Gobi Desert Solitude

My last two weeks in Mongolia were spent crossing the Gobi Desert. I'm not exactly sure where it started but I can tell you what the middle of it looks like. Very little vegetation, a lot of camels, a few horses, rocks and sand. That is what was under and around me. Above was a fantastically clear sky for watching stars, sunsets, sunrises and less inviting, the mid day sun.

The logistics of crossing the desert was not so difficult. Towns were 150 miles apart at the most. The roads were sandy, rocky and slow. My 8 hour days of pedaling continued right to the China border. I would leave towns with 4 days of food and 15 liters of water. The food options were limited so in the traditional Mongolian way I opted for no variety. Every day I ate a pound of rice, a jar of vegetables and a loaf of bread. On the occasions I was invited into a yurt I was served horse meat, cheese and fermented horse milk (such a treat?). I would also pass wells everyday but the water in them, even after being filtered, had the essence of a barn.

The barn taste came, of course, from the animals that would drink there too. On one occasion a herd of camels were lying next to a well. They saw me approach and stood together to wait for me to fill the water trough. There was no way for me to get water from the well, and I left behind a bunch of disappointed camels.

I met a lot of nice folks in this stretch too. A couple from Poland biked with me for a day. A mining camp pointed me in the right direction when I wasn't sure. I got pointed in the right direction a lot. None of my maps had roads for this area. I had GPS to know where I was and the location of the next town relative to that. Which winding dirt path to follow into the unknown was up to me. I also met a few families, lots of herders, another group of Chinese road workers. Every one of them was inviting and friendly.

Crossing that desert has been the hardest part of the trip thus far. It was very remote. In an entire day spent on or next to the road I would see only 2 vehicles and a busier day would not get to double digits. The temperature was in the low 90s for most of the day, but it was a dry heat, as if that makes a difference. I saw snakes and scorpions. It was very physically demanding to fight the sand and go consistently so long each day. I didn't have enough water to slow down so that was a good motivator. The beauty of it and being so far out there was a lot of fun though.

In conclusion, I would not recommend it to anybody. For me though, it was fantastic!

Mongolia Mountains

The view from Mongolia is fantastic. The spaces I bike through are wide open and the mountains around me are tall, bare and beautiful. Distant mountains are snow capped. The air is clear and the sky filled with turbulent or harmless clouds which appear larger than the mountains, I think in fact they are. White yurts dot the landscape near and far. Animals are everywhere. Sheep, goats, horses, cows, long haired yaks even a couple of pigs. They wander the road in front of me and in herds on the hillsides. The locals push around the animals either on motorcycles or horseback.

Thus far the roads on my trip have nearly always been paved. That ended right at the border. They are now dirt tracks, cinder, a bit of gravel and a dash of sand. In nearly every case they are not maintained and exist only due to local vehicles making them for their own convenience. The land lacks anything that might stop a vehicle (besides the mountains) so the tracks run off in many directions, and when one gets too worn to drive over easily another track springs up right next to it. In busier areas this method creates 10 lane dirt roads with another dozen lanes weathering back to neutral. I have maintained my fifty mile a day pace but because of the roads it now requires 8 hours of pedaling to do it.

The people have all been very friendly. On my second day in Mongolia I was invited in for breakfast. Home made cheese, rolls and milky tea. I have been invited into a few yurts now and they always offer the same food. I believe their is a lack of ingredients in the county side. Certainly no vegetables or fruit exist.

It is nearly impossible to hide while camping. Everyone has grown up looking for their animals far away in the hills and I apparently am not a challenge to pick out. Nearly every night someone on a horse or motorcycle will ride over to see what I am and what I am doing. I believe all the land is public so camping is never an issue. Mostly they want to inspect my bike. Checking the tires and trailer is a must. Going through small towns I stop a half dozen times to let people check my tires and trailer.

Hammockeering has been very tough though not quite impossible. A large four legged tower holding power lines was positioned perfectly to hang my hammock. I watched the sunset, I saw a rainbow, I watched the sunrise and no one found me there. It's been a nice ride.