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Steppe to the left, steppe to the right; a trip through Mongolia
Two years after our Iceland trip, Daniel (aka Modman) and I have just returned from three weeks riding from Irkutsk to Bishkek.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...05.05.01-L.png For those of you who don't know me, I'm Paul (aka Wildman). The Wildman moniker comes from my mothers side of the family and is just a name that I use. In fact, if any of you Canucks knew Cariboo Motorcycles in Port Moody, BC a few years back, you may know my uncle Dave Wildman or my cousins, John and Ashley. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1020992-L.jpg This is Daniel sorting out his bike when we dropped them in Warsaw at the end of May to be shipped to Irkutsk. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_0939-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...518470_n-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...163945_n-L.jpg Here's our story. |
Irkutsk
We arrived in Irkutsk early on Saturday morning. Not the best planning ever done since Russian Customs don't work at the weekend but it meant the chance to acclimatise and prepare.
Dancing in Irkutsk: https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc.../L/image-L.jpg |
Russian Customs (Day One)
Check in 11:40 with our "fixer", Pavel. Go to another office to have passports and V5s photocopied. Return to first office. Sent to third office where we must make a written request to have our bikes inspected. Wait for inspector.
Inspector comes and we walk to the wharehouse. Unpack everything from Daniel's bike. Everything is photographed twice. Oddometer, VIN and regustration plate photographed. Repack Daniel's bike and start on mine. Return to first office. It's now 14:45. First guy then proceeds to marry up every photograph to each item on our inventory. Finally gets it done by 16:25. Told to come back tomorrow at 09:00. |
My bike:
http://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorcy.../L/image-L.jpg Daniel's: http://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorcy.../L/image-L.jpg The inspection: http://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorcy.../L/image-L.jpg The warehouse: http://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorcy.../L/image-L.jpg The office: http://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorcy.../L/image-L.jpg |
Russian Customs (Day Two)
Day two started at 09:10 with the news that the boss man wasn't happy with the inventories and we'd have to return and rephotograph everything! Not only that, they now had a list of what they thought we should have rather than what we actually had: tent, sleeping bag, mat, pillow, camp stove, 12 items of clothing, boots, one can of oil, stool, puncture repair kit and tools.
Problem was that my clothes weren't on the bike so we ended up with taking photographs of the fixer's shirt and pullover. I'd worn my boots so those came off and were photographed too. Return to office; 11:35. Lunch! Some positivity as we started on the "Carnet TIR"; the customs document, after lunch. Problem was that it required everything to be listed by hand showing material and a nominal weight. My bike and kit ended up weighing 904.5Kgs! Yeah, right. Next problem? Two hand written copies! Then the issue that everything about us was listed as being from the "UK" and everything on e bike from "GB". Finally, at 16:50, we got the customs form stamped and headed out to set up the bikes. We left at 18:00. Two full days; our fixer, Pavel, has the patience of a Saint. |
283 miles from Irkutsk to Ulan Ude
Lake Baikal is impressive but there are not many views from the road.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1020997-L.jpg After negotiating a few sporty sections of roadworks, we arrived in Ulan Ude to an impromptu Horizons Unlimited gathering. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030009-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...IMG_1030-L.jpg Ken and Carol from Australia, Sam I Am and a couple from New Zealand. Brigid (Mrs Roynie), who we'd dined with in Irkutsk, also arrived. Great to meet up with everyone. |
328 miles from Ulan Ude to Erdenet
Long day. The border crossing was relatively painless but we found nowhere obvious to pitch camp after Darkhan so decided to press on to Erdenet and checked in to a hotel. We arrived too late for dinner as we hadn't realised that the clocks changed at the border.
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I can't remember what we had for dinner that night, it wasn't Kimchi was it?
:rofl: |
250 miles from Erdenet to Morun
The next morning was wet.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000023-L.jpg It had rained for five of the previous six days so perhaps not a surprise. We filled up with supplies. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030032-L.jpg And fuelled up alongside these guys. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030033-L.jpg The road from Erdenet to Morun is freshly paved but we had agreed to deliver some photographs to a Mongolian family 109kms south of the road and soon turned off. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030044-L.jpg Twenty seconds on to our route and I dropped the bike. The rain had left a thin layer of slimy mud sitting on top of hard-packed dirt leaving it treacherous. After 2kms, both Daniel and decided that another 107kms would be too challenging and, after a photo opportunity, we returned to the Morun road. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000034-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030042-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000031-L.jpg Eventually arrived at the 50'100' Hotel in Morun and a dinner of fried beef. |
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95 miles from Morun towards Tsetserleg
The paved road finishes at Morun.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030059-L.jpg I led out a little too confidently and only twenty minutes into the day found myself taking a left hand bend in fifth gear, drifted to the outside and tried to use the sand berm to ease round the turn. Nope. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030064-L.jpg My second fall in two days! I was fortunate that I was standing and despite the speed, managed to avoid serious injury. A passing Mongolian helped Daniel and I to get the bike upright. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030065-L.jpg |
These guys wanted to race me. A 150cc bike, two-up versus a 798cc, one-up. They won!
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000047-L.jpg We made an offering. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030166-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030168-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030169-L.jpg And met some yak. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000054-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030180-L.jpg |
We eventually decided to set up camp and, taking the advice of others, got well off the road and concealed ourselves, high up in the hills.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000061-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1000057-L.jpg |
91 miles from Tsetserleg towards Bayantes
Some good riding the next morning.
https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030203-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030206-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030212-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030216-L.jpg Then, inexplicably, drop #3! Just a slow-speed turn to line up for a water crossing. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030223-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030222-L.jpg https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030228-L.jpg Came across these guys just before another water crossing. https://wildmania.smugmug.com/Motorc...P1030233-L.jpg |
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