Tumanny means foggy, which is fair warning. This is a small settlement on the road from Murmansk to Teriberka, built in Soviet times to house workers for the hydroelectric stations on the Voronya River, which drops through a chain of reservoirs and dams on its way to the Barents Sea. Much of the place has emptied since then, and the apartment blocks, some occupied and some abandoned, stand in the tundra with a look of having been set down by mistake. It is a strange, rather haunting stop.
The landscape around Tumanny is the real reason to pause. The forest thins out here to dwarf birch and scrub, then gives way to open tundra, rolling hills of rock and moss, and lakes in every hollow. The colours change dramatically through the short season: green and white with cotton grass in July, then a riot of red, orange and gold in late August and September, when the tundra turns and the berries ripen. In winter the northern lights dance above it all, and the road becomes a white tunnel between snow walls.
The road to Teriberka is the only way in and out, and for a long time it was notorious, a mix of rough gravel and broken asphalt. It has been much improved in recent years, though it is still exposed and can be affected by wind, snow and fog at any time of year. The riding is open and flowing, with long views, rolling hills and sweeping bends, and very little traffic outside summer weekends. Watch for reindeer on the road, and be prepared for sudden gusts of wind across the high ground.
There is little in Tumanny in the way of services, perhaps a small shop, and fuel is not something to count on. Fill up in Murmansk or at the junction with the main road before heading out, and carry water and food. Teriberka, about forty kilometres further on, has cafes and guesthouses now, thanks to the tourism boom. Treat Tumanny as a moment to stop, take in the scale of the tundra, and feel how far north you have come.