The Hardest, Longest, Slowest, Dirtiest Road Yet – Mongol Rally
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Today sucked…really sucked. I expected the hard, slow, dirty driving in the Mongol Rally, but I wasn’t expecting it today.
There really was no road except for some rubble that was more hardship than it was worth. So ingenious drivers made their own roads alongside the “official road.” It was like a web of roads to choose from, but they were all rather sucky…and it was Rick’s job to try to choose the least suckiest one.
This article is part of the Mongol Rally Series
The Mongol Rally is an unsupported road rally from London, England, to Ulaan Baatar, Mongolia. In July 2011, four well-traveled, and some may say crazy, travel bloggers set out on a 10,000-mile journey to Mongolia. This was no fluff press trip…this was us against the open road, in a car that was not meant to be driven to these lengths.
Why you should include the Gobi Desert on your Mongolia travels
Deb and I had to ride in the back to try to help with weight distribution as we passed through crater-sized potholes. The dirt tracks were…well…dirty. Dirt came in everywhere through the car vents and the windows. Soon, the car and we were caked in a fine film of dust that provided SPF protection from the wicked sun. Deb and I tried to fight the dust in our buffs.
Huge trucks passed us, throwing more dust into the Hot Box…which today would be named the Dust Box. We were averaging about 20 to 25 km per hour (12 to 15 mph). I was feeling dejected, down, dirty, and sunburned. We finally stopped at a gas station in a town and had to wait around until the pumps were filled.
We also realized that we had ripped off a protective aluminum sheeting, which must have been protecting something under our car. It was hanging half on/off, so we ripped what remained off and hoped for the best.
Learn about the culture of Mongolian nomads
We used the waiting time at the gas station to make PB&J sandwiches on the hood of the dusty car to get some food in us. A local man tried to explain to us the road conditions that were coming up. He drew a picture on our dusty back window, which signified 90 more kilometers of horrible “roads,” and then it became good and smooth. There was a light at the end of the tunnel. We caught our second wind and took off.
He was nearly right…the good roads didn’t actually start until about 110 km away, but we made it. After a long 10-hour day covering only 200 km, we picked up cold beers in the local village and camped out in a dried-out lavender field. I was happy for the day to end.
Discover Mongolian food in the Gobi Desert – it’s not what you think
Read More About The Mongol Rally
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This post was brought to you by Cailin and Candice of Social Media Atlantic Canada. Check back in for more Mongol Rally stories!
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- Twilight in Brasov – Mongol Rally
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- Crossing Borders with Natasha- Mongol Rally
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- The End of The Road – Mongol Rally
- Camping on the Mongol Rally
- Locals to the Rescue – Mongol Rally
- Good Luck at the Kazakhstan Border – Mongol Rally
- Setting Up Camp – Mongol Rally
- Bad Things do Happen on the Mongol Rally
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- Kazakhstan’s Secret City – Astana
- The Best Laid Plans – Mongol Rally
- Our Car’s Health – Mongol Rally
- My ride in a Kazakhstan Police Car – Mongol Rally
- The Real Adventure Begins – Mongol Rally
- Minor Repairs – Mongol Rally
- How To Wait at a Border – Mongol Rally
- Border Bonding – Mongol Rally
- Mongolia Freedom – Mongol Rally
- Lost in the Mongol Rally
- Slowing Down – Mongol Rally
- The Mongol Rally Diet
- Muffler Mayhem – Mongol Rally
- Sink or Float – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Hospitality – Mongol Rally
- Driving in Mongolia
- Tire Trouble – Mongol Rally
- Desert Illusions – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Malls and Mechanics
- Shocking Tarmac – Mongol Rally
- Mongolian Cloudscapes – Photography
- Ulaanbaatar in our Sights
- The Finish Line – Mongol Rally
- What’s it all for?
- What Happens to the Car?
Oh, I don’t love those Mongolian roads! (I just spent 30h in a minibus to get back to UB…)
I’m glad you made it to the next town (and cold beer)!
Wishing you much luck on the next leg of your journey!
What a day, but you made it. Thank God you found cold beer! Your story sounds dreadful, fascinating, bizarre, courageous and crazy. Keep on truckin’ and Godspeed!
Thanks Kirk! We head for the Mongolia border today…or at least as close as we can get in a day!
I guess this was what I was expecting from the Mongol rally but WOW this looked bad! Thank goodness for beer and lavender fields 🙂
Yes – Lavender makes everything better! Thanks for following Debbie!
My, that car is looking different from the one I saw departing Goodwood. 😉
Without wanting to ask for details, I’m presuming that’s also the kind of dirt that gets *everywhere*, like sand?
Yes…everywhere!
Someday you’ll look back on the experience and how amazing it was and the roads with be a distant (dusty) memory!
Sounds truly punishing, or like the Carretera Austral in Chile. Coughing up dust for days. I notice you cleaned the car when you got where you were going. Nicely done. I hope you got to splash off as well.
Here’s to smoother roads ahead!
Yes – when we finally got to Aktobe we took her to be washed as the whole inside was filled with dirt!
Looks like the poor car is in need of a bit of a bath…
I had no idea you did the Mongol rally too!! …sheesh, you are the most adventurous person I know! I’m never, ever, ever going to catch up with you.
That’s hilarious coming from you. I’m not adventurous…just to stubborn/proud to say no. In truth it all terrifies me but I love the rush when you accomplish it!