Category: Mongolia 2010
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Off The Map In Central Mongolia — A Photo Essay
Mongolia is a far more accessible place for a mountain-biking expedition than I’d imagined. Navigation has been a mixture of old techniques and new technology. Our GPS unit didn’t help us to choose a route through the maze of tangled tyre tracks, but it did provide a bearing and an approximate distance to the next small provincial town — which would always provide supplies, electricity, a meal and a mobile phone connection. In terms of facilities, everything we’ve needed has rarely been more than a day or two away. After Bulgan we headed for the back-country. Riding the main route, though… Continue reading →
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Back In The Saddle From Ulaanbaatar To Bulgan
The life of a cycle tourist is often dictated by the forces of nature. This was never more true than for the first week’s journeying from the Mongolian capital out into the depths of the steppes. Rain, snow, hail, headwinds, tailwinds, sidewinds, dust-storms, baking sun, freezing cold, cloud tapestries and clear blue skies all made an appearance, often within a couple of hours of each other. This was going to be no place for whingeing about the weather. I felt pretty low as we left the city behind us. It was something to do with the wind and the monotony… Continue reading →
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On The Rails — Sochi to Ulaanbaatar
As I write, it’s 5:30am in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. Through the window of my host’s flat I can see the pale orange of the morning sun picking out the shapes of the new industrial complexes and apartment blocks that are sprouting at great speed. After a couple of years they will be crumbling, plaster falling from the walls; victims of overzealous development combined with corner-cutting for profit maximization in the name of the free market. Behind the city skyline, a range of low mountains is silhouetted against the sky. They will be my target for the day. Tonight… Continue reading →
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Rain, Train and Pain — Yerevan to Sochi
Her familiar, tearful, smiling face was framed by the tinted window, then a silhouette, receding; finally she joined the flecked shapes swaying within the departing bus as it began its 24-hour journey to Tehran. I put my hands in my pockets and trudged towards the subway. For the next few days I would put loneliness aside through the process of packing, tying up loose ends on website projects, and readying the flat for several months’ vacancy. For what seemed like an eternity, Tenny and I had been looking forward to the day when we could turn the key one last… Continue reading →
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Get A Postcard From Outer Mongolia
When was the last time you got a postcard from Outer Mongolia? Probably a fair while ago, I’ll warrant. So here’s the deal. I’m trying to raise £1,000 for The Wilderness Foundation UK by — appropriately — mountain-biking just over 1,000 miles off-road across a big wilderness area of Mongolia. I’ll send a postcard from Mongolia to anyone who helps me achieve this target. All you have to do is visit the fundraising page and leave a donation of any amount, then come back to this post and put your mailing address in the comments. (Or, if you’re not comfortable… Continue reading →
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Mountain Biking Across Outer Mongolia
A couple of weeks ago, I went to watch Armenia play ice hockey. The match was part of the 2010 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. Being a 3rd division group match, it featured countries not usually associated with winter sports — South Africa, North Korea, and on this occasion, Mongolia, who were promptly thrashed 15–0 by Armenia. I’ve dreamt of biking across Mongolia for many years. Back in 2006, when I was preparing to start a new life on the road, I made vague plans to include the country in my route. I never expected it would be this… Continue reading →