The road to Olgii was 150 km of loose dirt with some sand. The bike rode well, either because the road wasn’t that bad or I’m getting better at riding it. Probably the former, but you definitely need to be in the mood for it – and this morning I didn’t mind.

North of the mountains the scenery changed, with trees visible for the first time in 10 days. There was a fairly large river running along the road for a while, that was unexpected but impressive all the same – especially after being in the high desert for so long.

There’s some debate as to whether the road to the Russian border is tarmac or not. If it is, then I’ve got an easy run in the morning. If not, then the last 150km of Mongolia will be tough, but the light is definitely visible at the end of the tunnel!