A once in a lifetime adventure….

Setting off in London in April 2004, Ewan and Charley travelled through some of the most beautiful, and at times dangerous, terrain the world has to offer. Crossing over into mainland Europe, they rode through France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska, Canada before arriving 115 days later at their final destination, New York City, USA.

Ewan McGregor: “Now it's come to an end I can hardly believe that we've made our dreams come true and although at times its been very, very tough, the people and places on the way have moved and touched me to my core. It's been a ‘Long Way Round' but I'm glad to be home.”

Charley Boorman: “The trip has been incredible in itself but it's the people in all the countries that we've met that have made it fantastic.”

Ewan and Charley had been warned that Siberia would be a hostile environment and it certainly was. The landscape itself was extraordinarily beautiful in places but many roads become impassable during the summer months when melting ice cause river's to flood and erode them in places. Also, mosquitos, red ants and horse flies are abundant which added to the discomfort, and there was always a risk that dust would clog the motorbikes' engines.

After their amazing and difficult experiences in Mongolia , neither Ewan nor Charley were looking forward to any more event-challenging situations.

The first good news was that the new highway from Chita to Khabarovsk had been partially constructed in time for their arrival, but they did experience major problems with the deteriorating quality of the surface. The roads became so bad that Ewan and Charley had to wade waist deep through the rivers. They both came very close to feeling that they couldn't go on, however their sheer determination managed to get them through.

At Khandyga, they began their journey on the infamous Road of Bones - a road with a dark history. Built by the prisoners of Stalin's Gulag system, hundreds of thousands of inmates died as they laboured on this link from Yakutsk to Magadan. If they didn't get through this stretch of 1,500 miles the event would be over.

Frequent, extremely high water levels meant it was often necessary to wait for the water level to recede and allow the crossing, which took days in some cases. This at least allowed them the chance to rest and take in some cultural sights such as the Ice Sculptures at Tomtor - the coldest inhabited place on earth.

This section of the expedition is a testament to Ewan and Charley's bravery and the prisoner's workmanship. The road is still passable under the right circumstances but Ewan and Charley's strength in seemingly impossible circumstances can only be admired.

Distance travelled so far: 10,000 miles

Road Conditions: Extremely variable. Conditions were better than expected when departing Ulan Ude but they deteriorated into non-existence in places throughout the journeys north. On the approach to Magadan conditions improved enormously as they rode into the city.

Weather Conditions: Very cold. Average 5°C with torrential rain at times.

ike Performance: Extremely good considering the conditions. Both bikes made it despite the high water levels, dust and terrain. They were steam cleaned thoroughly in Magadan to prepare them for freight into the US at Anchorage where they would be inspected by the US Department of Agriculture which is necessary for vehicle import.