Date: Monday 6th September 2010.

The wind chased us to bed when it started at 8pm and howled all night. We awoke to as similar windy and cold morning. However the 5.30am sunrise was beautiful.

This morning’s westward 100kms travel was all by GPS with a very occasional faint old track to follow.

Today another unmarked convergence – N46 degrees E110 degrees.

We marked this spot again with a wooden post and a small pile of rocks.

Reached another border post and crossing point at Bichigt Zuun Hatavch however nothing to see here and only a small shop on the Mongolian side selling beer only.

Now we travel through thick bull dust towards some extinct volcano that will be tomorrow’s adventure.

Camp is at an old gur camp site in a small depression. The area contained an old dray and an old stove that we retrieved for our camp site use.

Camp 90: Pot Belly Ger Stove Camp

N 45* 44.587  E115* 48.219

Distance Travelled: 203 Kms 

Total Distance: 18,032 Kms

Date: Tuesday 7th September 2010.

Away at 8am and by 9.30 we were somewhere that apparently we were not supposed to be! – 3.8kms from the Chinese Border.

We were following a well used track west that ran parallel to the border and in the exact direction towards the extinct volcanos that we wanted. That major track ended at a new coal mine and continued at a lesser priority closer to the border.

Expecting the track to turn around the next rise we were confronted by an army uniformed person holding a red flag. To the right was another army person with an automatic rifle at the ready. We stopped.

While we are guarded Cpt G.Canbayar collects all our passports and we are asked to keep all the vehicles in single file. Mougie gets to work.

Very nice to have someone how can speak the local language at times like this.

At 10am we offer the Capt a cup of coffee and he accepts with a smile.

Now we start to work on him, whilst we await a response from headquarters. We have papers to be in this exact area but the problem seems to be two rules. The General of Border Protection who signed the papers in UB seems to have a different set of rule to the local General who believes even with this paper we should not be within 50kms of the Chinese border. Interesting because we have been through 10 or more such posts and for the last week and have ALWAYS been within 50kms of the Chinese Border…so we wait for further instructions.

10.30am.. The Capt inspects the trucks and advised headquarters that we are only tourists and with camper trucks. The higher command does not believe this and decides to come to the border post to inspect for himself. Maybe he thinks this is a 4 vehicle invasion by 6 Australians and a New Zealander!

11.15am. Higher Command arrives amongst much running around by the 6 armed soldiers. He can not make a decision!

2.30 pm. We are asked to drive to the next Border Post about 20kms away where the general of the area is currently visiting.

3.40 pm. With much discussion between Mougie and the stern General we are fined T80,000  (T20,000/vehicle about US$20) for being in a protected area even though we have a permit! We are given an official receipt.

That is the Chinese/Mongolian fence beside the track!

The systems here are obviously very erroneous.

We also learn that there are some sick animals in the area and must move now. This will prove interesting in the coming days.

Later in the afternoon and via yet another border post, passports, permits etc again we arrive at the largest of the 200 extinct volcanos – Chiliyn Bodg at 1778m

Here we camp in the core of the crater. I think we all need a drink!

Perhaps today is an example of why many Mongols drink to much Vodka.

A holiday is where everything is planned - an adventure is where the unexpected happens.

Camp 91: Volcano Camp

N45* 28.483  E114* 34.845

Distance Travelled: 124 Kms

Total Distance: 18,156 Kms

Date: Wednesday 8th September 2010.

Woke early and set of for the top of the volcano before 5am, just as I noticed a flat tyre on the Canter.

It was still dark but the sun had already started staining the dark sky a dark red.

Only Bill, Mougie, Liz, Lyn and I did the climb. At the top was the usual but very large Ovoo draped in blue scarves and the many and varied offerings.

The sun came up at 5.40 and was particularly beautiful as it rose over the ancient volcanic mountains.

By this time there were at least 20 other Mongolians with us. As the red ball broke the horizon everyone stood and made a wish, there was some chanting, some flicking of Vodka, and some inhaling of fresh air.

This spot is sacred, it receives the first rays of sunshine into Mongolia, and as far back a Chenggis Khann standing here at sunshine revives the spirit.

On return the tyre required only a plug and the hole I conclude caused by a discarded Vodka bottle.

Only 15kms north is a Lave Tube cave.

The cave has a very small entry but once inside, very impressive. The ground is in permafrost area so some 4 meters down all is frozen.

The floor covered with frozen water.

The walls and roof is covered with perfect ice crystals and occasionally offerings to the Gods.

The cave is about 300meters long and 150meters wide. Previously there was another adjoining cavern however the frozen water on the floor blocks our further exploration.

About 30kms east in a shallow valley known as Khurgiin Khundii are a couple of manstones that date back to the 13th Century.

Dariganga is a dusty town. The main street lined with small food outlets and restaurants, outside, like any country town horses are tied up whilst the owner goes about his chores. Like everywhere here there are piles of cow dun for the cooking fires as no trees grow for hundreds of kilometres around.

Camp is just outside town under some trees inside what appears to be a children’s camp. Fortunately the trees and low shrubs provide a good windbreak against the bitterly cold wind.

At 4.30 some Border Guards arrive and have a long discussion with Mougie. Apparently the sick animals are cattle and some have died. Mongolia has re-occurring problems with Foot-and-Mouth disease, malignant anthrax and the plague and it could be any of these so the local authorities are very concerned. The fortunate part of getting the travel fine is that we bi-passed the town of Erdenetsagaan where the problem started and we would have been quarantined for some time. Now we have instructions to move on first thing tomorrow morning apparently the disease is spreading very quickly and we do not want to be caught within affected area. That is after we get permission from Emergency Services at 9am tomorrow. This paperwork chain of permission will continue all the way back to UB, as we enter into every town and again on the way out.

Camp 92: Wind Break Camp

N45* 17.597  E113* 49.579

Distance Travelled: 116 Kms

Total Distance: 18,273 Kms

Date: Thursday 9th September 2010.

There is even talk that the Russian/Mongolian border may be closed if the disease is serious, so getting to UB earlier will allow us to check at the Russian embassy if our entry visa dates can be moved forward. To ensure we do not deviate from the predetermined path to the next town 175kms north we are accompanied by an officer from the Emergency Centre.

The road is long and boring, particularly as it is just a road trip to get somewhere quickly.

In Baruum Urt we are met by the Emergency Services and receive our ongoing papers to Ondorhaan the next town towards UB.

First a spray of the tyres. If the disease is so critical we question ourselves why such a cosmetic spray? Only the top 60% of the tyres were wetted. No sill spray, no mud flaps, no shoes.

As the sun sets it becomes increasingly difficult to watch for the holes and dips in the road so camp is called but an early start at 6am tomorrow.

Camp 93: Beside the Road Camp

N47* 11.150  E111* 25.110

Distance Travelled: 304 Kms  

Total Distance: 18,576 Kms

Date: Friday 10th September 2010.

The Russian embassy is only open for Visa applications from 2 to 3pm so it is fortunate that only a few kms from our camp the track becomes a gravel road then good bitumen. This makes for some good running.

More spraying in Ondorhaan.

Just outside UB is a very tourist development around a silver statue of Chinggis Khaan.

Finally in UB and at the Russian embassy we ask if we can enter on an earlier date than our visa “Nyet”

Can you change the date “Nyet”

Will they do so at the border “Nyet”

The next similar 5 questions similarly received the very negative answer.

So we will look around UB and head slowly to the border.

We find a reasonable hotel for US$60/night that is within walking distance of the centre of UB.

Camp 94: Hotel Genex - Ulaanbaatar.

N47* 55.073  E106* 53.895

Distance Travelled: 406 Kms 

Total Distance: 18,982 Kms

Date: Saturday 11th September 2010.

Bill noticed this morning that both main rear springs have broken so today Bill and I spent most of the day replacing these with two upper springs from an unknown Russian truck. Apart from the manual task it was a challenge doing it in a Japanese truck wrecker’s yard and the owner who did not speak English.

Camp 94: Hotel Genex Camp

Distance Travelled: Zero Kms  

Total Distance: 18,982 Kms

Date: Sunday 12th September 2010.

We decide to stay another day to relax. The Russian/Mongolian border we can not cross until the 16th however we will find a camp site somewhere between UB and the border.