Cycling from Mongolia to ... West as far as I can get
 

Hi all,

Just a new topic to let you guys know what's happening. First, I bought a bicycle in UB and loaded it and I'm now in Karakorum. Took me 5 days and god I'm tired! The wind is Killing! Sometimes I average 5 of 6 km an hour. So this is painful on the legs and not getting me anywhere. Second, camping is difficult because I'm afraid my tent will collapse under the storms.

But! There is also a lot of good news! The sun is shining, the landscape is dry but extremely beautiful and the Mongols are the friendliest! They keep offering me drinks and food along the way. Really good.

After this, I head for tsetserleg and then up to Mörön. My passport with russian visa will be send to Ölgii where I'll cross into Russia. Well, if I make it that far, that is.

Toddler Alex

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I look forward to hearing more, having made a couple of cycling trips I know how hard/rewarding they can be. Good luck with the rest of your trip.

That looks awesome! I'll be following you on here for sure!
Have fun, enjoy it :thumbup1:

+1.

Hi all,

Short update again. I've made it to Tsetserleg but don't ask how. God, the wind is killing me! Today I was riding at a whopping 4 km per hour!! That's not just slow, that's sucky.

But I love the people. I went inside a little shop after a long day of pushing pedals and the lady gave me some soup and offered me a bed in the corner. Great! The downside was I found out it was a 24 hour side restaurant so the entire night people came to see why there was guy sleeping in the corner:D and the dead sheep next to me smelled a bit, but hey, I'm not complaining!

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The fact that I'm so incredibly slow makes the days long and the progress nonexistent. So I ran out of water one evening but waving down a few cars and showing an empty bottle got me enough to cook. How friendly!

Also, I'm really bummed out that I didn't find an ereader in UB so .. if anybody is traveling towards me and willing to bring one along I'm happy to transfer a hundred bucks (?) So I can read along the way.

Toddler Alex

Hi all,

Currently in Khatgal and the Lake is still completely frozen. Beautiful!

After a very long day of cycling from Tariat I was ready to make camp. In the distance a truck was coming my way and he soon started shouting, pointing and drawing in the sand. When the map got out he drew he big cross through the road I was following and grabbed some snow. Apparently the pass was closed.

This would set me back about 180 km so not to happy. But he threw the bike and me in the truck and took me along! After twenty minutes or so he told me he was driving from UB non-stop and I noticed his eyes shutting and how he was trying to keep himself awake. I opened the window for fresh air and with the radio at full volume we entered the village. My shoulder was frozen and my ears ringing but we made it!

Very friendly guy, stayed as his place and he fed me. His wife was the best cook I've met so far, she made some great dishes.

Now camping in Khatgal and just had my first shower in... 12 days! :eek:
God, that feels good! For those interested, there is public bath house not far from the police station where you can take warm drizzle for a $1.50. VERY well worth it! Last night it was -6 in my tent:rolleyes: that and the 12 days makes the shower very, very much needed.

Toddler Alex

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"Two tracks diverged on an arid steppe" apologies to Robert Frost.

Cycling across Mongolia! Bloody hell - hard to comprehend.
Bonne route - and I hope the wind swings round to easterly soon.

Found the border
 

Hi all,

Another short update.
From Mörön I cycled west towards Ulaangom. This was very hard. The weather changed from around freezing to ..43 degrees! Sweat pouring over my back, and a fluo red sunburn.

Roads are also not so good, lots of soft sand so had to walk more than I'd like to do.

About 100 kilometer from Ulaangom during the night a wind ripped the zipper out my tent. Result: a lot of sand in my tent and a rather shitty night. next day got up early to make sure I got to the city. Oh boy, a proper bed and a shower! Fixed the tent and ate a lot :)

From here southwest to Ölgii to get my passport and russian visa! Will cross the border in 4 days I think.

I've lost a lot of weight and my legs are like steel! I'll look like superman in a few more weeks; )

Tapatalk is not working and adding a photo through the site is not easy on my cellphone. So, photos follow later. If anybody knows why tapatalk keeps giving Timeouts. .. let me know!

Travel tip: a new sauna / bathhouse in Mörön! For 8000 T. You can buy happiness!

Alex

Sounds like my kind of place :D

Blommetje, this is truly inspirational stuff. Did you buy everything in UB? Did you do much organization or prep before flying out?

@ ridetheworld:

I flew in with a winter sleeping bag; mattress and tent. I bought the bike, panniers and stove in ub. Clothing and general stuff I already had.

I brought a map and gps (gpsmap 62s) with me.

In general I thought to just cycle West and make my route as I go. Some things I wanted to see like Lake Kohvsgol.

So no, actually not much planning:) but it all turned out well. I just came to Ölgii and my russian visa starts 1st of june. Three days of laundry and showers before I move on.



Thanks all for the support! I must admit, with the wind being relentless and the ever changing weather is is quite hard to get up every morning, grab all your stuff and start pedaling again. But if you don't, your stuck somewhere. But yes, sometimes it's difficult.

Looking forward to Russia! Will he an awesome country I think!

Alex

Where you at Alex? Hope the trip is going well!

Hi all,

Yes, very much alive!
After i cycled Mongolia there is only one conclusion, Russia is too big to cycle completely.

So, I crossed the border from ölgii towards Gorno-Altaisk. On the border I've met this guy from Germany.
400 kilos (rider included)! Took him 1 month from Germany to East mongolia and back to ölgii again.
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After that, to Barnaul, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Volgograd and Moscow. I've been couchsurfing in most places so I've met some really interesting people. They took me in, gave me a bed and showed me around. In Novosibirsk we went biking and swimming together, and in Yekaterinburg she took me took all musea and to het grandmother in the countryside. To see a different world so to speak. In Barnaul a free city guide.all in all, really a good time.

This morning my visa expired and I crossed by train to Ukraine. Currently in Kiev! (Anyone up for coffee?!)

I've made sort of a route to the carpathian mountains, Lviv and then Poland. Although I must admit, this morning riding in the city, the heat and with all luggage I'm was dead after 30 minutes. Ok, 10. But I'm all so looking forward to biking again.

I do have some doubts about Ukraine. How to decide what route to take? And how's camping in the wild?

From here on its biking all the way! Unless of course something with an engine falls in my lap:)

In three days my bike leaves the city again.. wish me luck !


Alex

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A famous church.

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The motherland Calling (Volgograd)

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Swimming in the Volga with my Russian buddies.

Great stuff Alex! Nice to know it's going well; I'm really tempted to do something similar :)

Were you much of a 'cyclist' or fitness fanatic at home?

You mentioned that guy with 400k, good job he's on a GS1200 and not a bicycle!

I think all up my touring outfit for S.America would be no more than 100kg including myself but I only have 250cc.

I did some sports back home, triathlon for amateurs basically. Not an expert or anything.

Just taking it slow. Some days you feel good and just keep on going, other days after lunch you want to quit and sleep till dawn.




Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

Hi all, another short update on cycling Ukraine. First of all, it is way too hot! Whoever tells you that cycling over hills with 50 degrees (metric, if your Imperial... do the math). if fun, punch them! Because they are lying. Really, it is no fun. None. Attachment 15665

So, I left kiev and felt quite good. I had a good coffee and headed towards Vinnytsia and armed with a map I found some nice back roads. Hardly any traffic, enough villages for food and lovely places for pitching a tent. So first few days I saw a lot of lakes (well, this made me wonder - time enough on a bike - when is a lake a lake and not a pond? ) anyway, lots of swimming!

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I've been to Chotyn Castle, which I really recommend and kamenets - podilsky was nice as well.

Currently in Kolomyya and because of the heat and the fact that I'm a ginger and have a general hatred for heat and sun I'm staying in the shade for two days or so. I look like a grilled aubergine right now. Not the best look as it turns out.

Anyway, pics rule, so enjoy!

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Hi all,

The last post in this topic. After cycling Ukraine - which was amazing - I entered Slovakia. Also beautiful and being a bit more west it was easy, compared to Ukraine.

Lots of rain, lots of flats, about 6 broken spokes in the rear wheel I had to fix on the go. Aside from that, party from sunrise till sunset!

Crossed the border to Hungary and saw the country, from the Bükk area to Pecs, around Balaton and currently in Budapest. Time wise I can't cycle home, and the refugee issue makes a train impossible. Tomorrow I fly home and will start planning the next trip.

Thanks all for listening!

Kind regards,

Sore Bum and Tired Legs Alex

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Epic trip Alex and thanks for posting :thumbup1:

Respect!

How long did the slog from Novosibirsk to Ukraine take by bicycle?.

Also how much water did you generally carry and in what (just plastic bottles?).