Routes and POI in Mongolia and Russia?
 

Hi

I've just bought the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX and I am about to buy the wanderlust world map since that looks like it has the most detailed maps for Russia and Mongolia (not very detailed for Mongolia, but better than nothing I guess...)

Anyway I was thinking that perhaps someone has made this trip before and has a few POI and Routes that could be worth riding. I am particulary interested in routes that are good for offroad riding :-)

Roads
 

Spakur,

Lol, for Mongolia the whole country is offroad riding. Even when you are on a road that is clearly mapped as a main road, you will be pleasantly be surprised to see that it is (a) a dirt road and (b), if you don't like it feel free to try any of the 5 - 50 tracks that run beside the one you are on. If someone doesn't chime up with some routes, let me know and I can try to track down one of the Dutch guys we met last year who saved a great route that they rode. :)

Well I guess your right. Perhaps there is no need for that. I guess thats why I choose Mongolia in the first place :-)

Spakur, you will no doubt have an amazing time. There are some detailed comments somewhere here on HU but in general one route is to cross into Mogolia from the eastern border crossing (Tashanta?) and head across to Ulan Bataar. If you want to experience the desert, you can drop down on your way across or do a separate loop out of UB. If you want to experience Lake Khovsgol, you can either hit it on your way across or as a separate loop of out UB. Depends on where you are coming form and where you are headed. We didn't hit the desert, but MotoEdde or Phil Flanigan are a couple of people that did. :)

I'll drive my van to UB and from there I'll go with the bike and do 2-3 loops. Between the loops I'll spend 1-2 days in UB resting. The loops will go East, South and west in some kind of order/route which I'll figure out when i get there or on the way through russia. Plenty of time to think will I drive those 5000km from Sweden to UB :-)

here is LINK TO some gps track in mongolia
http://www.dreamers1.com/russia/Prac...htm:rolleyes2:

Hi

Your link doesn't work.

Some info about navigating in Mongolia:
I am in Mongolia now and before I left I downloaded some tracks and waypoints from a couple of people. I also installed the Wanderlust map.

The Wanderlust map is not very useful. It is sometimes right, but then also sometimes wrong. Even for the main roads. However it can sometimes be useful. The best however is other peoples tracks, which is great to have. It gives you confidence that there is a possibility to go that way. However one must always assume that the track perheps isn't the easiest route (they could have been lost on that stretch...).

Anyway I found a GPS very useful. Mostly for downloaded tracks, but also for always seeing in what direction your next destination is. I think that together with downloaded tracks, the Wanderlust map, an ordinary map and some critical thinking it's fine to navigate in Mongolia. Even on the smaller tracks.

I have only had a 1:2 000 000 scale map, which is a bit to high scale. However I have discovered now in Ulan Bator that there is better maps. There's a road map 1:1 000 000, and then you can buy sections of Mongolia at the scale of 1:500 000 also. I bought yeterday two of these for the areas where I'll be doing some of the minor tracks.

Hope this is helpful to the next person getting here :-)

BTW Try to avoid as much as possible the main tracks/roads. The minor tracks are so much more pleasant (and adventurous...)

Thanks for the info Spakur. My brother and myself arrive in U.B next week. Where can you buy the maps from that you are speaking of? We also have the wonderlust map and a couple of tracks. Have you saved any of your tracks that you could pass onto us?
Cheers:thumbup1:

Mongolia next week
 

Hey Guys,

I will be back there again next week myself. Those maps, you can get almost anywhere. Try the Central dept store bookshop or even in the foyer of the Bayangol hotel from the gift shop.

Cheers