If you cast your mind back to August 2004 I am sure that you will remember that sunbathing was out of the question. Rain was the order of the day which gladdens the heart of intrepid off roaders for two reasons;

1. Because they do not have to water the garden or mow the lawn.

2. Rain = mud = great off roading.

Our toughest trip, Russia, is tough without rain. I always watch with interest the weather patterns for the Kola Peninsular and Northern Finland from December each year to see how much snow has fallen. I also ring a Finish friend to see what depth of snow is on the grounds in the mountains of Saresrelk as the mountain chains run into Russian and the rivers that we have to cross as fed by them. Spring and Summer rainfall is watched as well There are 20 river crossings on the first track from Ver to Mon that we have to negotiate and winter with a lot of snow mixed with wet springs and summers will effect our ability as well as the difficulty at river crossings.A lot of water had fallen one way or another in the far north above the Arctic Circle and I knew that this could be an issue at a couple of crossings, luckily for us in the part the deepest roughest crossing had an excellent bridge spanning its 200m gap.

On our way through Sweden and Finland it rained heavily every day and once through the border into Russia the rain slackened but enough fell out of the Russian skies. The first and second river crossings have no bridge and we crossed them without any problems although the water was deeper than normal. I had always known that the Achilles heel of this 150km track was the 3rd bridge. If it ever was not there the problem of crossing would be enormous. As we dropped down the hill towards the river I saw that my concerns had become very real. The bridge was no more than a pile of burnt wood with the swollen river racing by. There were tracks entering the river near the ridge which exited the other side; disappearing through the fast, but sunking water told of big boulders.

In order to try to find an easier way cross myself and Richard Mackie walked downstream whilst Rein and Andy looked upstream ½ km each way there were one or two possibilities but the actual crossing point that had been already used offered the best option.

Because of the fast current and questionable depth I attached the range rover to Rogers 127 and started to drive into the river. With water halfway up the doors And big slippery boulders I soon came to a halt. The only way forwards was with momentum and that would have led the car crashing down into rocks, an action I was not prepared to take and the risk of irreparable damage here in the absolute middle of nowhere was too great.

Roger and Geoff winched me back to shore and I triad two further angles on the same crossing with no more success. The only way to cross would have been to attach a winch to a tree on the opposite bank which would allow us to winch the cars forward when momentum was needed. We had no means of getting across, the water was running to fast to wade.

So we turned round and headed out of the track, up to Murmansk and then down to the Kola Peninsular another way. Incidentally the first river crossing was another foot higher due to heavy rain.

Next year we will cross because I am taking a small inflatable boat so that we can take a line and test depths. Its going to be exciting. If you are interested and have a well prepared car give me a ring.

To many people crossing borders fills them with dread and uncertainty. They can be strange alienating places which carry a lot of historical fear and tension… In Europe the Cold War still sits heavily on a lot of people’s minds, colouring their ideas and distorting their perceptions.

We at Impala relish the excitement and challenge of crossing rarely visited borders. An advantage that I have travelling through the same borders many times is that I get behind the facade and see the real people behind the officialdom and it can be very illuminating and rewarding. Take Raja Jooseppi the border crossing between Finland and Russia some 200 miles above the Arctic Circle. On the Russian side. only two of the guards can speak English but as I have got to known them you realise that they are ordinary people just like you and me. The chief customs officer learnt his English when he travelled the world in one of Russia’s merchant ships and since then has been at Raja Jooseppi for 25 yrs. He delights in guiding us through the bureaucracy and oversees the inspection of our vehicles so that our adventure can begin with little delay……a very different reality to the perceived idea most people have of a Russian border.