The ‘Khishchnik’ (‘Predator’) snow-and-swamp ATV: What’s it look like & what’s it used for?
In the Far North, roads are a notional concept. Population centers are surrounded by tundra, swamps and other barely passable landscapes.
This is particularly true of Chukotka, Russia's easternmost region. And, for this reason, the ‘Khishchnik’ (‘Predator’) snow-and-swamp ATV, designed by Tyumen Region specialists, is particularly popular there.
A good reason for this is it is fully assembled and tested near the Siberian city of Tobolsk.
The ‘Predator’ moves on ultra-low pressure tires up to 1.78 m in diameter. That’s the average height of a man! The diesel engines, meanwhile, are Japanese made and the axles are Russian made, based on the GAZ-66 truck or GAZ-2217 ‘Sobol’ minibus. At the same time, the ‘Predator’s size allows it to use ordinary roads, too. But, to drive one, you need a tractor license.
The vehicle has different modifications: It is designed for transportation of either people (up to 14) or cargo over loose snow, marshy swamps or soft ground. Inside, there is even the option of creating sleeping accommodation.
The "hottest" season for transportation in Chukotka is, surprisingly, winter, when the swamps freeze and winter roads are formed on beaten snow. In order to deliver food, cargo or passengers from one population center to another, the vehicles usually move in a convoy - blizzards are frequent and one can easily get stuck in the snow for several days!
Would you take a ride in such a beast?
