We're now in Ulaangom, more cycling, days off and a two trucks later, Ulaangom is here,

 

 

Last update was from the 6th of June,

 

6 June, Departed Tsetserleg, camped 10 km from town after pass. Bob (which the trailer has been named) was the first one to get a flat.

 

7 June, 57 km, dry and hot day with a double pass.

 

8 June, 53 km, Spectacular thunder storm during lunch, and our first tast of yak yogurt, very nice, we should have stopped and brought more- have been dreaming of it ever since.

 

9 June, 56 km, Khoron tourist camp, good day, both feeling cycling fit now. Michaela and Bob had an incident involving a yak (although I still don't know how the yak was involved) causing Michaela tos sample some dirt, she is not getting enough food, but thats taking it a bit far (Hmm actually it was otherwise known as a faceplant- thankfully no facial grazes to show for my efforts- the yak spoke, I was contemplating a reply when Bob appeared under my wheel…).

 

10 June, 0km rest day in touist camp, with a few repairs etc we decided to have a day off. In the afternoon another tent appeared in the field. Two french cyclists had setup camp because they had broken the derailer hanger on their bike and did not have a spare. We tried to help, but they were unable to fix it. They were cycling from Mongolia to France over the next year and were very heaverly loaded.

 

11 June, 27 km, after not getting enough water in town stopped by the lake with a dehydration headache. A local motor cyclist wanted some help fixing his back tyre, so I helped for about 1 hour and he got on his way. Michaela, me, enjoyed whiling away the afternoon in a daydream…

 

12 June, 40 km, cold wind to start, ended in nice day camped before the town of Tashir.

 

13 June, 36 km, cold start again, good shoping in Tashir camped at base of what we expected to be a pass through to Tosontsengle.

 

14 June, 0km, I was sick in tent most of the day

 

15 June, 26 km, Started late in hail and snow, tried for the pass, although the road ran out. So above some Ger camps decided to turn around at about 4 in the afternoon to return down to about 4 km from where we started, looks like we would have to take another route.

 

16 June, 0km, both now sick and stayed in Tent after being up most of the night with gas, and the runs, ee suspected Gardia, so both took Tinidazole, what a wonder drug, within a few hours I was feeling better and by the end of the day I was feeling much better and Michaela was improving.

 

17 June, 32 km, back to Tashir (both feeling better, although weaker) we took a truck to IhUul (about 90 km) over a very pretty pass. Arrived about 9.30 pm as its just getting dark and camped just out side town by a river.

 

18 June, 38 km of hard, rough riding, camped on river before Tosontsengle.

 

19 June, 33 km, shopping in Tosontsengel, bit of a strange town, we brought a fish from the river in town and cooked it on the stove, very nice..

 

20 June, 57km, to Telman Nuur- a salt lake

 

21 June, 45 km, to Nomrog, meet a French cyclist (solo) who had ridden from france over the last 5 months, expecting to make Ulaan Baatar in a few weeks to fly home.

 

22 June, 47 km, to Tudevtey. Meet a local family who invited us into their Ger for food and we camped next to there Ger. Nice people the family who mostly lived in cities were having a summer holiday with there grandfather. I got beaten at Chess by the 88 year old grandfather.

 

23 June, 20 km, stopped by a lake early after not starting well with food, so stopped to do some washing and have a wash in a lake and dry things in the afternoon sun. Sheer bliss.

 

24 June, 44 km, to Bayanhayrhan, strange town with drunks hanging around and not much food to be had (we had not seed even bread for several days now). Camped up a very nice valley in trees (trees for the first time to camp under).

 

25 June, 65 km into Tes started up a nice pass (only 2 km) and then a mountain bike down animal tracks to a long down hill run along a dry river. Was expecting the river to have water so was a very dry ride counting the km's to town.

 

26 June, Arrived from Tes (320 km) by truck, took truck due to long distances without towns and water. A very rough long day in a Russian 4WD minivan. Ulaangom is a big change from the one horse (well many actually in the streets) towns we have been used too for the last three weeks.

 

lots of love

 

Pete and Micheala,

Update to where we are and our journey so far,

 

22 May, Depart Ulaan Baatar, 44km, day ended into a very strong wind and dust, camped near a town and was bothered by some teenages during the night.

 

23 May, 28km, camped after a hard day into the wind and over sand.

 

24 May, 32 km, hot day and strong sun all day.

 

25 May, 55.8 km, longest distance so far, rolling nicely in the morning, hooning along the road. Drank from dead cow river- a town marked on the map was only a place name and the river had dead cows in it so we named it thus. Camped a bit further after a break from the heat and a wash in the river.

 

26 May, 0 km, woke to a very strong wind and dust blowing from the direction we wanted to go, every thing in the tent was covered in dust (mostly Michaela's side of the tent). Moved the tent in the morning for some more protection from the wind, but the wind was too strong all day to move. Did alot of lazy around- not alot of recreational space in a 2 man tent in a dust storm….

 

27 May, 42 km, 20 km of good road, the about 15 km of sand pushing the bikes.. Stopped at a 'tourist ger camp' that was cloesed but just setting up, so talked them into letting us stay the night and helped setup two ger's and stayed in one. They were really nice.

 

28 May, 0 km, Snow storm over night and woke to blowing snow and very cold. Very beautiful though, all the hills were covered in snow. The day cleared some, but was cold and blowing all day, so stayed another night.

 

29 May, 42 km, Good day cycling, got some food stocks from a town and fuel for the stove, which we were short of.

 

30 May, 43 km, started into head wind and rolling ridges, made it back to the main highway, which we were warned off, but was excellent cycling.

 

31 May, 54km, Good day cycling on the main road west of UB.  In Rashant, a camp operator asked if we wanted to stay in there camp, which was about 20 km on, so we cycled there and stayed in nice accommodation with showers. Very scenic mountain and rocks behind the camp.

 

1 June, 60 km, Just cruising along the highway.

 

2 June, 54 km, made Kharakhorin. not much to see in town, stayed at another tourist ger camp by the river. Had a few nice moments in the old temples.

 

3 June, 0 km, planned two nights in Kharakhorin, one of the danish royal family was also staying the the same camp.

 

4 June, 64 km, nice day with smooth road and slight rain all day, stopped and camped in the rain.  Great day.

 

5 June, 48 km, stopped just short of Tsetserleg. Michaela was feeling sick (it might have been the 10 pastry rolls she ate?? Pete had his fair share but does not appear quite so sensitive to the varied culinary delights of Mongolia..) 

 

6 June, 18 km into Tsetserleg for getting supplies and due to go over the pass to the next town 20 km on from here. Met two scotish cyclists going the other way.