Aldan is a gold town. It began in the 1920s, when prospectors found rich deposits in the hills of southern Yakutia and thousands of people arrived in what became known as the Aldan gold rush, and it has been shaped by mining ever since. Today about twenty-four thousand people live here, in a mix of Soviet blocks, wooden houses and newer buildings, spread across a hilly site at the edge of the Aldan Highlands. The surrounding land is a patchwork of taiga, old mine workings and clear, cold rivers.
For a rider on the Lena Highway between Yakutsk and Neryungri, Aldan is a welcome stop with proper services. There are fuel stations, supermarkets, banks, restaurants and several hotels, and the town makes a good base for resting, repairing and stocking up. Smaller places along the road, such as Leninskiy and Lebedinyy, have fewer supplies, so fill up here. Local cafes serve filling Siberian food, including meat dumplings, soups and the Yakut speciality of frozen raw fish, though it is not for everyone.
The road itself is a long, demanding ribbon through the forest. The surface alternates between good asphalt and rough, broken sections, with gravel and mud in places, and gradients that are gentle but frequent. Bends are wide, and the main hazards are trucks, wildlife and weather, as rain and fog can arrive without warning. In winter, the cold is extreme and ice is common. June to September is the sensible window, with long light and mild temperatures.
The town's museum tells the story of the gold rush and the people who took part in it, and it is worth an hour if you have time. The hills around town are full of reminders, from piles of waste rock to rusting machinery, and some of the old workings are still active. Nature remains the greater presence, though, with larch forest running in every direction and the sky arching over the highlands. In the long evening light of summer, the hills glow gold, and it is easy to see why people once rushed to this spot.