Mongolia Day 4...... newbold heads for the wall

The roads were getting worse and I was gradually getting out of my comfort zone.  There were some good sections and some fast gravel sections, but the loose pebbles and sand were becoming my worst enemy.  One of the patches on Ben's tube let go and another repair on the side of a track was undertaken.  Passing Mongolians are always prepared to stop and render assistance.

 This is the main south 'highway'.  It would be more than a km wide because every time a track becomes too rough or wet, trucks just form a new one.  So you may be heading along one, it'll branch into 2 or 3 and you need to make the right choice.  At times, the 4 of us were all on different tracks, up to 500 metres apart.

 We headed south and as there were no villages to stay in we headed off the road up into a rocky plain and set camp.  It was so windy, even the mossies had trouble biting us.  The pic below shows the sand storm that just missed us.  The rain squall went the other side.

 Dave just wondering whether the old girl will make it through.  I was more worried about me getting through.

 As the day wore on I had a few slow falls in the sand and bulldust and was feeling a little knocked around.  Stretched hammy, sore wrist, shoulder and between my ears.  I was having big tank-slappers and strangely enough, I was saving the really bad ones, so I must be improving, but not quicker enough.  The other guys were not enjoying certain parts either, but could handle it better than me.  I was also holding them up, so sent them off and decided to go slowly enough not to fall...... not!

 This was a slow one in deep sand.  I almost saved it. I was holding the bike up between my legs at 45 degrees, but with a full tank and all the luggage, had to let it drop.   Unpacked the bike and put things to right and headed off again.  

 After 200 km of this, I finally caught up with the guys who were waiting at a truck stop.  I made a decision to hire this guy to take me and the bike to Altay where we were to stay.  I also made the decision to find a truck to cart it to Ulaanbaatar from where the road is said to improve somewhat.  

 After unloading the bike. 

Its Monday the 8th, the guys have left and I load the truck later this arvo and head off with my bike tomorrow morning at 5:00am. to do over 1000km with a Mongolian trucker in a truck that I don't think would be allowed on Aussie roads!   I'm just hoping he has a seat belt for me.

Joan emailed and said I'm not to bring my beard home.   I hadn't planned to.

Pics can be clicked on to enlarge.