A seasoned long-haul adventurer and sidecar enthusiast, he’s always up for the most mind-boggling adventures.
Set yourself a new challenge! Join Vintage Rides for an extreme motorsport adventure: cross the frozen lake of Khövsgöl on Royal Enfield sidecars in extreme conditions with temperatures plunging as low as -40 degrees celsius. Going beyond one’s limits, solidarity, unforeseen meteorological conditions, these are the elements that will make your adventure unforgettable. On this trip, 4 Royal Enfield 2010 of our own fleet will be equipped with Yeti sidecars, specially designed for off-road. Set off for the biggest adventure of your life !
Period
March 2018
Duration
9 days incl. 6 days' riding
Level
Demanding
English-speaking tour leader
Accommodation
Standard or with hosts
From
€4,850/pilot
Talk about excitement! When you set foot in Mongolia for the first time, you just know that you’re about to embark on one of the most amazing adventures of your life. It starts with a long day being transferred to the remote region of Khövsgöl. We make an early-morning start from Ulan Bator airport and are transferred to Moron in a private vehicle. We drive through the steppes enveloped in a white blanket of snow.
We set off for Hatgal on a good tarmac road, which gives you the chance to get used to the Royal Enfield sidecars’ highly nimble steering. It’s biting cold. When we reach Hatgal, everybody pitches in to fix studded tyres to the sidecars. We experience our first wheel spins on the lake, which feels unreal. We discover the Mongolian national fleet, which is docked up for the winter, before enjoying the sunset reflecting on the ice.
We glide over the ice, which is sometimes smooth and sometimes rough towards the lake’s western shore. No matter if you are steering the bike or in the sidecar, it feels extraordinary. Every 45 minutes, we stop to check our hands and feet and warm up with a coffee break. It’s important to look out for each other; in extreme conditions like these, team spirit is essential to ensure that we all reach our destination safe and sound.
Now we’re feeling more comfortable on the motorcycles, we set off towards Hanh, the highest village in the region, close to the Siberian border. If we are lucky, we’ll be able to ride over smooth ice and have fun with some memorable gliding games. In Hanh, we meet a nice family who welcome us to yurts reserved just for us: what a luxury!
Just when we think we’ve got the hang of steering our Royal Enfield sidecars on ice, we’re faced with a new challenge: the track. It’s rough and uneven, so we have to be extra careful given the new strong sensations. We enter snow-covered coniferous forests hoping that the powdery snow is not too deep and we do not accidentally venture onto a river that isn’t quite frozen.
Our well-practiced group takes to the lake one last time. As always, we’re bound to come across new surprises. We confidently push our Royal Enfields to circle us as if saying our farewells to this never-ending lake. Back on the tarmac, we are amused to rediscover what normal steering feels like! How can we find the words to describe what we have experienced? Maybe we can’t!
This is a buffer day to account for any unexpected eventualities during the tour. If everything goes according to the schedule, we’ll use the last day for one last spin on the frozen lake between the boats before hitting the road towards Moron and a hot shower.
Today, we set off for Ulan Bator in an UAZ (a Russian van). We take one last glance at the steppes, full of memories. Whatever the weather, the quality of the ice or the mechanical glitches that we might have had, there is no doubt that you’ll be certain that this tour will always be a part of you. We spend the last night in a real hotel and it feels good! Those who wish, may share dinner in Ulan Bator.
Those with morning flights will be transferred to the airport. If not, you can enjoy more time in the capital before heading back home with a head full of memories.
“Experience of a life time, challenging at times but would not have missed this for the world. Well organised and professional company.”
“This trip is managed from start to finish to provide the participant with a stress free experience. The bikes were amazing and the crew was even better making a trouble free journey. Vintage Rides gives you the opportunity of a life time with a guide who provides guided autonomy. Thank you Vintage Rides for an experience I will never forget for all the right reasons.”
“Having joined two tours in India previously with Vintage Rides I have no hesitation in booking a third and recommending this company as experts in their field to anyone contemplating a guided tour on the sub continent or the far east. Vintage Rides is a French company and as expected many of the riders are French speakers but it is not a barrier. I speak English and have only a little of the French language but I have been welcomed by both the tour leaders and the other riders without any problems at all. Communication is not a problem in the brotherhood off the bikers. The tour leaders know their stuff and take you to places off the well beaten tourist track, always mindful of one's safety. The support team for mechanical issues that can occasionally arise with the robust Royal Enfield 500cc Bullet bikes and for transport of luggage and local knowledge remove any concerns, just sit back and enjoy the ride.”
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