Long Way Round

Did You Know?

• The cumulative distance of the journey was 18,887 miles (30,396 km), not the 19,000 miles advertised in the title.
• The team had to take a 580-mile (930 km) train ride in Siberia to circumvent the Zilov Gap, an impassable section of road.
• McGregor and his wife adopted a young orphan girl named Jamyan, whom McGregor met at an outreach center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

Overview

The cumulative distance was 18887 miles. Sections not ridden included a 31-mile passage through the Channel Tunnel, a 580-mile train ride in Siberia to bypass the Zilov Gap, several river crossings and a short impassable section in eastern Russia by truck, and a 2505-mile flight from Magadan to Anchorage, Alaska. The riders navigated deep, swollen rivers along the Road of Bones to Magadan, often loading their BMW motorcycles onto trucks for the deepest crossings. The team stayed in hotels in Europe, North America, and populated parts of Russia, but camped in Kazakhstan and Mongolia. They visited landmarks such as the Church of Bones in the Czech Republic, the Mask of Sorrow monument in Magadan, and Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. They arrived in New York on schedule, joined by a phalanx of bikers including McGregor's father Jim and the Orange County Choppers crew.

Support crew

The support crew included producers David Alexanian and Russ Malkin, and cinematographer Jimmy Simak, alongside McGregor, Boorman, and von Planta. For the Asian leg, security advisor Sergey and doctor Vasily accompanied them. The crew traveled in two Mitsubishi off-road vehicles: a red L200 Animal LWB 4x4 pick-up (which overturned in Mongolia and was replaced by a Ford Excursion in Alaska) and a black Shogun Warrior DI-D automatic estate. Additional vehicles like a Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant 4x4 van were used during the Russian/East Asia segment. The support vehicles generally followed about a day behind the bikers. Before departure, McGregor and Boorman received specialist training from ex-SAS major Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton on hostile environments, as well as training in off-road riding, Russian language, and motorbike maintenance. They consulted experts and embassy officials about remote countries. During first aid training, McGregor decided to bring a doctor for the Siberian part. Researchers dubbed "Ewan and Charley's Angels" helped obtain paperwork and visas.

Accidents

Ewan McGregor had petrol sprayed into his recently laser-corrected eyes at filling stations on two occasions. The first occurred when Boorman tried to stop a pump by putting his finger over the nozzle, sending fuel into McGregor's face; the second happened when petrol gushed from McGregor's own bike tank. One incident required a trip to an optometrist in Ukraine. In Kazakhstan, a mosquito bite caused McGregor's forehead to swell badly, requiring treatment. In Far East Russia, McGregor showed his badly bitten rear and revealed that his penis had become swollen and painful from mosquito bites. Russ Malkin and doctor Vassili rolled their off-roader in Mongolia but escaped with minor injuries. Boorman strained his left shoulder in Siberia and could not ride for several days. McGregor was struck by a young driver outside Calgary, with his panniers taking the brunt. The next day, Boorman was bumped while stationary by a driver reversing slowly, causing no injury. Cameraman Claudio von Planta had his tent and personal effects stolen in Siberia. Boorman's wallet was stolen from his jeans at natural hot springs in Canada, losing $500 and €400 along with credit cards.

Motorcycle breakdowns

Von Planta's BMW suffered a broken frame after a bad fall in Mongolia; Boorman performed a temporary repair using tire levers and cable-ties to reach the next town for welding. The welding disabled the anti-lock braking system because the battery was not disconnected, and the bike was shipped to Ulaanbaatar and sent home. A replacement Russian-made IZh Planeta 5, nicknamed 'The Red Devil', was purchased locally for about US$1,000. It later developed gearbox problems, which two passing Mongolian sheep herders quickly repaired, laughing that the team had high-quality tools but little idea how to fix it. The heavy BMW bikes became undrivable in wet, muddy conditions, forcing McGregor and Boorman to man-handle them for long distances, while von Planta on the lighter Planeta had no trouble. McGregor's bike frame broke in two places near Tynda in Siberia, requiring a truck ride back to Tynda for welding. McGregor's fear of drawing water into his engine occurred twice while crossing Siberian rivers; he pumped out water from the engine and exhaust, and the bike restarted. The bikes sustained problems after being incorrectly stowed during the flight from Magadan, needing a full service in Alaska. Boorman's bike had the only serious tire puncture of the trip and a broken spoke, replaced by The Motorcycle Shop in Anchorage. All motorcycles suffered bumps and cracks, but except for von Planta's BMW, survived the journey.