Heavy Metal around Mongolia and Central Asia

In my teens I went out with girls who teased less than this ;)

Yeah, but did they take you around the world in the end....
:D

The phrase: "Yes, but not above stocking tops..."
in a Yorkshire accent springs to mind...
:P

Enuff of the interval, lets get back to the ride.
I seem to remember Wednesday was the promise...
 
Father's day.

The freedom and charitable people of Mongolia disappeared in the dust as we rode through no man's land toward the first of the Russian border checkpoints.
Life changes in an instant.

Waiting at the first guarded gate high in the mountains a uniformed, powerful looking woman (who was quite sexy in a scarey way) anounces it's dinner
time and strides to their hut for boiled cabbage I guess.

I phone my dad, it's father day, he was a geography teacher, I tell him where we are.
My son sends me a text, he thinks he has the coolest Pa:D

We pass the time chatting with others more used to this pace of progress.
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Eventually through the beurocracy and after helping another biker change his tyres we ride on tarmac!! and find a grotty place to stay, but it has a shower...my first for over three weeks.
I'd been enjoying the rough camping and washing in cold rivers but still remember those welcome hot needles of water.
 


Bumped into Dennis in Cherbourg feeling quite smug after a 3K mile jaunt around Europe. After 20 mins. felt like we'd just gone to the shops.

Ace bloke, spent the next five/six hours being entertained by his stories. Glad he was able to get hold of you Tim.


Oh epic tale mate, when you going back?
 
Bumped into Dennis in Cherbourg feeling quite smug after a 3K mile jaunt around Europe. After 20 mins. felt like we'd just gone to the shops.

Ace bloke, spent the next five/six hours being entertained by his stories. Glad he was able to get hold of you Tim.


Oh epic tale mate, when you going back?

Five or six hours! You were lucky, he's been staying with me for the past few days:eek::D:D You're right an ace bloke:beerjug:

Going back? asap:thumb
 
We're back in Russia so of course it's raining to start:mad: but this is a much more beautiful part than we've been used to.
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This is the Altay region with wonderful sweeping roads, remote tracks friendly people and further north, near the big rivers there were holiday resorts AND Russians having fun!

Our view of Russia was changing fast.
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I'm sure you could base a whole trip in region but the closeness to Mongolia would be just too tempting.
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And besides, we're heading for the Pamirs as our next main objective but I'm sure my beards getting more grey the further we go:rob
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It's time for Dennis to leave us.
A cock up with his Kazakhstan visa dates means a ride all the way back up to Omsk.
He arrived there and two days later was told they wouldn't/couldn't issue another so he'd have to wait in Russia a further two weeks untill his KZ visa was valid.
I did sympathise with him, stuck there for 2 weeks but I also envied his opportunity to return down to the Altay and explore much further....he returned to tell me tales of lovely Russian girls but my lips are sealed.:P
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Heading into the Altay mountains on a dirt road and I have a strange feeling.
You'll understand that most bikers who travel know somewhere out there, there's a mythical road or place that you've spent you're whole life searching for.
Somehow I felt this was it.
It's not twisty, difficult, stunning, it just felt good.
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Perhaps it was the lush green pasture and a way of life for many of us long gone.
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Or even that Pete and I got pulled by the police for speeding on a dirt road and they let us off.
Whatever the reason, my hopes for an answer were dashed when it became apparant the potholes were too much for the Landrover and trailer, we'd have to return to the main road.

Dynamics were changing.

Oh well, maybe next time!!
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The Russian Altay is full of perfect campsites, we find one and get the beer out of our panniers:beer:
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Let's get that fire going:mmmm
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A belly full of beer and a stream in full flow can only lead to one thing
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Yep, you guessed...let's see if we can drown ourselves:D
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After a long ride, Pete and I being stalked on the bikes by more vodka drinking homosexuals, a vodka drinking session of our own at the next camp, torrential thunder storms, meetings with friendly people and pretty women we make it to the Russian/Kazakhstan border.

Oh joy, more beurocracy:bounce1 and it's welcome to Kazakhstan.
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Tim what a fantastic adventure, your photos are amazing. Thanks for sharing your experience now come on, where's the rest :D
 
Continues to be a fantastic read.

:thumb:thumb2

Many cheers from the provinces.
 
more..

More please... :drool

Great write up tim. Hope dennis enjoyed wales. Where is he off to next?
 
Right guys, I know you're being patient and I'll be onto it soon.

In the meantime here's a little taster.
15,309 feet up in the Pamirs.

Ah crapola... I was merely impressed until I saw those two shots, now I'm stunned. What a view. :drool

Good luck with the rest.
 
come on, Tim, go on with yr report, pls.

that guy was extremely lucky to return in one piece and, imho, riding Afganistan is not worth a life. Pamir and Mongolia are different but not worse, imho.
 
wow

single best thread i have EVER read!!! simply amazing what you guys have done

Think a trip like this would be possible on one bike 2up?? Maybe minus the tricky sand stuff??

Its soo fuel for thought and gettin a bank loan and just doing it!!! :clap
 


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