
0:27:58 > 0:28:00so we're not going to go forward there.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03OK, I need to sort my boots out.
0:28:33 > 0:28:36- You all right, mate?- Yep.
0:28:40 > 0:28:45- You get back in and I'll see how it looks from out here.- OK.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Numpty.
0:28:51 > 0:28:53Put it in second and see what happens.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55Second?
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Second, and just see what happens.
0:28:58 > 0:29:01OK, here we go, there we go.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07There we go!
0:29:08 > 0:29:11OK, we have to go, we have to go.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18So, another dip coming up.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Take this one quite gently, if that's all right with you, Ed?
0:29:23 > 0:29:25I would be more than happy.
0:29:25 > 0:29:28The gentler you take this, the happier I'll be.
0:29:28 > 0:29:33OK, Ed, here we go, good luck us!
0:29:35 > 0:29:37Look at that! Smooth as!
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Got to be happy with that, haven't you?- Absolutely.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47This is a bridge, Ed.
0:29:47 > 0:29:51Ed and Andy have reached the Indigirka River,
0:29:51 > 0:29:55the only way across is over a 180m bridge.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57It's a big old bridge
0:29:59 > 0:30:03Built by gulag prisoners in the late '30s,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06the devastatingly frigid conditions have taken their toll.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09The snow covers years of neglect.
0:30:09 > 0:30:12You seen this bit here, Ed?
0:30:12 > 0:30:13You can see all the way down.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- That's not very encouraging, is it? - It's not great, is it?
0:30:16 > 0:30:19Somebody's put a blank across it, by the looks of it to protect it.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Let's hope it stays.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28See, the edges of the bridge have come away, here.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- They've just rotted down.- Yup.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35I don't want to be a nervous Nelly or a pessimist
0:30:35 > 0:30:37but it doesn't seem very safe.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41Can't we just stay here and admire the view?
0:30:43 > 0:30:45- We've got to get off, let's just do it.- Yeah?
0:30:45 > 0:30:48No, I'm not happy with it but I think we ought to do it
0:30:48 > 0:30:51- because we don't really have any choice.- OK.
0:30:55 > 0:31:02Ed will walk ahead, guiding Andy and their two-ton 4x4 across.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Just keep it dead straight, keep it dead straight!
0:31:16 > 0:31:21I can actually feel the bridge bending, ever so slightly.
0:31:30 > 0:31:32There's another massive hole, there.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42There's a bit of a bodge repair job, there.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44What's going on there Ed?
0:31:46 > 0:31:51It's the newest part of the bridge, we can rely on it.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53But Ed is very skinny
0:31:53 > 0:31:57so it's a slight difference between having Ed Byrne jump on something
0:31:57 > 0:31:59and having a car go across it.
0:32:01 > 0:32:06Ed's across, I'm across.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09Thank you!
0:32:11 > 0:32:12Thank you, very much!
0:32:18 > 0:32:21There was our first rickety bridge.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23The first of many, I'm sure.
0:32:27 > 0:32:31These tracks have got narrower and narrower, haven't they?
0:32:31 > 0:32:35We haven't seen anybody going in either direction.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37This is not a well-used road.
0:32:49 > 0:32:55It's definitely fair to say that if it's like this for too much longer we haven't got a hope, have we?
0:32:55 > 0:32:59I'm hoping we're going to get through this bit of mountain
0:32:59 > 0:33:01and come down the other side.
0:33:03 > 0:33:05Over five hours behind the wheel
0:33:05 > 0:33:09and they've only covered 80km.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14Oh, dear.
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Nothing's happening, is it?
0:33:21 > 0:33:25No. They're not even spinning. There's just nothing's happening.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27It's not looking good, mate.
0:33:27 > 0:33:29What is happening with the rear wheels?
0:33:29 > 0:33:30This one's spinning,
0:33:30 > 0:33:33and the one on the left hand side isn't doing anything at all.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40- We're in deep.- Yeah.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45So, we have to get under the vehicle and dig under the vehicle. OK?
0:33:45 > 0:33:48It's minus 36.
0:33:48 > 0:33:49At this temperature,
0:33:49 > 0:33:52Andy and Ed must be back in the car within twenty minutes,
0:33:52 > 0:33:55or they will risk hypothermia.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09Let me know if you find a bone.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12That is a horrible thought!
0:34:31 > 0:34:35Again, you want to try rocking the vehicle?
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- Yeah, OK.- See what you can do by pushing it from the front.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48- Nah.- I'm not moving it.- It's not going to do anything, is it?
0:34:48 > 0:34:51All right, mate, go for it.
0:34:56 > 0:34:57- No.- Let's just try reversing,
0:34:57 > 0:35:02let's get all the rocks and put them behind the wheels.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09One of the first signs of cold taking hold is frostbite -
0:35:09 > 0:35:13as the blood vessels under the skin start to freeze
0:35:13 > 0:35:14causing irreparable damage.
0:35:14 > 0:35:19Hands, ears and nose are the most vulnerable.
0:35:19 > 0:35:23Do you want to just give me a quick buddy check?
0:35:23 > 0:35:24My nose is feeling pretty cold.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27You want me to check your nose?
0:35:27 > 0:35:29Yeah, just a quick check of my nose, no white?
0:35:29 > 0:35:32I'm not talking about bogeys.
0:35:32 > 0:35:33No, you're all right, you're red.
0:35:33 > 0:35:35Let's give it a whirl.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37I'll stand to the side just in case.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Yeah, you're getting somewhere. Yeah, it's good.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41It's good, mate. Yeah, come on.
0:35:41 > 0:35:42Is it moving?
0:35:42 > 0:35:46Yes, straight back, straight back, yeah, good, good keep going!
0:35:49 > 0:35:51That'll do!
0:35:51 > 0:35:52That's great.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54It's great. It's cool.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Put it there, buddy.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58Do you want to drive?
0:35:58 > 0:36:00I'm happy to have a little go.
0:36:00 > 0:36:04This has stopped being fun, now.
0:36:09 > 0:36:12I think we're all good, mate. Let's take it slowly.
0:36:28 > 0:36:30Having spent hours driving in the most extreme terrain,
0:36:30 > 0:36:35they've covered just 160km,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38with another 80 to go.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59Come on, you bastard!
0:37:01 > 0:37:03Come on!
0:37:19 > 0:37:20I'm now of the opinion
0:37:20 > 0:37:24that there is absolutely no point in going on, mate.
0:37:28 > 0:37:33I think our chances of getting to our destination are zilch.
0:37:33 > 0:37:35Shit!
0:37:46 > 0:37:48I thought we were going to do it.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51What it feels like right now is -
0:37:51 > 0:37:55if you imagine you've spent you know, four or five hours
0:37:55 > 0:37:59constructing a beautiful model out of matchsticks
0:37:59 > 0:38:03and then you're dad came in and just stepped on it.
0:38:03 > 0:38:06The sun is about to go behind that mountain.
0:38:06 > 0:38:10- We don't want to be stuck here in the dark.- Take it away.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14They've got no choice
0:38:14 > 0:38:19but to turn around and return the 160km back to Tomtor
0:38:19 > 0:38:21for a second night.
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Yeah, we're very disappointed.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26You never want to go back, do you?
0:38:26 > 0:38:28We tried hard
0:38:28 > 0:38:30and I'm just sad we've not been able to make it.
0:38:33 > 0:38:38It's like trying to push water uphill, trying to drive in this.
0:38:38 > 0:38:40It's beyond the skills of someone
0:38:40 > 0:38:42who only passed his test three years ago.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56So, we're back in Tomtor.
0:38:56 > 0:38:59When we arrived here last night,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01I was delighted to see the place -
0:39:01 > 0:39:04warm beds, our own flushing toilet,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06the chance to have a bath,
0:39:06 > 0:39:09Tomtor was a sight for sore eyes yesterday.
0:39:09 > 0:39:15Coming here again today feels really depressing.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20When we made the decision to turn round,
0:39:20 > 0:39:23I really felt sick, although that might have been
0:39:23 > 0:39:26the amount of carbon monoxide I breathed in,
0:39:26 > 0:39:28whilst trying to dig the car out
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Having failed to make it on the old road,
0:39:55 > 0:39:58they must now double back 180km
0:39:58 > 0:40:02to where the old road re-joins the highway.
0:40:02 > 0:40:08From there it's another 155km through the Chersky mountain range
0:40:08 > 0:40:11to the gold mining town of Ust' Nera.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49It's well passed midday by the time they reach an all too familiar spot.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59Shall we take the old road or shall we take the new road?
0:40:59 > 0:41:00What do you think?
0:41:00 > 0:41:04Well, my feeling is that we're probably better off on the new road.
0:41:04 > 0:41:08I think it's more reliable. It seems like the more sensible thing to do.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10- We'll only get depressed if we don't make it.- Yeah.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15I reckon let's go on the new road and it may take us a little bit longer but we get a chance to go Ust' Nera.
0:41:15 > 0:41:19Because the last thing we want is to head off from here
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and find ourselves back here in the exact same place, ooh,
0:41:23 > 0:41:25some 48 hours later with nothing to show for it.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26- We'd be depressed about that.- Yeah.
0:41:26 > 0:41:30This way, going on the new road, it's apparently a mining town,
0:41:30 > 0:41:34and we all know how beautiful heavy industry can make a town.
0:41:34 > 0:41:37- Yeah, that's sounds like a plan. - Shall we do it?- Yeah, let's do it.
0:41:46 > 0:41:49This newer section of the Kolyma highway
0:41:49 > 0:41:52was upgraded in 2008 with new bridges
0:41:52 > 0:41:54and a paved surface.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58The road will take them over 1,000 feet into the Chersky range.
0:41:58 > 0:42:02Mountains that have some of the largest gold deposits in the world.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05That's pretty spectacular.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08Not bad, at all, is it?
0:42:08 > 0:42:12We wouldn't have seen that if we'd have made it on the old road.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14What, the sun?
0:42:14 > 0:42:17I don't mean the sun, I meant that vista.
0:42:17 > 0:42:21- The trees?- Those mountains.
0:42:21 > 0:42:25We weren't seeing no mountains yesterday ,were we?
0:42:25 > 0:42:28We were seeing some. They weren't as spectacular a view as that, though.
0:42:28 > 0:42:31- It's very impressive.- I'm just trying to look on the bright side.
0:42:31 > 0:42:33I'm enjoying it.
0:42:36 > 0:42:39I'm trying to keep my eyes on the road at the same time.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41You keep your eyes on the road. I'll admire the view.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44You describe it to me. I'll try not to get over excited
0:42:44 > 0:42:46It's really quite something.
0:42:53 > 0:42:58We haven't seen this level of icing on the trees until now, have we?
0:42:58 > 0:43:03- No.- Even though we've possibly been colder than this.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11It certainly gives the Scottish Highlands a run for their money.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20The mountains are remote and exposed.
0:43:20 > 0:43:22There are no settlements or fuel stops
0:43:22 > 0:43:24for another 100km.
0:43:26 > 0:43:31How we doing for fuel, then?
0:43:31 > 0:43:35I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that,
0:43:35 > 0:43:39the light hasn't actually come on but it's about to,
0:43:39 > 0:43:41I don't want to...
0:43:41 > 0:43:45we have to refuel before the engine konks out or otherwise the engine will freeze, so,
0:43:45 > 0:43:48we should probably think about making a stop
0:43:48 > 0:43:49and sticking some diesel in
0:43:49 > 0:43:50Fair enough.
0:43:50 > 0:43:55So, were we thinking that whoever done the most heinous
0:43:55 > 0:44:00driving crime so far should take a sup of fuel for the team?
0:44:00 > 0:44:02We did say that, but...
0:44:05 > 0:44:08..that would mean I'm the one who has to do the sucking, doesn't it?
0:44:08 > 0:44:12Well, I think that's probably why I've remembered that agreement.
0:44:12 > 0:44:13I have a feeling had it been me,
0:44:13 > 0:44:16I'd be less keen to have remembered what we'd agreed.
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Right.
0:44:30 > 0:44:31Which end you fancy?
0:44:31 > 0:44:35I'll do this end, yeah.
0:44:35 > 0:44:37OK, this ends going in.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41I've got a great view from up here.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44Warm up the throat.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- It's like if it was clear, you could see it coming.- Yeah.
0:44:53 > 0:44:55I think you might hear it and smell it.
0:45:02 > 0:45:05Pretty smooth, is that definitely going?
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Absolutely, it's filling.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10- Blimey, how much you get? - Only a tiny bit.- Yeah?
0:45:10 > 0:45:12It doesn't even taste that bad.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15That Galloping Knight from Wetherspoons
0:45:15 > 0:45:16tastes much the same, does it?
0:45:19 > 0:45:23- Yep, yep, we are full. - Lovely. Good work.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30It does smell of diesel in here, now, doesn't it?
0:45:30 > 0:45:34It does, I don't want to get too close to you.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38Isn't sucking diesel some sort of Irish phrase?
0:45:38 > 0:45:42Yeah, for now you're cooking with gas, now you're doing well.
0:45:42 > 0:45:46Now you're sucking diesel. Now you're motoring.
0:45:46 > 0:45:49You were sucking diesel now we're motoring.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Yeah.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06- Ust' Nera city limits.- Yep.
0:46:10 > 0:46:13This gold mining town was established in the 1950s
0:46:13 > 0:46:16as a gulag camp to house prisoners
0:46:16 > 0:46:18forced to work the town's gold mine.
0:46:18 > 0:46:20Look at that!
0:46:20 > 0:46:25Have you ever had the most beautiful drive of your life
0:46:25 > 0:46:28and then felt a need for balance?
0:46:29 > 0:46:34Ust' Nera, twinned with Port Talbot.
0:46:34 > 0:46:38With temperatures averaging below minus 40,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41life in such a cold climate depends on heat.
0:46:43 > 0:46:46A central coal fired boiler house warms the whole town -
0:46:46 > 0:46:49pumping out heat through a web of raised pipes
0:46:49 > 0:46:53that crisscross the frozen streets to every home.
0:46:58 > 0:47:02Hello and welcome to what's apparently the finest hotel
0:47:02 > 0:47:03in Ust' Nera.
0:47:05 > 0:47:11And I've decided to have a bath so I started running the bath
0:47:11 > 0:47:13and this is what it looks like.
0:47:13 > 0:47:14That's...
0:47:14 > 0:47:20That's inviting, isn't it?
0:47:20 > 0:47:23That's like where the blood coming out of the taps scene
0:47:23 > 0:47:25in Amityville Horror came from.
0:47:28 > 0:47:32I think I am still going to have a bath, though.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45Right, let's get out of here.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49If we never have to come here again, it'll be too soon.
0:47:49 > 0:47:56Look at that, the mist is covering the beauty of Ust' Nera.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00Ust' Nera - it looks better in the fog.
0:48:00 > 0:48:04Ed and Andy are now on the final stage of their journey.
0:48:04 > 0:48:08From Ust' Nera they are heading South for another 750km
0:48:08 > 0:48:13to the end of the highway at the coastal town of Magadan.
0:48:13 > 0:48:18The road here is good, but with that comes an increase in traffic,
0:48:18 > 0:48:22colossal trucks hauling materials between the mines in the north
0:48:22 > 0:48:25and the ports in the south dominate the road.
0:48:25 > 0:48:28He's a big fella, isn't he?
0:48:28 > 0:48:32Yeah, and a bit on our side of the road, as well.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36This vital transport link must be kept open all year round,
0:48:36 > 0:48:39and to do that requires some serious kit.
0:48:57 > 0:48:59This is amazing, isn't it?
0:48:59 > 0:49:02This is what keeps the whole road running.
0:49:02 > 0:49:04Look at this thing!
0:49:04 > 0:49:07You wouldn't want to get your car in front of this one, do you?
0:49:07 > 0:49:09That is massive.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12It's one and a half our height.
0:49:15 > 0:49:17Snowplough hospital.
0:49:17 > 0:49:20Yeah, dobre dein, dobre dein, Andy.
0:49:20 > 0:49:24- Valera.- Andy. Valera.- Ed, hey.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Do you drive these as well as fix them?
0:49:33 > 0:49:36And what are they like to drive?
0:49:36 > 0:49:39I'd say it must be very exciting driving such a big machine.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52We are driving from Yakutsk to Magadan.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54It's supposed to be quite a dangerous road,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57what advice do you have for us on the Kolyma highway?
0:50:05 > 0:50:06That's a great proverb!
0:50:11 > 0:50:16So, the advice is if we see a lorry, and it's a big old one,
0:50:16 > 0:50:19they've only got eyes for themselves looking straight ahead,
0:50:19 > 0:50:23pull over and let them pass.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- Let's just hang on here, I think. - Take it easy.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37The road has many steep hills and vicious corners,
0:50:37 > 0:50:38and when heavily loaded
0:50:38 > 0:50:41these mega trucks give way for no-one.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43Braking on such icy roads
0:50:43 > 0:50:45is next to impossible.
0:50:45 > 0:50:50We are on a proper, narrow, high bit, here.
0:50:50 > 0:50:56We really, really don't want to meet anything coming the other way, now.
0:50:58 > 0:51:00- Whoooooooaaah!- You OK?
0:51:00 > 0:51:05- Wah-hey!- I thought you were just mucking me, for a minute.
0:51:05 > 0:51:07No, you could just feel the whole thing just drifting offline.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14The sooner we're off this stretch of road the better.
0:51:17 > 0:51:22Russia has one of the largest road fatality rates in the world,
0:51:22 > 0:51:26with over 30,000 deaths in 2011, alone.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29I've also noticed, I don't know if you've seen them,
0:51:29 > 0:51:32there's various gravestones at the side of the road
0:51:32 > 0:51:34and the Russian tradition seems to be
0:51:34 > 0:51:38to put the steering wheel of the car next to the gravestone,
0:51:38 > 0:51:41- and that seems slightly... - It seems distasteful, doesn't it?
0:51:41 > 0:51:45Well, it does. Because you're wondering whether, maybe, the steering wheel
0:51:45 > 0:51:48was to blame for the actual crash in the first place.
0:51:48 > 0:51:52Yeah, it does seem a little bit distasteful, I think.
0:51:52 > 0:51:55A bit like putting a toilet seat on Elvis Presley's grave.
0:51:55 > 0:51:59Yeah, or 700 burgers.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18Oh, yeah, I can see a little, can you see something on there?
0:52:18 > 0:52:20- It's quite extensive. - There's a town up there.
0:52:25 > 0:52:31Once the home to over 10,000 people, Kadykchan now lies abandoned.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34On the right hand side,
0:52:34 > 0:52:38it looks like you could be in some third world war zone, doesn't it?
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Dependent on the heating provided from the town's boiler house,
0:52:41 > 0:52:44Kadykchan's fate was sealed when it failed,
0:52:44 > 0:52:47causing all the pipe-work to freeze and burst.
0:52:47 > 0:52:52With no heating, everyone was forced to leave.
0:52:52 > 0:52:57You know like that Japanese prisoner of war who didn't give up
0:52:57 > 0:53:00until 1970s or whatever, do you think there might be one person
0:53:00 > 0:53:01who's still living here?
0:53:01 > 0:53:04Who's going, "No, I'm never moving."
0:53:06 > 0:53:09I'm not keen to get stuck in the snow here, Ed.
0:53:18 > 0:53:21Today the boys are aiming to cover the 320km
0:53:21 > 0:53:24to the coastal town of Magadan,
0:53:24 > 0:53:26which marks the end of the Kolyma Highway
0:53:26 > 0:53:30and the end of their journey.
0:53:30 > 0:53:38So, our final day and it's snowing for the first time.
0:53:38 > 0:53:43And there is good news and there is bad news with snow.
0:53:43 > 0:53:49The bad news is that it makes the conditions on the road more treacherous.
0:53:49 > 0:53:51It makes the visibility lower.
0:53:51 > 0:53:52The good news?
0:53:52 > 0:53:55The good news is it's very pretty
0:53:57 > 0:54:00The road remains open for now,
0:54:00 > 0:54:04but a severe weather warning has been issued.
0:54:04 > 0:54:09Isn't there a Ranulph Fiennes quote like that there's no such...
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing.
0:54:12 > 0:54:14Did you not want me to finish the quote?
0:54:14 > 0:54:17I don't think it's Ranulph Fiennes. I think it's wrongly attributed.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19I'm pretty certain it's Ranulph Fiennes,
0:54:19 > 0:54:22it would have been nice to complete it, though, wouldn't it?
0:54:22 > 0:54:25- I'm sorry.- This is what happens when travelling with you for ten days,
0:54:25 > 0:54:27is that you start completing my sentences.
0:54:27 > 0:54:29I read you like a book, Andy Parsons.
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I already know what you're thinking.
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Out of the shelter of the town,
0:54:38 > 0:54:42Andy and Ed are quickly hit by the full ferocity
0:54:42 > 0:54:45of a Siberian snowstorm.
0:54:45 > 0:54:47What do you reckon visibility is at the moment?
0:54:47 > 0:54:50It's not even 50 metres, is it?
0:54:50 > 0:54:53I mean, that is a complete whiteout.
0:54:59 > 0:55:01Some of this is now just guesswork
0:55:01 > 0:55:04as to where exactly the side of the road is, isn't it?
0:55:04 > 0:55:07You don't want to be meeting a lorry come the other way
0:55:07 > 0:55:08at the same time, do you?
0:55:12 > 0:55:14Wey!
0:55:14 > 0:55:15Are you trying to...?
0:55:15 > 0:55:17He was holding the middle lane.
0:55:17 > 0:55:19That was a game of chicken, right there.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21He was not getting out of the way.
0:55:31 > 0:55:36You know that once you they go past it, you won't be able to see anything for a few yards.
0:55:36 > 0:55:40What happened to that Russian proverb, the slower you go the faster you'll get there,
0:55:40 > 0:55:41what happened to that?
0:55:46 > 0:55:49What's horrible is, when you get a whiteout,
0:55:49 > 0:55:51you want to just stop completely but then there's a chance
0:55:51 > 0:55:54somebody from behind will crash into the back of you,
0:55:54 > 0:55:56so, you've got to keep going,
0:55:56 > 0:55:59even though you can't see anything.
0:55:59 > 0:56:04We've got a taste of just how horrible this place can be.
0:56:04 > 0:56:08Even on the widest, most well maintained part of the road.
0:56:21 > 0:56:23Here we go,
0:56:23 > 0:56:27the sign we've been looking forward to for 2000 kilometres.
0:56:27 > 0:56:28- Magadan!- Magadan!
0:56:33 > 0:56:34For the last 10 days,
0:56:34 > 0:56:39Andy and Ed have driven the full length of the Kolyma highway.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42right to the end of the road to the port town of Magadan.
0:56:42 > 0:56:45Founded as a transit centre in the early '30s for prisoners
0:56:45 > 0:56:47being sent to labour camps,
0:56:47 > 0:56:50it also marked the way home for the lucky few
0:56:50 > 0:56:54that survived their sentence.
0:56:54 > 0:56:57I've never seen a frozen sea before.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01Every day really has been an adventure,
0:57:01 > 0:57:04we've seen a part of Russia that most Russians haven't even seen.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08You know, we've seen absolute wilderness,
0:57:08 > 0:57:12as well as really ugly gold mine towns.
0:57:12 > 0:57:15So, it's been an absolute adventure.
0:57:15 > 0:57:18- Ho-ho!- Oh!
0:57:18 > 0:57:20Congratulations.
0:57:20 > 0:57:23- Well done, sir, well done. - Very fine work.- Good work.
0:57:23 > 0:57:28- Maybe a little chest bump, perhaps? - Eh! Why not!- There we go.
0:57:28 > 0:57:30I would definitely do it all again,
0:57:30 > 0:57:31going to the coldest inhabited place on Earth
0:57:31 > 0:57:33that's something...
0:57:33 > 0:57:37you're going be able to talk about that for some time.
0:57:37 > 0:57:402,500km completed.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Yeah.
0:57:42 > 0:57:44I think, considering I've only been driving for three years,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47and it feels like most of that has been in the last ten days,
0:57:47 > 0:57:50I think I've done pretty well. I'm quite pleased with myself.
0:57:50 > 0:57:53Part of me doesn't want it to be over. We should go a little bit further.
0:57:53 > 0:57:56You want me to drive, with you, off some ice? Shall we?
0:57:56 > 0:58:00Let's keep going, let's not stop, keep going.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02And that is Alaska over there.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05- Let's face it. Shall we keep going? - Let's keep going.
0:58:05 > 0:58:06Come on, then.
0:58:07 > 0:58:09For me it was the dream team.
0:58:09 > 0:58:11As it's gone on we've grown together,
0:58:11 > 0:58:14I thought for a moment on the last day
0:58:14 > 0:58:16we were actually going to get it together
0:58:16 > 0:58:18but it's not happened
0:58:18 > 0:58:21but I'll definitely miss him and I hope he writes.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25We've had whiteouts, we've had wipe-outs,
0:58:25 > 0:58:27we've had to dig ourselves out of holes.
0:58:27 > 0:58:29We've dug ourselves out of holes,
0:58:29 > 0:58:31we got a little bit of frost nip on the nose.
0:58:31 > 0:58:34- Somebody did.- Somebody did. - Not my good strong Irish nose.
0:58:34 > 0:58:38Your weak-arsed, West country nose got frost nip.
0:58:54 > 0:59:00Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd