I was skyping with my brother discussing potential travel destination when we finally agreed on what would become a great adventure. Rent motorcycles in Oulan-Bator and ride Mongolia and Camp. We searched a bit on internet on how to do this as neither I nor him had even a motorcycle driving licence at that time.
We found first the company that will rent us the motorbikes. We settled on cheke tours as she had some testimonies on her website, was really cheap (13 EUR per day) and spoke descent french which helped with the communication. Once we booked the bikes we then actually learned how to drive a bike. I bought a 125 CC KTM and drived it around, my brother started his driving licence courses and basically just did some runs on a parking lot before taking the plane and flying out to Oulan-Bator. Cheke told us that if we don’t have a driving licence it’s actually fine, when we see police on the roads we just wave and smile and they will let us through. Well she was not wrong, that’s exactly what we did and it worked like a charm.
In the plain from Moscow to Mongolia I was siting next to a guy with motorcycle shoes on. I started a conversation and actually he was flying with another dutch guy and they were planning to rent motorecycles at the exact same place we were going to! We chatted a bit and then wished one another a nice trip and went on our own ways. I joined my brother in the guest house we booked in Oulan and then started the preparation for the trip.
Here is what we planned to do :
And here is what we actually did :
We first went to see checke to check on the bikes. It was actually quite difficult to find as the place is outside of the city, in a funky neighborhood with tracks, dogs roaming around and no actual sign. We entered the place, there was a ger in one end of the place, a big container with bike parts and a few bikes laying around. We talked to Cheke, paid her, give her our passport and then chose the bikes.Those are Shineray Mustang 155CC chineese bikes. They are in.. very poor condition. I mean, I don’t know how much thousands of km they have under the belt but they are beaten up. We chose two bikes, take them for a ride around the place. We asked the mechanic to fix the gear switch, fix my back brake as those were not working and then we go back to the city, feeling a bit nervous. She explained to us that the bikes are our responsibility and that if we brake something in the middle of nowhere we have to fix it and get the bike back to the shop and that she won’t do a thing. Well.
We then went to the Black Market (Naran Tuul) and bought a camping gas stove, 2 fishing rodes and some cutlery and then we went to the state department store on Peace avenue. This was the only modern and descent store in Mongolia so make sure to buy everything you need there. We bought supplies for a few days and then went back to our guest house (Zaya Guest House) to prepare for the departure the next day. We went to Khan’s pub to roll pout the map and start to prepare the itinerary. We went to sleep nervous but also exited.
The next day we see the two guys from the plane at cheke as well ! We pack the bikes, rope everything up and then ride into the sunset with the other guys, we agreed to ride a bit together and see how it goes. From check we go east, we ride a bit, stop for lunch in a small restaurant in Altanbulag . We taste Khuushuur, it’s grounded meat (normally mutton, of course), fried inside a dough shell. Oily and filling, perfect to abolish hunger on the steppe.
We then get back on the bikes and continue out of the beaten path to the north as we would lilke to sleep in the Khustain Nuruu national park, known for its population of wild takhi (Przewalski’s horse) and its ger (yurt) camps. Suddenly one of our dutch friends stops, the chain broke. First day, first problem. While they go back to Altanbulag to buy a new one we settle down near the river and start fishing with my brother.
When Docus and Stoerje are back with a new chain, they fix their bike and off we go again. Second adventure of the day, we stumble upon a river and no bridge. Unsettling situation, but actually very common in Mongolia, you just have to learn how to cross it. We fumble a few times but eventually get a grip on how to do it. We drive a bit more and stop for the night near a ger with some locals living there. They agree that we pitch our tents near their place and even invite us for an evening in their gers and offer us some vodka, some sour Airag (fermented milk) and some joghurt. We appreciated the hospitality, the food not so much. They told us that there were some wolfs around, so when we got back to our tents we actually all slept with our knives nearby..
The next day we discuss with the patriarch of the family the right way to go. As you can imagine there are no signs and no roads around, just some random tracks in the soil so it’s a bit difficult some times to know where to go. We find our way north and cross the whole park. We reach the west asphalt main road and enjoy some proper driving without bumps and rocks all the time. We fill up our gas tanks and then establish our camp behind Bayankhangai. It’s actually quite important to pitch your tents in remote places to not get crushed by a drunk driver by night or get mugged. So hide a bit.
We have a wonderful evening, we cook on our stoves, D and S have some proper yak cheese and do cheese toast while we eat some eggs and tuna. We talk under the light of the stars and finally go to sleep after chaining together our motorbikes, so they don’t get stolen during the night. There’s nobody around but you never know.
The next day we continue our daily ritual, we have breakfast and then pack our camp and load up our bikes. We then continue to go north. Our initial objective was to reach the Khovsgol Lake in the north of the country. A very ambitious plan.. Way to ambitious in fact. Anyway, we continue to ride north, we struggle to find the right way, we pass some fences, cross rivers and eventually reach Zaamar where we do some groceries and eat in a restaurant some Tsuivan (Fried noodle with mutton) and some Buuz (Mongolian Dumplings). We have anyway to stop every hour or so to let the bikes rest and cool down.
We continue a bit west and hide in the hills as we know that there is a mining town somewhere around us. Apparently those towns are only populated by guys, who get drunk everynight and brawl quite a lot. Better stay away haha. We actually found a really nice place, and we get to enjoy an awesome sun set while eating our dinner. We drink some vodka and then get some sleep.
The next day we continue our road north and come across green and valleys with a river, hundreds of horses are chilling in the valley. We stop and use to the river to wash a bit our smelly bodies and enjoy the sun. This place was around Orkhon, south of Bulgan. We then enter Bulgan and do some groceries in the big shop of the city. It is quite crowded and the city is very much how you would picture a soviet town in the wild. Concrete blocks put together. We leave quite fast and then establish camp some 30 km away to the north in a remote place. We actually struggled to find a descent place to pitch the tent this night.
We discuss with D and S and come to the conclusion that at our current speed we will never reach the lake and come back in time. We therefore decide to switch and go south towards the Ögiy nuur lake. We enter the real wilderness, very limited people around, no tracks and not even a road on google maps.. We drive the whole day down, we stop in a small village to get some things to eat and refill and then ride again for an hour. Then the wheel of S brakes. Like, completely, it falls appart. He completely dissassembles it and take it to the previous village where a drunk mechanic drills new holes in the wheel in order to stabilize it while his friends are cheering violently. We stayed with the motorbikes with my brother in the wild, we just chill in the grass and read a bit waiting for our dutch friends. They eventually come back, reassemnble the fixed wheel with the bike and we are good to go. After some time we notice big clouds and thunder far away. We then decide to stop for the night, we spot a gersa and respectfully ask if we can pitch the tents by sign language. The mongol happily agrees and even helps us and then invites us to his gers. He again offers us a bit of food and some conversation, great hospitality once again.
We wake up in the morning with wet tents, we pack and then continue down the road. after a day of muddy driving we eventually reach once again the asphalt road and at the end of day reach the lake Ögiy nuur. We are exhausted, cold and completely wet. This time we book a gers in a gers camp and enjoy a nice night in a bed with a fire in the center of the ger. The ger next door is occupied by a bunch of mongols on a fishing trip. They basically fish, drink and shoot with their rifles at empty bottles for a week end. They even invite us and let us shoot a bit with the rifles. Regular saturday night you know.
The next day we split with S and D, they decide to slowly get back to Oulan Batar while we decide to push a bit west. We pack, we say farewell and we ride with my brother south to Karakorum through the Orkhon Valley Natural and Historical Reserve. We pass by some camels on the way and a temple. We are alone on the tracks, feels food. We reach Karakorum and visit a bit the old capital city of the mongol empire, created by Genghis Khan and then by his successor Ögedei Khan. We see some tourists, they look at us like we are some kind of dirty creatures from the desert. Indeed we did not shower since some time alreay. We then continue west with my brother, we want to reach the Tsenkher Hot Spring Resort by the night. We ride west then go south as there is some kind of track written on the map. We were just about to make it and the day was actually ending when we reach.. a big river. The current seems quite strong and we see on the pother side 2 cars who crossed but who are now laying with all doors open to dry and let the water out. We also see a herder cross the river on his horse. But no way for us to cross with our small shitty bikes.
We are a bit sad, we really looked forward to a good meal and some hot water. Anyway, we see a bunch of mongols with tents and decide to stick with them for the night. It’s actually a pretty funny evening, those guys are gear and a lot of good food and invites us for a feast. We listen to music, drink, eat fish and mutton and listen to the stories of the “bulgan boss”.
In the morning I wake up a bit sick, I don’t feel so good. We pack up our things and ride north again as there is supposedely a brige some 50 km away to cross this damn river. Crossing a small stream my wheel got stuck and my phone slips from my bike. I look for it a bit but no chance, it must have been carried by the stream or burried in the mud. We slip a few times in the mud and crash but we finally reach a proper town. We stop in a cafe and ask our way and get some directions. By that time I have a serious fever and the chain of my bro is slipping out every hour or so. We cross the river and penetrate into the steppes again. At some point my brother asks a nomad to help him out with the chain thing, they move the wheel a bit back to put some tension on the chain again, that does the trick.
We go up a big hill and my bike slips, I fall, the bike falls on me. And I am actually trying to push it way so it does not crush me. My bro comes back to me and helps me but it back up, I start to be a bit delirious and I really need some rest, but those damned hot springs are not too far away so we push forward for one more hour and finally reach them.
We settle in the inn, I roll against one of the heaters and just fall asleep. We then spend the next two days eating nice food and bathing in the sun and reading. I get better soon and everything is right again. The inn is empty, they just had the visit of the mining lobby and some politicians who did a party in the inn, we can see that the personel is exhausted and a bit depressed. We saw the line of official cars on the main road from afar when we were camping the day before actually and were curious about it.
Anyway, after 2 days of rest in the hot springs we pay and get back on our saddles to slowly go back to the capital as we are closely getting to the end of our trip.
We ride this day quite alot to the east and we settle in the khogno tarna national park. A peacful place surrounded by beige rocks. We hide a bit as there is a monastery not so far away and climb the rocks to admire the sun set on the steppe. The next day we ride a bit to see the Elsen Tasarkhai (Sand Dune Mini Gobi) and then start to go north east in order to reach again the west asphalt road that leads to Ulan Batar.
We stop some 40 km away from the city, we go into the wild to find a remote place to pitch our tents. This is our last night in the wild, it has a bitter taste but we take comfort in the fact that we made it safe and that tomorrow we will enjoy a nice cold beer with a pizza at the Khans pub in Oulan batar.
In the morning we take some last video shots for our trip clip and then go back to checke. Once we reach the city, we cross the industrial quarter, the smog and the pollution actually thicken our throats and makes us dizzy, crazy to think about huh? Fun (not really) Fact, during the winter as everybody heats the gers with coal, the city is completely covered in a thick smog and becomes the most polluted place on earth for some time. During the summer the smog clears out.
We give back the bikes to Cheke, the mechanic starts directly to work on them, some tourist have rented them for the very next day. We go back to the city and enjoy a nice evening feasting at the Pub.
The next day we book a taxi and we go to see the Genghis kahn statue some 30 km to the east of the capital. It’s actually pretty impressive, the statue is huge and stares into the steppes in the middle of nowhere. We then go back to the city and visit the center and the national museum. We then go back home and pack. This was some nice adventurous shit. And here is the video :
