Week 10 Blog

The Mongolian border town of Altanbulag is never going to win any tidy town awards yet it here that I spent a sleepless night in a cheap hotel, which smelt like boiled mutton, waiting for the Compass Expeditions group to pass into Mongolia from Russia. It was the 3rd August 2014 and the beginning of my Mongolian experience. I had long exhausted all the sights of the aforementioned town when Mick rode through the border gates in the early afternoon.

The entire group quickly joined him. Brian was the most pleased to meet me given I had brought with me from Ulaanbaatar a WR250. His BMW R1200 GSA had been left in Istanbul. Jane was also kindly disposed towards me as I presented her with medications, creams and most importantly Vegemite. After introductions we turned south travelling beyond Sukhbaatar to our first camp west of Darkhan.

The rain cleared the next morning but the conditions had made the dirt track to the Amarbayasgalant Monastry slippery so we continued south camping 20kms west of Bulag. It was a spectacular night. The rain cleared and an amazing double rainbow appeared over the hills. Our camp location could not have been better, nestled at the base of surrounding green hills. The WR250 provided great entertainment as some of the guys rode it atop the slopes Steve McQueen style!

Unfortunately Geoff had come down the previous day and had suffered a broken leg. After checking on his condition back in the hotel in Bulag the group continued on riding some challenging tracks amid stunning scenery. The camp that night was alongside a meandering creek, which served to chill the beers, and we were visited by a number of locals who enjoyed taking Bayne’s BMWF800 for joy rides.

An early morning storm and strong winds shook our tents but the morning dawned clear. During the night a friendly local who had imbibed much of the local vodka had sought shelter in the ladies toilet tent. Ray ensured he was woken and moved on before the ladies used the facilities.

The riding the next day was mostly dirt alongside the ever present road construction. Some of the tracks were slippery and challenging but he scenery remained beautiful. We passed ger tents, goats, yaks, cows and wild horses.

After passing through the unfortunately named “Moron” we turned north to Khovsgol Nuur. The aptly named Switzerland of Mongolia. Since Mick’s last trip here the road was paved all the way to Khatgal. The riders enjoyed the smooth road and by late afternoon had arrived at Natures Door Ger Camp alongside the lake.

The hospitality of Otgoo and her staff was outstanding. Many enjoyed the meals, warm fires in the Gers, cold beer and red wine. The lakeside location was awesome and although the weather was not the best, it was a great stay and an enjoyable free day.

Our journey then turned south, the weather cleared, and as we rode towards our next Ger camp and crossed green fields it became obvious that Mongolia was a bikers dream. Dinner was tasty and the group were entertained by the camp site owner and his granddaughter who sang local songs, the Mongolian national anthem and Adele hits!

The next day was simply outstanding. Some of the most beautiful scenery I had ever seen. A clear blue sky the stretched forever, green peaks, scattered gers, herds of wandering stock, flat plains with wavy grass and swooping eagles. A few creek crossings capped of one of the best riding days ever.

The ride to White Lake was second to none and was nominated by a number of the riders as the best riding days of their lives. They crossed yawning valleys, rocky pass and clear running streams.

The thin bridges over a number of rivers were both challenging and fantastic photo opportunities. The riders arrived at the Ger camp at White Lake to be greeted by an epic sunset and colourful rainbow.

The next day we met a group of French tourists who were riding Mongolia on Royal Enfields(some were two up!). We traversed barren lava fields before overlooking the Chuluut George. From there the track was a mix of dirt, rock, and pavement on our way to the Fairfield Hotel in Tsetserleg. 

A great hotel with good coffee, cinnamon rolls and the Aussie burger (with beetroot). Our hotel was also hosting a group of skateboarders who were making a documentary about skating in Mongolia. As a number of our group returned to the hotel after an evening beer a perfect full moon rose over the horizon.

The next day was warm and clear for the long ride to Ulaanbaatar. A mix of pavement, dirt tracks and rocky paths all the way to the capital. A visit to the monastery in Kharkhorin in the morning allowed the group to stretch their legs.

The arrival in UB provided a stark contrast to the solitude and tranquility of the Mongolia we had travelled the past two weeks as we were greeted by crazy traffic, blaring horns and unregulated construction.

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