74 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDERSERIOUS ADVENTURE
“The highway travels deep into the Caucasus, passing
turquoise lakes and numerous monasteries in stunning
locations. Switchback after switchback greeted us as we
rode beyond the green fertile valleys into a stark beautiful
landscape high above the snowline”that off ered the riders simply some of the
most spectacular riding of the expedition.
Mongolia is a landscape of vast yawning
valleys do ed with nomadic ger dwellers
fa ening their stock on the lush green
pastures before the brutal winter arrives.
Rough dirt tracks disappear over the
horizon and riders can choose to take
any of these tracks, as they all lead to the
next remote village. They could even ride
across the open, uninterrupted landscape.
The colours of Mongolia are highlighted
by an immense blue sky and beautiful
light that make the entire country glow
with a wonderful clarity.
The riding became tough as we faced
numerous rivers. Some were deep, all
with diffi cult, challenging, muddy entries
and exits and deep, slippery mud sectionsthat extended well beyond the rivers.
Mongolia’s rough conditions exacted
their toll on the riders. One rider broke
his leg and another broke three ribs.
There were numerous falls. These
were tough days but it was what we
had come for and at nights we were
amply rewarded with wonderful ger
camp accommodation and log fi res in
impossibly beautiful locations.
Crossing back into Russia for the last
time only took three hours before we
rejoined the Trans Siberian Highway
heading due east into the remote,
empty landscape of the endless forests
of the Taiga.
We eventually reached the M56, or
Lena Highway, and hit the rough dirt
where the sign read “Magadan 3177km”.
The vast majority of the road ahead was
dirt. We rode directly north to one of
the world’s most isolated cities, Yakutsk,
capital of Yakutia. The city has no road
links and is only able to be entered via
ferry over the Lena River. Final bike
preparations were carried out in Yakutsk,
with servicing and tyre changing
completed before the fi nal push to
Magadan. We spent the evenings with
the Night Wolves, a great group of guys■ Another “tough” night
around the campfi re in Siberia■ Riding the stunning
Kazaman Pass in Kyrgyzstan■ On top of the legendary Georgian
Military Highway, Georgia►ARR112_068-078_Road of Bones.indd 74ARR112_068-078_Road of Bones.indd 74 2/3/2015 9:51:25 AM2/3/2015 9:51:25 AM