"Tian-Shan Trophy" - international challenge in Kazakhstan

[Kirasir]

"Tian-Shan trophy" is the first big international event in Kazakhstan, the biggest country after Russia on post-USSR space. Offroad movement in Kazakhstan is young, so 'Tian-Shan Trophy" promoters invited Yuri Ovchinnikov's team, the team, that has 10 year experience of organizing of "Ladoga-trophy" to manage the event. Event took place in the middle of september. I was there - spent a gerat week and had a lot of impressions. Tian-Shan trophy was organized using Ladoga model - a 1200 mile race, with special stages. In Kazakhstan - they were mainly navigation stages. Racers had to find a checkpoint using GPS-navigator and make a digital shot of a vehicle near the checkpoint. The last stages were a pure hillclimbing race, a short-circuit race and a race along the beach of Kopchagai artificial lake. I was strongly impressed by the variety of terrain - dry rivers, mountain valleys and ridges, ricks, sands...
These photos were taken by President of Sankt-Petersburg 4x4 and Offroad Club Yuri Ovchinnikov. Enjoy! Maybe, somebody will decide to come to Tian-Shan Trophy next year. Almaty jeepers promise wonderful route - to the mountains of Kirgizia, through the passes of the main ridges and around Issyk-Kul lake.

[Kirasir]

[Kirasir]

[TEX]

Very cool

TEX

[Flashover Mfg]

Great pictures as always. Looks like a pretty good time.

[ecrist]

Incredible pictures...thanks!

[YeeP]

Originally Posted by Kirasir

Any more info/pics of this bad boy?

[lowbuck]

Outstanding Pictures!! Thank You

[SeaRover]

Awesome terrain - just gorgeous. I wish I had the resources to take part of such an event. Nice looking defender - looks like the event was short on rangies. thanks for sharing the photographs

[squarewheels]

Andrey, thanks for sharing. That is gorgeous country. The Tian-Shan trophy looks to be formidable.

[Kirasir]

Originally Posted by YeeP

Any more info/pics of this bad boy?

Surely. By the way, that's UNIMOG - with original frame, transmission and axles, but with the body done from the scratch and modified suspension.

[mucknet]

That is awesome.

Terrain looks awesome, and beautiful surroundings.

Is that all public land? or do the promoters make agreements with private land owners? I am always curious how any of these events can take place over 1200 miles.

[deepmud]

wrong finger

[Kirasir]

Originally Posted by mucknet

That is awesome.

Terrain looks awesome, and beautiful surroundings.

Is that all public land? or do the promoters make agreements with private land owners? I am always curious how any of these events can take place over 1200 miles.

Yes, all these lands are mainly public. They may be determined as pasturelands, affiliated to some agricultural company or local kazakh families. Kazakhs use their cattle-runs in nomad style, permanently moving with their liverstock from one valley to anther, and the territory remains opened for vehicle passing. In Russia the forest territories are also in public use, but they are controled by forestry authorities, and if You want to held a big event, You have to get permission. Usually such a permission is given without any difficulty. Maybe, You need to buy a couple of bottles of vodka But if you want to have a trail ride with your buddies, you just di not need any special permission, you simply turn from the pavement...

[zags]

Wow, very cool. I've always wanted to do something like that.

Why doesn't anyone do something like that in the U.S.?

[Kirasir]

Originally Posted by zags

Wow, very cool. I've always wanted to do something like that.

Why doesn't anyone do something like that in the U.S.?

Zags, have you heared such anecdote:
Two scotch gentlemen are sitting in a boat in the middle of lake Loch-Enventnameyourself somewhere in the Highlands and fishing. Suddenly one of them pulls out a mermaid. For some time he fiddles her in his hands and then throw her back into the water. After half an hour scilence second gentleman asks: "But why?????" Anter another half an hour scilence the first answers: "But how?"

I just cant imagine a territory in US where something of the kind could be held. Maybe, in Alaska, but I still doubt, that it's possible even there. The nearest place where it's possible is, maybe, Mexico....

[zags]

Originally Posted by Kirasir

I just cant imagine a territory in US where something of the kind could be held. Maybe, in Alaska, but I still doubt, that it's possible even there. The nearest place where it's possible is, maybe, Mexico....

They regularly hold 500 mile desert races in the southwest United States where there are millions and millions of acres of public land. An event of this type could be done here. (it would be drier but could be done ) Mexico would definately be another possibility.

[Creighton]

Wow thanks for the cool photos. It looks to me like the "ELF" and the YJ have Maxxis Creepy Crawler tires on them. Can you comfirm this for me? I know they are used in the rock crawling competitions in Japan and Europe.

[Kirasir]

Originally Posted by Creighton

Wow thanks for the cool photos. It looks to me like the "ELF" and the YJ have Maxxis Creepy Crawler tires on them. Can you comfirm this for me? I know they are used in the rock crawling competitions in Japan and Europe.

Always at your service! About tires. ELF prototipe had Mickey Thompson Baja Claw, and it's well seen on this photo



About YJ - I am not sure... I don't remember and can't say exactly looking on the photo: the shot was done in twilight, and I can't see the pattern exactly

[Creighton]

The first picture of the "ELF" just looked like it had a non directional tread on it. Were all these pictures taken at the same event?

[Kirasir]

Originally Posted by Creighton

The first picture of the "ELF" just looked like it had a non directional tread on it. Were all these pictures taken at the same event?

Surely. But event lasted for a week, and ELF team had a support vehicle, so they, of course, could change tires. The photo in the dunes is taken on the second special (navigational) stage, and another one - on the day 4. I examined the photos and can suppose, that we both are right. But I can definitely answer Your question when I'll get all mt 35 exposed films out of the lab.