Hi folks,

Does anyone knows what is the best route to take from Irkuts to Kyzyl and back to Mongolia? Now long would it take from Irkuts to Kyzyl? Does anyone knows whoever succeeded in entering through Mondi to Mongolia?
Pls help.

Chinzo

Tuva has no international border crossings with Mongolia ... its Russians and Mongolians only at the border crossings there.

Same with Mondi. I know a Russian guy on a Yamaha 250 that crossed there this summer, but he was a Russian passport holder.

As far as I know this information is still correct ... there are only 4 road border points internationals (foreigners ... non Russians / Mongolians) are able to cross at to/from Mongolia:

...foreigners may now enter Mongolia by automobile or motorcycle at four land border crossings. The affected border crossings include: Tsagaan Nuur in Bayan Ulgii province (to Russian Altai), Altanbulag in Selenge province (to Russian Buryatia), Ereen Tsav in Dornod province (to Russian Chita) and Zamiin Uud in Dornogobi province (to Chinese Inner Mongolia). These permanent highway checkpoints are open five days a week, Monday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Occasionally reports filter thru of westerners crossing at other border points to the ones above, but they have been in Russian tour groups made up of majority Russian nationals.

There is no direct road (or even track) over the mountains connecting Irkutsk with Kyzyl. I heard of some people who tried it on horseback a few years ago, very well equipped, but they had to turn back because there was no track at all, just forest and mountains.

There is a shortcut dirtroad that runs from Uyar (between Krasnoyarsk and Kansk) through to Minusinsk via Artemovsk. Other than that its just take the federal roads ... M53 and M54. As for distance ... Irkutsk - Kyzyl by either of the routes above is over 2000km ... Possible in 3 days, but comfortable in 4 days.

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Hi Chinzo: Kyzyl is one of those "you can't get there from here" places, no matter where "here" is. It's a really long way from everywhere by land. It's even pretty far from anywhere by air.

And Colebatch is spot on as usual: There's normally no way to enter Mongolia from Tuva or north of Khuvsgul (Mondi) unless you are Russian or Mongolian. Large tour groups with some non-Russian/Mongolians have occasionally been able to come across the border to visit Khuvsgul from the Irkutsk area, but that's with a lot of pre-trip work (and $$!) by the tour organizers. A regular traveler would be out of luck.

It's the Russians and Chinese that are the real obstacle on getting in/out of Mongolia by land. The Mongolians are often willing to go along with foreigners trying to enter or leave Mongolia at non-standard locations, especially if you take the time to work with the Foreign Ministry, Immigration Authorities and the Border Forces. Mongolians realize tourism and good publicity for Mongolia is good for them. But the Chinese and Russian governments have no interest at all in that and their whole systems are based on controlling people's movement so no incentive to change.

It was a big step when Mongolia officially made it to four foreigner-friendly border crossings just a few years ago and based on the issues above I can't seem any additional crossings opening up anytime soon.

Regards, Scott

I still want to know if any bikers have crossed at Erentsav in the east yet? Scott, you heard of any?

I have never heard of any and the guy at the border at Altanbulag this year said that it was not open to foreigners, tho I suspect he may be misled.

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No, I never met any foreigners who went in/out of Ereentsav. A couple of guys I met in UB once told me they were going to try it, but then they looked at the route and decided there wasn't much on the Russian side around there that they wanted to see.

I've been to Ereentsav, but not across the border. I do think it is still officially open to foreigners, but there's not much incentive to go out there. The landscape in the far east of Mongolia is the least interesting part of the country. Just wide open steppe. It's fun for the first couple of hours and then it just gets boring.

And as far as I have heard there is not much of interest on the Russian side in that area either, at least compared to Baikal and Irkutsk, so not much reason to come or go via that point.

I'm sure someone has done it, just because someone seems to have done almost everything. But I can't see it ever becoming a popular route.

Scott

Thanks a lot comrade's.

I am working with some jet boating guys this summer to jet boat through Mongolian river system Tuul river, Selenge, then Russia ULan-Ude, Irkutsk this guys also interested in jet boating upstream somewhere to Kizil since it has one of the most beautifull white water's in the area? According from info sent from you guys the vehicle's can only drive around for 3,4 days. Do you think this trip is possible at all of it's crazy thing to do?

Thanks for the info guys,

Cool project! It definitely sounds like a crazy thing to do, but I think that's a good thing!

Let us know how it goes!

Scott

HI Scott,

R U in OZ now? I went fishing with Michel Rmd couple days ago to upper Kherlen had fun.

Chinzo,

No, I moved to Tokyo a couple of months ago so I'm getting used to big city living.

Scott