Monkey Run Mongolia
The Details: Monkey Run Mongolia
Well, here it is. The latest Monkey Run with gigantic-hairy-monkey-adventure nuts. This is the Monkey Run Mongolia.
There’s a load of information below but frankly what else do you need to know, it’s monkey bikes across Mongolia. Just sign up.
CONTENTS
1. The un-route
"This one is ridiculous. I love Mongolia and monkey bikes, they both start with the letter "M", so it's like the Universe has told us to do it" Mr Tom - Adventurists' Chief Idiot
Mongolia is big. Really fucking big. And driving through it is brain squashingly awesome. Thousands of miles of endless horizons, mountains, dirt roads, no roads, nomads, deserts and steppe all collide in a sort adventuristic spaff. So riding through it on a motorbike designed for children is quite simply resplendent.
We've been organising adventures in Mongolia for well over a decade. In fact, we're not quite sure why we didn't start with a Monkey Run Mongolia. But here we are, bringing together all we know of this most excellent country and all we know of Monkey bikes. It's guaranteed glorious disaster.
We give you a start line and a finish line. The adventure in between is up to you. All you need to do is get to the capital city Ulaanbaatar and we'll get you out to the start and bring you back from the finish.
You need to allow a full day for the ride to the start camp. And a full day to travel back to Ulaanbaatar on the day after the finish party.
The direction you ride depends on the edition you're on but the direction is not important. Either way you'll be slapped about the chops with old school adventure between these two places...
Northern Camp: Yeruu Lodge
The mountainous north. Endless rolling steppe and forest, challenging the monkey to go forth and seek mischief. And get lost.
The start camp is in Selenge Province, on the banks of Yeruu River.
Southern Camp: Gobi Desert
From the big grassy hills to the sweaty sandy bits. Specifically the far south of Dundgobi, the second least populated province in Mongolia.
It's a few hours south west of the capital Ulaanbaatar.
The direction you thunder across the country depends which edition you do.
2. The dates
The Monkey Run Mongolia runs twice each year in July and September.
We shall congregate in the capital Ulaanbataar to begin as we mean to go on with the toasting of Mongolian vodka. The next morning we shall whisk you off to the start line camp. And once we arrive much partying will ensue.
Some of you will be shit at riding monkey bikes so there'll be a day for you to get your hands on your steed and ride it around like a fool. We'll be around to explain all the things that will break, which end goes forwards and other helpful things.
Then it's time to set off. You will start the morning at the sharp end of miles of adventuring chaos. And after 10 days there is some chance you will have made it to the finish. Heavy pour glasses of Mongolian vodka shall be raised, and then raised again, and quite possibly again as we mark your entry to the halls of adventuring legend.
Important: Rider Bus and flight times
The bus out to the start camp leaves early so you need to land the day of the pre-adventure beers or you'll very likely miss it and have to sort your own transport.
On the way back you'll arrive in Ulaanbaatar around 4pm (ish) on the day after the finish line. If you plan to fly out the same night we recommend booking a flexible ticket incase the ETA gets an unexpected kick to the chutneys.
July 2025
4th July: Beers in Ulaanbaatar
5th July: Early rider bus to start camp
6th July: Test driving & launch party
7th July: Launch day
17th July: Finish line & party
18th July: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
5th July: Early rider bus to start camp
6th July: Test driving & launch party
7th July: Launch day
17th July: Finish line & party
18th July: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
September 2025
6th September: Beers in Ulaanbaatar
7th September: Early rider bus to start camp
8th September: Test driving & launch party
9th September: Launch day
19th September: Finish line & party
20th September: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
7th September: Early rider bus to start camp
8th September: Test driving & launch party
9th September: Launch day
19th September: Finish line & party
20th September: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
July 2026
3rd July: Beers in Ulaanbaatar
4th July: Early rider bus to start camp
5th July: Test driving & launch party
6th July: Launch day
16th July: Finish line & party
17th July: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
4th July: Early rider bus to start camp
5th July: Test driving & launch party
6th July: Launch day
16th July: Finish line & party
17th July: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
September 2026
5th September: Beers in Ulaanbaatar
6th September: Early rider bus to start camp
7th September: Test driving & launch party
8th September: Launch day
18th September: Finish line & party
19th September: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
6th September: Early rider bus to start camp
7th September: Test driving & launch party
8th September: Launch day
18th September: Finish line & party
19th September: Rider bus to UB (ETA 4pm)
3. What's included?
Rather a lot as it turns out. For your paltry entry fee you'll get to take part in the mother of all monkey bike adventures. And that means...
- We'll get you from Ulaanbataar to the middle of nowhere for the launch and even bring you back from the finish line at the end. Handy.
- We'll put you up and stuff you full of food at the start and finish.
- We'll give you your very own (for a while) monkey bike to fall madly in love with as you ride across the wilderness.
- We'll provide a custom tracking app for your smartphone including offline tracking functionality so we know where you are even if you (hopefully) haven't a clue.
- We'll give you a map that is almost completely useless.
- We'll give you 2 parties to spoil your internal organs.
- And some other stuff it would be boring to write here.
4. Entry fee
Entry Fee: £1,495 per rider
The marvellous Mongolian steppe is remote so we'll be setting up a start and finish camp. An incredible way to start and finish the adventure and an absolute steal for the amount of glorious mayhem you get your sheckles.
Pay in monthly instalments
Choose 'monthly by card' when you sign up and you can spread the entry fee across 6 monthly payments.
5. I have a few questions...
What should I bring?
As little as possible is what we always say. But for this one you will need to carry everything you need to survive in 10kg of luggage. Why 10kg? Because we've noticed a worrying trend of people bringing too much guff with them on adventures. And this makes the wheels fall off the back of monkey bikes.
Inside that you'll be want to carry...
- A tent - you can get little 1 man things that weight less than 1kg.
- A sleeping bag.
- Any food you're not going to be happy finding and eating on the way.
- The clothes you want to prevent hypothermia - water proof things for example.
- Black tie for the finish line
Where will I sleep?
As many of you know Mongolia is a Nomadic culture and they often allow people to sleep in their homes as you travel through. Don't rely on this and be prepared to leave a bit of cash. We'll be giving you a crash course in Steppe etiquette at the pre race training so you don't blunder about the steppe being rude in this incredible culture.
So if you're not sleeping at the start of finish line, or in a very generous Nomads ger, you'll be curled up in your tent. There is the odd village along the way and some of these will have hotels and hostels to sleep in. But by no means regularly or every night.
What will I eat?
Mutton, noodles? What ever you bring with you, buy on route or are lucky enough to be offered along the way.
Where will I get petrol?
Small towns and settlements (called 'Soums') will have petrol available and you'll have to tailor your route to the availability of petrol. If you run out in the middle of nowhere you will have to barter with a passing vehicle (if there are any) to see what you can buy or carry a bit of extra fuel with you.
6. Saving the world
Not only is the Monkey Run an industrial dose of adventure, it’s also about Saving the World. We ask every
rider to make their best efforts to raise a minimum of £500 for the official charity
Cool Earth
Anything above this can be raised for any other registered charity of your choice.
Cool Earth works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction. Local people stand to lose the most from deforestation but the most to gain from its protection, that’s why they are the forest’s best possible custodians.
All Cool Earth partnerships are community-owned and led. By developing local livelihoods, their mission is to end the cycle of deforestation entrenching villages into further poverty. Creating strong, self-determining communities.
Anything above this can be raised for any other registered charity of your choice.
Cool Earth works alongside indigenous villages to halt rainforest destruction. Local people stand to lose the most from deforestation but the most to gain from its protection, that’s why they are the forest’s best possible custodians.
All Cool Earth partnerships are community-owned and led. By developing local livelihoods, their mission is to end the cycle of deforestation entrenching villages into further poverty. Creating strong, self-determining communities.
7. The warning
These are genuinely dangerous things to do. The website is written in a light-hearted fashion but you cannot overestimate the risks involved in taking part in this adventure.
Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part are high. Individuals who have taken part in past Adventurists' adventures have been permanently disfigured, seriously disabled and even lost their life.
This is not a glorified holiday, it's an unsupported adventure and so by its very nature extremely risky. You really are on your own and you really are putting both your health and life at risk. This is what makes them adventures.
Your chances of being seriously injured or dying as a result of taking part are high. Individuals who have taken part in past Adventurists' adventures have been permanently disfigured, seriously disabled and even lost their life.
This is not a glorified holiday, it's an unsupported adventure and so by its very nature extremely risky. You really are on your own and you really are putting both your health and life at risk. This is what makes them adventures.
8. I'm ready - sign me up
Registration is open now. Press the button of adventuring destiny and set forth into the unknown on the mighty monkey bike.
9. Subscribe and follow
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