People and Places.
The scouts are excited. They explored Mongolia and they know exactly: The perfect GS adventure is upon you, regardless if you participate in the International GS Trophy 2018 or if you are driven by your desire for the next adventure. Inhale the spirit of GS in Central Asia.
Gravel roads are your terrain.
Gravel roads are your terrain.
The wind in your face, the dust beneath your feet: Mongolia is a truly awesome setting for a great adventure on your GS. A combination of deserts and steppes makes the country unique. Gravel and dirt tracks will really challenge you. You'll have to cross rivers and tackle many a high mountain range on your bike. Take your machine over grasslands, get yourself out of muddy ruts. Total concentration is required every second. A pure offroad experience.
You'll really cover ground.
You'll really cover ground.
Imagine riding your motorcycle to the farthest corner of the earth: You'll cross paths with wolves, wildcats and wild horses that interrupt the solitude. Buzzards and steppe eagles circle in the sky. Wild beauty in a vast country, bordered by Russia in the north and by China in the south. Mongolia is one of the most sparsely populated countries on earth. A world of wide open spaces. The perfect territory for GS riders.
Enough space: the horses of the nomads are in the sparsely populated steppe at home.
You'll experience magical moments.
The yurts are blurs of paint in the barren landscape.
You'll experience magical moments.
In the south of Mongolia, the vegetation becomes more sparse as the Gobi desert, the sixth largest on the planet, appears before you. All your riding skills are required here as your GS takes on sand and gravel. With a little luck, you'll see a mirage on hot summer days. Statistically, Mongolia has 260 sunny days a year. Magical Moments in Mongolia. Colourful rock formations and natural light effects constantly transform the landscape that you'll explore on your motorcycle.
Mongolians are motorcyclists.
The railway museum in the capital city Ulan Bator exhibits old diesel locomotives.
Mongolians are motorcyclists.
You won't be alone on your motorcycle in Mongolia. Horses and horsepower are equally important to the Mongolians. Russian replicas of old BMWs abound; horse carriages are often used as taxis. If you want to give your bike a little break, you can take a sidecar ride for even more adventure. Motorcycles are always breaking down on the country's bumpy roads. But the Mongolians are masters of improvisation. They always find solutions and bring old bikes back to life. In the country, solo bikes are usually used for a different purpose: herding sheep.
You'll love the hospitality.
You'll love the hospitality.
On your GS adventure, you'll meet nomads who have lived modestly and simply for generations. A fire inside the yurt keeps the water hot during the day. If you visit the hospitable inhabitants of the steppes, they will welcome you with a cup of tea and pass you the snuffbox. Or they'll give you fermented mare's milk – the refreshing, fizzy and slightly sour national drink of Mongolia.
The powerful equestrian statue of Genghis Khan reaches 30 meters high in the sky.
You're an explorer.
Striking building: the Gandan cloister is a sanctuary of Mongolia.
You're an explorer.
As a GS rider, you're always in explorer mode: Follow the footsteps of Genghis Khan on your motorcycle. Many places and stories commemorate him. The international airport is named after him. Even centuries after his death, every child tells tales about him. Genghis Khan united the Mongol tribes into a great empire at the end of the twelfth century. At the beginning of the 13th century, he conquered vast parts of Central Asia and North China with his cavalry of horsemen. A monumental equestrian statue commemorates him fifty kilometres from the capital. A perfect place for a pit-stop.
You love contrasts.
Buddhism is anchored in everyday life of many mongolians.
You love contrasts.
Night and day: Temperature differences of more than 30 degrees Celsius between day and night will challenge you and your machine. You'll have to pack warm clothes, even during the summer.
Urban and rural: With almost 1.5 million inhabitants, the capital Ulan Bator is home to about half of the country's population. The other half are natives of the steppes. They live with and from their animals in humble dwellings and usually maintain the traditions of their nomadic ancestors.
Traditional and modern: Buddha, Genghis Khan and nomadism are the traditions of the Mongolians, a people with a growing thirst for education. TV, affluence and globalization are giving rise to material desires in a country that still uses traditional Mongolian writing. As a second language Russian fades away more and more. The younger generation now speaks English.
