Cycling The Empire Of Genghis Khan

Reality Check

This is a grade B cycling trip and is classified as off-road. Please see the introductory pages of the Cycling Brochure for more important information on classification and grading.

We advise that you are reasonably fit and a confident cyclist, with some off-road cycling experience. Please also take the number of nights camping into consideration; hotels are only used while in Ulaanbaatar. We believe that camping allows you to experience the wonderful remoteness of Mongolia.

Two vehicles will support the trip (depending on group size) including a 4WD minivan for people and a separate one for bikes and equipment. You may ride as much or as little as you like. The only things you need carry with you on the bike are your valuables, sun cream, extra top, camera and water bottle, etc.

One vehicle will travel at the front and one at the rear of the group. The bikes will return from Karakorum with the support vans at the completion of the cycle journey.

The terrain is best described as undulating, as the rolling steppe grasslands of Mongolia are. Our route mostly follows jeep tracks along river valleys and over ridgeline mountain passes. Trails are mostly hard-packed dirt 4WD tracks, however mountain passes often have loose gravel on the descent, requiring extreme caution. Sandy patches are hazardous in places, particularly at the base of small dips in the road.

Our route passes through some more mountainous areas where roads follow rivers upstream and occasionally cross up and over into the neighbouring watershed. The passes referred to in the itinerary are universally low - usually requiring just 100-200m of vertical rise/descent. Some of the descents can be rocky. Typically there are 4 to 6 hours' riding each day.

This trip will appeal to anyone who is physically fit, enjoys riding off-road and who is happy to camp in beautiful and wild places (we use good quality camping equipment, but home comforts are not a feature of this trip). Our tented camps include a kitchen tent, communal dining tent, wash tent and toilet tents. Mongolia is a land of just 900km of sealed roads and these tend to be heavily trafficked and in poor condition.

By far the most appealing travel is away from the main transit corridors and this is where our route takes us. The majority of travel is on smooth dirt 4WD tracks, but these can also be sandy in places and rocky on the hills. If you are bringing your own bike, please ensure that suitable off road tyres are fitted - if in doubt please contact our office for clarification.

Due to the open nature of the country and fully supported trip, flexibility to adjust the daily itinerary according to circumstances is available. The exact location of campsites can be changed, as circumstances require, but weary cyclists are free to join the following support vehicle. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to call us.