Mongolia, famous for being the launch pad of the colossal Mongol Empire and its main man Genghis Khan way back in the 12th century, is these days famous for wide open lush landscapes and adventure travel.
The Mongolia Bike Challenge is a ten-day mountain bike stage race that negotiates the barren and beautiful Mongolian steppe.
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 Welcome to Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia and the starting point for any Mongolian adventure. |
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| The Mongolia Bike Challenge is probably the best way to see the country. The race unofficially began in Ulaanbataar, where riders rode out from the city limits and paved roads, to the countryside, where the official start of the race was held. |
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| Vying for this years' MBC title was Kona/Easton rider Cory Wallace. In 2011 he just missed out on first place to Italy's Marzio Deho. |
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| The other half of the media team covering the MBC...Aaron Larocque and Nic Genovese. These guys kill. |
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| Nomadic dress: The Del. Which looks like a thick, knee-length toga. Usually burgundy, olive, khaki, violet, or marine blue. Worn with a silk sash cinched around the waist...usually orange, but sometimes yellow, green or blue. They're more functional than beautiful, protecting the nomadic people from the uber harsh climate. |
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| Luxurious amenities await you at the end of every day on the MBC. |
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| Landscape plate #1. |
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| Morning view. |
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| Mongolian nomads are some of the most welcoming, friendly and generous people I have ever met. |
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| Anytime we came upon a yurt settlement the families would congregate and insist you come in for a visit, and enjoy some warm yak milk, bread and cheese...all of which are acquired tastes. |
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| Western influence is creeping in everywhere since Mongolia's shift in the 1990's from a socialist system to a market economy. The kids no longer wear traditional Mongolian clothing like their elders. They dress more like Westerners. And most children born into a life of nomadic existence long to move to the cities to live a more complex lifestyle. |
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| Wrestling and wild abandon raucousness are two very Mongolian traits. |
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| The inside of a typical nomadic yurt, or "Ger". |
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| Old world meets new world. Dung, working harmoniously with satellite TV. Dung is the main source of fuel used to heat the Ger and cook the food, while satellite TV keeps the evenings entertaining. |
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| One of the feed stations for the MBC providing replenishment and a moment of respite from the drone of a million pedal strokes. |
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| The only thing crazier than spending ten days behind bars in Mongolia is doing it double. |
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| Day two finish line. |
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| One of the spectacular camps at this year's MBC. |
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| Start of day three. |
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| Life on the steppe is harsh. Do or die. |
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| Two nomad families posing down for the cameras. |
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| Lone horseman surveying the race from afar. |
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| Nomadic herdsman and his trusty steed. These guys can handle a horse better than most pro riders can handle their bikes. |
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| The only thing as sacred as a nomad's horse is his moto. |
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| Coming in hot to one of many villages scattered amongst the land. For the most part it's non-stop double track and otherworldly landscapes, all day, every day. |
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| Remnants of era's past littered the landscape everywhere we went. |
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| Classic Mongolian sheik and phone booth building. |
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| Two of my favorite things about shooting the MBC: The sunsets... |
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| ...and the sunrises. |
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| Camp life. |
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| Landscape plate #2. |
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| Traditional Mongolian food...fermented yak's milk, homemade cheese and bread vs traditional racer breakfast. The yak's milk was alcoholic so it wins. |
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| Another start to another day in the saddle. |
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| Another start to another day in the modified Russian media vehicle. |
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| If one broke down, there's always another one standing by. |
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| It seemed as though some of these vehicles got a full rebuild after every stage of the race... |
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| ...which wasn't a surprise. Especially considering the terrain they needed to negotiate on a daily basis. |
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| At one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Mongolia. |
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| Morning warm-up ride. |
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| Mongolia has on average two-hundred-and-sixty sunny days a year. This was not one of them. On this particular day the race was called early for the day due to severe cold, rain, and mud. |
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| The Mongolian race team hung up a Mongolian flag and wolf skin to mark their tents. |
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| Start of day nine. |
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| Landscape plate #3. |
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| In the end it was team Kona/Easton coming in for the top three positions. Cory Wallace, Chris Sneddon and Barry Wicks. |
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| Back to reality. Stopping through Beijing airport on the way home. |
