KAMCHATKA RAID
The project was born from the collaboration between Rosario Sala, Franco Ballatore and Maurizio Limonta, three veterans of motorcycle travel (and not only), with the aim of starting from Italy aboard their two wheels and reaching the extreme Siberian peninsula by land of the Kanchakta. A structured journey to combine the world of motorcycle raids with the adventure of trekking (such as the Wakhan valley in Afghanistan and the Siberian peninsula of Kamchatka), the most remote and inaccessible areas of the Eurasian continent. As is now the custom of the three travelers, the adventure will support fundraising and financing a humanitarian project, to be visited along the way in one of the countries crossed. Specifically, the program is divided into two periods:
May to Spetember 2022
May to October 2023
Travel planning
MAY to SEPTEMBER 2022 MILANO-TOKYO
Departure by motorcycle from Italy. After a quick crossing of the Balkans, the ride will enter the heart of the Asian continent through Turkey, with a brief disgression in the territories of Iraqi Kurdistan. From Turkey we will proceed eastwards through Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijzan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The first of the two trekking expeditions to the surrounding mountains at altitudes above 4,000 meters will begin with a short detour into Afghan territory, at the entrance to the Wakhna valley. The journey will continue in the direction of Kyrgyzstan and then cross Kazakhstan, the steppes of Mongolia to the capital Ulan Bator. From here, the long transfer on the Siberian roads to Vladivostok, where the ferry will take the motorbikes and the three motorcyclists, first to South Korea and finally to Japan. The motorbikes will then be shipped to Vladivostok (Russia) and guarded by a correspondent until the following spring.
MAY to OCTOBER 2023 MAGADAN - MILANO
After the winter break, the second part of the trip will begin, the bikes will be shipped from Vladivostok to Magadan. From here, thanks to a short flight over Petropavlosk, the second trekking of the trip will begin, in the mountains of the remote Siberian peninsula. The Return to Magadan will characterize the second part of the motorcycle raid to return to Italy. The endless Siberian lands will still be crossed as far as Moscow and St. Petersburg. From here the journey will head south, towards Iran. From the Port of Bandar Abbas, it will ferry to the Emirates, from where it will start crossing the Arabian Peninsula (Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Aarabia and Jordan), to finally enter Israel and take the ferry to Greece and return in Italy.
Travel Riders
Rosario Sala
Born in Trento, class of 1962, he works in the Autonomous Province of Trento, with the position of technical officer. He travels as a boy and in 2012 he approached the world of great transcontinental crossings on motorcycles. Engaged in various humanitarian projects, he is the author of 3 photographic books. Among the latest adventures:
2012/2013; crossed the Andes mountain range; 18,000 km in three months of travel.
2014; from Trento to Cape Town along the east coast; 23,000 km in three months of travel.
2017; from Trento to Vietnam; 22,000 km in three months of travel.
2019; from Cape Town to Trento along the west coast; 22,000 km in three months of travel.
Email: rosario.sala44@gmail.com
Franco Ballatore
Born in Cuneo, class of 1966, he has spent racing in enduro and motorally and has been traveling the world for over thirty years. In 2011 he left the job of environmental technical surveyor which he had been carrying out for 25 years, to devote himself totally to this passion. To date he has visited 129 countries around the world and made several transcontinental crossings on motorcycles. Among the latest adventures:
2012/2013; from New York to Buenos Aires, 30,000 km in six months of travel.
2013/2014; circumnavigation of South America, 30,000 km in six months of travel.
2016; all European capitals, 35,000 km in seven months of travel.
2017; from Italy to Bangkok (Thailand), 18,000 km in three months of travel.
2018/2019; complete circumnavigation of Africa, crossing 36 states, 40,000 km in seven months of travel.
2019; Israel, Palestine and Jordan, 7,000 km in 2 months of travel.
Email: bicosisgud@gmail.com
Maurizio Osvaldo Limonta
Born in Milan, born in 1956, he has been working in the International Transport sector for over forty years, a Fischer & Reschsteiner consultant, specialized in the customs and cargo chartterization sector. 360 ° traveler, always looking for history, nature and culture; Diving instructor OWDI (Open Water / Deep Dive / Rescue / Under Ice / Divemaster patents). Among the latest adventures:
2016; from Milan to Reykjavik (Iceland); 10,000 km in one month of travel.
2017; from Milan to Singapore, 25,000 km in three months of travel.
2018; from Cairo to Cape Town; 15,000 km in three months of travel.
2019; from Milan to Nordkapp; 10,000 km in one month of travel.
2019; from Milan to Dakar; 7,000 km in two months of travel
Email: limontam@limontamaurizio.it