Mountain Biking The Gobi

The Gobi. Even for as wild and remote a destination as Mongolia, the southern desert remains an isolated and mysterious place. In 7 riding days, ride 410 kilometers through this desert full of strange wonders: sand dunes that sing, cliffs aflame, and camels with two humps instead of one. Camp under impossibly starry skies, the clear desert weather and hundreds of miles of uninhabited wilderness are the perfect conditions to gaze upon the milky way and countless constellations. This is truly wild and unforgettable mountain biking adventure, in one of the most undiscovered and remote places on earth!

The journey begins at Dalanzagdad, the gateway to the Gobi, where we'll begin riding southwest into the wilderness. The first stop is in Yolin Am and Dungenee Canyon, perfect for exploring on rocky singletrack. Despite being located in a desert, this canyon was created by ice, and still contains a frozen glacier in the middle of Mongolian summer. Pushing further into the Gobi, pass through the Gurvan Saikhan mountain range, providing a change of terrain and scenery. This is pristine wilderness, and prime snow leopard habitat, but you'll need to be extremely lucky to catch sight of this elusive feline.

In the summer, this stretch of the Gobi blooms green, providing the perfect opportunity to meet local herders and their flocks as they roam the steppe. Then it's time to visit the true desert: the "singing" sand dunes of Khongor Els. From the dunes, ride to Bayan Zag, or the "Flaming Cliffs," another picturesque desert treasure. These prehistoric formations are full of fossils and singletrack, and make for an adventurous afternoon of technical riding and exploring. Before making your way back to civilization, spend the final evening in the Gobi relaxing in a traditional ger camp.

This route is a mix of off-road terrain, passing through different environments and ecozones of the Mongolian Gobi. Some of the riding is overland mountain biking through vast and expansive steppe. Climbs tend to be minimal, and gradual, but surfaces are bumpy, with rocks and tough desert grass. Days with singletrack are real highlights of this tour, freeriding through rocky environments, like the cliffs of Bayan Zag or Dungenee Canyon, or along animal trails with short and steep hills and technical sections.