to Tamarack Camp: as the road turns so does the wind

October 3, 2016

“The restaurant downstairs is closed” Patrick says. We had hoped for coffee or hot water to make coffee to go with our cold cereal and yogurt. Rachel had read somewhere that Mongolians don’t do mornings. As we cycle out of town, very few people are out and about.

We leave at about nine, there are dark clouds and it is cold, but it is dry. Google maps shows the main road skirting town around the south side so that is where we head from our hotel. It takes us on a tourist tour of some derelict closed-down factories with abandoned cranes and large empty buildings. Then it ends in the prairie. We check the GPS and get our bearings. Instead of returning the way we came, we bushwhack over some tracks and then cross-country towards where we can see the new paved road crest a hill. About five kilometers out of town we finally join the nicely paved road headed east.

We get to enjoy this smooth asphalt for about 30 kilometers down a beautiful valley with hill sides covered in fall-colored larch trees. There are Gers, yaks, sheep and goats everywhere. A light tailwind helps us on our way. Then a brief reality check, probably just to make us appreciate the asphalt even more, the road turns to bumpy corrugated gravel. Oh no! Pavement or dirt makes a big difference on how far we can go in a day. Our plan is to try and reach Tsetserleg in five days, there is no way we can do that on dirt or rough gravel like this. Four kilometers further it blissfully returns to asphalt. We pass the small town of Ikh-Uul and cross over to the north side of the river. This section of the road is especially beautiful with groves of larch trees along the river.

After 54 kilometers the road turns abruptly south, leaving the main river and following a tributary upstream. We have to gain about 800 meters to a 2600 meter high pass. We would like to get some of the meters climbed today, but a strong headwind is making the going tough. From about 10 kilometers out we spot a potential campsite: another bright yellow grove of larch trees on the valley floor. We push on and get there at about 4:30. A nice spot among the trees with a river nearby and grazing yaks all around. We set-up camp, eat and call it a day. If the weather were nicer this would be a good spot for a campfire with plenty of downed wood around, but on a blustery cold evening like this the sleeping bag is a lot more inviting.

We are out of cellphone range, so no data either. We hope the storm and cold temperatures that were predicted are delayed some more and we can get another day or two of this nice cycling. It would be a pity to have to take a ride and miss this beautiful part of Mongolia.

We made it to the paved road. Tosontengel is behind us.

Larch trees in full fall color along the river.

Gers, larch trees and another storm threatening.

Picture perfect bicyle touring in Mongolia. If it just wasn't so cold.....

Vultures gathering. We don't see the kill, but there must be something here.

Today's ride: 86 km (53 miles)
Total: 23,340 km (14,494 miles)

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