Hello

I will pass throught Mongolia this May, comming from Vladivostok. Maybe arriving in the second week of May.
I have a 30 day visa and can spend the whole time there if I like it.
This will be my last section off the tarmac on my 2 year RTW.
Afterwards I'll just drive through Russia to go home to Bern.

I've given up discussing what is duable,crasy,hard,piece a cake,to dangerous and so on with other bikers,
since only I know my limits.
For example the lagoon route in south Bolivia, I discussed it with others and felt that we hardly did the same,
although it was the same route.
But, I like to hear about facts, not feelings, like:
-Gravel with corrugation
-Gravel with rocks so big that 4x4 have to change to lowgear.
-Sand with corrugation
-Sand to deep/soft to build up corrugations
-Mud with a depth of 5,10,15,20cm
-Watercrossings: depth,currant,size of rocks in the river...
-and so on.


Read through the following threads, but haven't found the answers I'm looking for:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mongolia-69269
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mongolia-68588
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...a-2012-a-59454

I've had a look at many pictures here and also on Googleearth, but they are mostly from the summer/fall.

What do I have to expect on road condition in May:
-Snow?
-Mud,how deep,possible to go around?
-Watercrossings, how many and how deep?
-How many local vehicles a day, very important in an emergency.
on those Routes?

Northern Route: Yellow
Southern Route: Orange
Middle Route: Green
Eastern Route:Blue

Map stolen from Thread:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rossings-52736

Thanks sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Hi sushi,

You might want to check out Oisin's videos from 2010 which he had just relatively recently uploaded to YouTube. Search for something like "Oisin Not Dead Yet Mongolia", it's a series of videos on his RTW trip and it has several episodes on Mongolia where you can see the road conditions pretty well. I believe he entered from Russia (Altai region) just around the 2nd week of May.

Hope this helps.

Hello mbravo
Just had a look at those videos.
Seams like the south-route till the bike broke down half way to UB.
Somewhere he said 18sh of may.
Some mud and snow at the border,then more or less solide Gravel road.


Found this about the north-route:
will there be more mud in may?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-AM...uM9ACRVPGNy__A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFLh...GNy__A&index=8
met them in Brisbane at the HUBB meeting 2012

Any links for the other routes?
Videos say more than words.

thanks sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Its a very late winter in Eurasia this year.

In Moscow now and its normally +3 +5 this time of year ... but its a blizzard and -10.

A late start to spring means a late melting of the snows

A late melting of the snows means the muddy conditions when the blanket of snow that covers Russia and Mongolia will not melt till later ... and I suspect will be even muddier at the same dates as when Oisin was there in Mid May 2010.

The rivers and streams are at their highest flow in the snow melt season ... which unfortunately for you will probably be May. The southern route has mostly bridges, but there will still be many streams that might temporarily be rivers in May

I think you are too early in the season. It will be possible but will not be fun.

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Hello colebatch
Unfortuneally I can't wait longer to go home. So it will be May.
My plan is to enter at Erdeentsay and then to UB and on to Tsagaannuu-Tashanta.
Are those main routes open and is there local traffic?
How many rivercrossings do I have to expect?
If deeper than 0.5m I have to build a snorkel, which was fun in Australia at 25°C water temperature, but in May in melted ice water and currant.....I don't know.
Probably have to buy a pair of those boot/pants used by the fischermen standing in the river.

sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

I dont know how many water crossings you will get in May. If you are going then it doesnt matter if you have 3 or 30. The only thing that matters us how deep is the deepest one.

We cant answer that for you 2 months in advance. You will have to find out on location.

The border is Ereentsav not Ereentsay as on Google. Google maps - Google earth is wrong. Presumably a typo when they were making the maps, or a mapmaker read barely legible print on as printed map as a y instead of a v.

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Hello all
Thanks so far, I'll decide once I'm a bit closer.
Funny thing is, on my papermap, they use it with "y" for the Border crossing and with "v" for the town name.
sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Hi Sushi,
we'll arrive in UB 18th of May. Where do you stay? If you would like to, how about a ? We'll start a roundtrip of mongolia there and plan to head further east next year.
Would be nice to meet and talk a bit.

Greetings
Claus

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http://www.aussenrum.net

hast 'ne email
gruss sushi

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My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere

Hey Guys I'm about to go into UB tomorrow and staying at the oasis guesthouse and will find out about the possibilities of the route. If it sounds too bad ill just head back into Russia and across into Kazakhstan.

Sushi and the rest let me know if you want to meet up!!

I saw a picture on probike mongolia on facebook, they made them 5 days ago.

Snowstorm and so on...
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fb...type=1&theater

Just arrived in Ulaanbaatar, i'm here at the Oasis and there are quite a few bikers around and it seems people have already done the southern (two dutch guys have done it on street tires) and central routes this year, the weather is very warm and is meant to be really good for the next 5 days, but hey this is Mongolia!

Sushi if you wanted to tackle Mongolia together, safety in numbers and amazing conversation then i'm more than happy to do so... let me know

P

Hey, does anyone have any information on the central route through mongolia as the southern route just sounds like 1300km of construction gravel and i'm not doing that, just concerned the central route is too early?

I just don't know what to do!!!

You met the people who did the central route

Hello from Oasis Ulaanbaatar

sushi

__________________
My RTW:
http://www.youtube.com/user/MrXt660ztenere