Fording, sometimes barefooted, across barely thawed mountain streams and rivers.
Sipping hot, curdled mare’s milk on a mountainside with friendly herdsmen.
Finding camels just beyond the sand dunes of the the Mongol Els.
Cycling up crazily steep, intense mountains.
Spotting wild, extremely rare Przewalski’s Horses.
Soaking up the beauty of Mongolia’s tallest waterfall.
Camping in and riding through an unexpected snowstorm.
Riding against forceful, howling winds.
Weaving our way through volcanic rocks in Orkhon valley’s lava field.
Shooing away the giant herd of sheep and goats that invaded our campsite one night.
Making friends with nearly everyone in the tiny town of Lun.
Bekah and I certainly did not foresee the adventures Mongolia had in store for us. We still have fifteen days left to explore this beautiful country and I am so excited to see what magical moments are right around the corner.
What an amazing trip you are on. I can only imagine what it’s like. You are creating memories that will last the rest of your life. I can only wish that I was young enough and had the energy to do what you’re doing. Keep it up!
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Thank you! No one is never too old for adventures…although I don’t think I would necessarily recommend some of the bone jarring descents in Mongolia, hehe
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What an awesome adventure and what amazing pictures. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
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My pleasure, Anthony! This country is astounding!
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Riding over the Rockies will be a piece of cake compared to this. You inspire me.
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Thanks Rootchopper! The Rockies are at a higher elevation though…here we can breathe at least some oxygen, haha
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You are amazing! I can hardly get my head around the fact that you are on the other side of the world doing this wild Mongolian Madness Adventure! How do the mountains there compare to your ascent and descent on Pikes Peak?
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Hey Mom! It is kinda crazy that I am so far away…drill a hole and you’ll find me. Great question, the mountain climbs Bekah and I have done are not as long or high as Pike’s Peak, but there have been a few mountains that have been so steep that even with my lower mountain bike gears it has taken every ounce of my strength to reach the top. I also never realised how much more challenging a gravel, dirt or rocky surface makes an already difficult grade. So Pike’s Peak overall was more of a challenging experience, but in a shorter distance these mountains are much harder.
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That giant herd of sheep and goats reminds me of a trek I did round Wales some years back and waking up to the sound of sheep outside my tent… not quite so many as that though… I would fear them getting tangled up in my guylines and dragging my tent away with me in it!
Speaking of fear… I worry for your rear derailleur every time I see you laying your bike down on that side… please stop it!
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Haha! Sheep are scarier when you are in a flimsy tent, for sure. Thanks for the reminder, Brian! I am the worst at remembering that!!My poor bike probably hates me for all the torture I have put it though, including regularly forgetting to lay down my bike on the “safe” side.
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Yet another epic adventure, Bri. I admit to a bit of envy as I follow along.
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Thank you, Mongolia has been amazing!
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You’re tough, Bri. 11 days doesn’t sound long enough for Mongolia. How many kms. /miles in total? I am filled with admiration. What a trip in addition to Brazil.
My middle name is Lun…in Chinese it means orchid.
We’ll be heading off to Japan before Seoul, SK near end of next month. (No time to bring our bikes. He’s hoping for us to use bikeshare in Seoul.)
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Thankfully, the eleven day mark was just the half point of the tour, we were able to stay almost an entire month in Mongolia (5 of those days in the capital) but you’re right, even that amount of time wasn’t enough to explore the entire country, it is such a vast and astounding nation so rich in history! We rode over 1000 km total.
Your name is beautiful, I love that it means orchid! Lun was my favorite town that we passed through out of the whole trip π
I hope you have a wonderful trip, Jean, I am excited for you!
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That’s a decent trip length. You probably felt quite fit afterwards…keep it up. π Eventually there will be some posts on Asia.
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Especially since this was Bekah’s first bike tour! She really rode those 1000 km like a seasoned pro π
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Great your friend was a good trip companion…and survivor. π
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She is a rock star! It was so fun to have a biking buddy π
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