Gorgan Trophy '08 - Results

Participants were got to contest from different places of Ukraine: Kyiev, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Crimea, Odessa, Khmelnitskiy, Chernivtsi, Lviv and Zakarpattya reg. This year there was the variety of autos. Almost a half of outlanders was Russian also known as «people’s» autos: UAZ, GAZ and VAZ. Along the foreign autos the most popular were Japan ones: Toyota, Nissan and Mitstubishi. These autos made a good showing last year while coming over steep slopes and shallow of the rivers. Among quard bikes the most popular were Kawasaki Brute Force and Yamaha Grizzly. Exactly in these two models Reznikov Oleksiy and Sergiy Osadchiy made debut last year and this demonstrated bikes reliability and suitability for mountain routes. Exactly the auto reliability is the base criterion for participating and winning in mountain trophy. The team professionalism is important but the most important is reliability of units and aggregates in trophy which is opposite to classic marsh one. Also in 36-hour long contest the very important is endurance of machinery because of no time for maintenance. The winner is generally the one who come to finish line.

Base camp was placed in picturesque place. The one of biggest glade in this highlands is places about 900 meters above the sea level and sheltered with Gorgan ridge on East. There are placed forestry, forest-guard’s hostel which is not destruction and a few desolated but not ruined hostels and houses. Remains of narrow-gauge railway and suspension bridge on the river are added colors to this place. Scar of new-build road is expanding overall picture. The road is built on 100 meters above river and cut through the mountainside. Exactly the road caused unreal views while autos illuminated by headlights passing it in the dark. It was looking like planes, UFOs and whatever one likes but not autos.

The first day: participants were assembled in base camp and passed tech committee. There were meeting with old friends and new contacts, rest-time after autos outstrip, tents pitching and occupying everything with walls and roof. That’s all made the emotions of first day in base camp. For some participants the contest started in first day in the middle of the camp and this became original tradition of «Gorgan Trophy». Someone used winches and hi-jacks, built bridges under drainage system canals and other obstacles to get to camp.