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Another, late afternoon rendezvous with riders coming in the opposite direction informs us of problems on the Ulaangom to Tsaanaguur section; fifteen river crossings, all high due to the recent rain. They advise heading south to Khovd an Ulgii.
Then it's tuck ourselves away up in the hills for the night. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000097-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000096-L.jpg |
Rivets, washboard, whatever they're called, are awful and probably the nastiest surface I have ever encountered. Sure, for a few miles they're bearable but for tens of miles they're extremely frustrating and hard on the bike.
At 1mph it's like riding a horse as you go over each individual one. At 10mph your bike is rattling to pieces (Poor Paul with his metal panniers felt it more than me, but still) At 20mph it gets a bit better depending on the distance between the washboard but still not nice At 40 or 50mph it's not too bad, you get a floating sensation as the wheels are hardly ever in contact with the ground, but it's only for those braver than me, 40mph feels like 100mph! Standing up helps sometimes, sitting down is better at other times but overall it's nasty stuff. I won't miss it, that's for sure. |
Is your partner dropping his bike too, or do you just take up all the slack? :mchappy:
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Thankfully though, as you can see, it was just the adjuster that had fallen out and popping a bolt through the lever fixed it. I didn't have a nut though and so tie wraps held it on until the end of the journey :scooter: |
118 miles from beyond Tes towards Ulaangom
The going became very sandy the closer we got to Uvs Nuur.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030538-L.jpg First stop was in Baruuntaruun. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030544-L.jpg Unfortunately, despite being before 11:00 in the morning, the local town drunk decided that I should provide him with the means for his next fix. Mongolians, in our experience, are a warm and friendly people but steer well clear of a drunk Mongolian; he was highly persistent and, when it became clear that I was in no mood to subsidise his habit, he became aggressive, kicking the motorcycle and me. I fended off the first kick but I regret to admit, I placed a well aimed motorcycle boot as I rode off. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030542-L.jpg We also encountered a little territorial stand-off with a herd of horses (I just had to look up the collective noun for wild horses). They stood their ground in the cool water, the grey being the obvious leader, only a rev of the engine finally affording us clear passage. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030548-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030550-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030552-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030556-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030559-L.jpg |
By now, my confidence in sand was in tatters and I was picking my way.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030578-L.jpg We eventually arrived in Zuunguv. It was tempting to hitch our motorcycles whilst we quenched our thirst. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030585-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030587-L.jpg Ever the perfect hosts, I was provided with a stool to sit on. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030588-L.jpg Daniel had brought with him a Polaroid camera that prints photographs which proved to be a massive hit with local children. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030596-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030601-L.jpg Whilst we were there, a Land Cruiser arrived and a rather portly gentleman wandered over and in broken English, enquired about us and our journey. Let me introduce you to Dam who, unbeknown to us at the time, would become a great friend. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030589-L.jpg |
As if I needed any more indication that the terrain had become sandy.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030610-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030612-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030615-L.jpg |
Towards the end of the day, a few kms after this sign.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000098-L.jpg Again! https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030618-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030617-L.jpg This one hurt. In a carbon copy of my crash in Morocco, three years earlier, I dabbed my right foot, my toes caught in the sand, the pannier followed through and caught my heel and within a second I was lying on the ground facing forwards with my foot facing backwards. I felt the MCL on the inside of my right knee 'go' as I went down; very painful. Picking bike up, I continued for another mile or so but it was obvious, I couldn't go on that day. We decided to camp by the side of the road and review our options in the morning. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030634-L.jpg We weren't on the main route into Ulaangom but on a track that the locals use. |
I've been asked why we hide ourselves when camping each night. The reason is that Mongolians are so friendly and inquisitive that they will stop if they see you, as they did that evening.
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As we were packing away and reviewing our options the next morning, around 07:00, a vehicle came along the track, stopped and out stepped .... Dam, the gentleman we'd met in Zuunguv. After a little conversation he says, "You need ambulance and truck". I told him that an ambulance probably wasn't necessary but he simply said, "Two hours", jumped back in his Land Cruiser and waived at his driver.
We packed away and waited. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030653-L.jpg And waited. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030654-L.jpg My right knee was swollen and tender but could bear weight and I was hopeful that the damage wasn't as bad as three years ago. |
As we watched the morning traffic heading for Ulaangom, it became clear that every vehicle was getting stuck in the sand where I'd come off the previous evening. They'd have to unload all of the animals, get the truck out of the sand then load up again. You can see the vehicle in the background here.
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Just as we were beginning to lose a little faith, five and a quarter hours after he left, Dam reappears, accompanied by the Ulaangom ambulance, a doctor and some 'muscle'. He declares that a truck is also on the way.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030703-L.jpg A quick examination by the doctor and he declares that I need x-rays so I'm bundled into the ambulance leaving Daniel in charge of my motorcycle. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030705-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030708-L.jpg It's a good job that I hadn't broken anything since the ambulance ride was little short of terrifying. My rear-end literally left the seat twice on the 70km drive to Ulaangom. |
Dam and Daniel supervise my motorcycle being loaded onto the truck.
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