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| Chris Raven (L) Simon Raven (R) |
After clocking up over 10,000 miles from the UK, quite literally living in the car, they miraculously arrived in the Far Eastern city of Vladivostok in Siberia on the Sea of Japan. What they had in fact done was to drive the entire length of the new Amur Highway before it was finished, which crosses Russia and the notorious Zilov Gap in a 6,200 mile swath of cracked tarmac and potholes. Along the way our trusty heroes drink vodka with Chechen criminals, escape highway robbery, trade banana flavoured condoms with Russian cops, meet the eccentric and plain weird at truck stops in darkest Siberia, endure torturous road conditions and have a race to the finish with the Germans. Surviving this insane journey by the skin of their teeth the brothers are forced to confront their worst fears in this toe-curling comedy of extreme road trip adventure.
Priding themselves in going it alone, Simon and Chris have been noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an “accurate view of what to expect”.
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| In the middle of Siberia near the Road of Bones another tyre blow out. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Somewhere near the China border, Siberia. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Unpaved road deep in the taiga. Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Mechanic in Kemerovo, Russia. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Abandoned Orthodox church in Perm. Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Driving through one of many rivers in Siberia. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Chris enjoying the view near Irkutsk. Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Traditional wooden house near Perm. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Amur Highway under construction between Chita and Khabarovsk. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Hammer and sickle in Chita, Siberia. Photo Chris Raven |
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| 10,000 kms to go! Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Buckets of apples in Eastern Russia on approach to the Ural mountains. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Police gives Simon his cap. Looking good! Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Soviet soldier mural on Giv in Chita, Siberia. Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Huge forest fires in Siberia causing smoke to fill the sky for thousands of miles. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| More construction for hundreds and hundreds of miles. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| In a small cafe in Siberia Chris asks for directions for Vladivostok...which is 3,000 kms away. Photo by Simon Raven |
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| Funky transport near Novosibirsk. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Rustic and broken, scene in Siberia from off the beaten path. Photo by Chris Raven |
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| Made it to Vladivostok. Giving away the keys to a new Russian friend. Photo by Chris Raven |
Driving the Trans-Siberian: The Ultimate Road Trip Across Russia
Available in paperback & digital
by The Raven Brothers
Out of shape and unprepared, The Raven Brothers return to the road in a collection of ten quests to travel to their dream destinations against all odds! After two decades pioneering new routes across the globe, you would expect the authors of 'Driving the Trans-Siberian' to be hotshot explorers, with a sixth sense and an ability to survive in almost any situation. Think again! With virtually zero knowledge of the workings of the internal combustion engine and very limited skills of wilderness survival, Simon and Chris struggle into their hiking boots and power across three continents by river, tarmac and trail.
Venture to the top of Norway, cruise the road to Damascus, hike the Camino trail into Spain’s Wild West, row the Ganges, explore Frida Kahlo’s world in Mexico City, hangout with the dead in Sicily’s eerie catacombs, crawl deep inside Bolivia’s notorious silver mine, seek lions in Gujarat, wellness in Berlin and journey into the Naga Hills where tribal kings still rule.
Noted by Lonely Planet for their talent to portray an “accurate view of what to expect”, 'Hike, Drive, Stayin’ Alive!' signals a return to the duo writing “buttock clenching” travel comedy with the first in a series of candid stories of adventure by The Raven Brothers.