Day 38

Distance Covered: 86miles

Total Distance Covered: 7841miles

We had set our alarm thinking we had changed time zones and were an hour later, unfortunately this was not the case and we ended up waking at half 5 ready for the hike ahead of us. Getting fully togged up and packing the essentials (Cadbury Roses, camera and some water) we set off. Our prediction of a two and a half hour ascent was way off and four hours later, with Hugh and I totally exhausted due to our lack of exercise for 5 weeks we made it to the glacier on the top. What with it being brutally cold and windy and not having a decent pair of warm gloves between us we swiftly snapped a few necessary photo’s and began the decent, found a slightly less windy spot and demolished the roses. Arriving back at the Ger camp we were immediately invited in again for more tea and dairy products at varying stages of fermentation and eventually lunch which was an incredible dish of goat, potato and onion in a Mongolian style stew I guess, whatever it was it was sublime. After expressing our gratitude in a series of elaborate mimes we were back on the so-called ‘road’ again. Absolutely shattered after our walk and a afternoon of serious driving through sand, boulders, gravel and rivers we made it to Khovd and to a Ger camp owned and run by a great, hospitable Mongolian who also happened to on the rally. After a few beers with some other team and another delicious traditional meal cooked by our hosts we slept the night in one of the Ger’s in the camp which was a great deal warmer than Keith.