Sylvain Tesson on the Frozen Lake Khövsgöl: A Mongolian Motorcycle Odyssey

In this Mongolian epic, the goal isn’t speed—it’s commitment. A tiny team, a vast white lake, and the kind of cold that forces every decision to be deliberate.

Mongolie en moto can mean many things: dust, steppe, river crossings, endless horizons. But on March 6, 2017, writer and traveler Sylvain Tesson chose a rarer version—one made of ice. Alongside Alexandre Zurcher (Planet Ride co-founder) and six mechanically minded adventurers, he set out for a 10-day ride across northern Mongolia, aiming for the frozen immensity of Lake Khövsgöl. Here, winter is not a backdrop; it’s the main character. Wind cuts through layers, engines struggle to warm, and the route is decided as much by the ice as by the riders.

A departure line called Mörön

The ride began in Mörön, the administrative capital of Khövsgöl Province—a practical starting point when your roadtrip heads north and conditions can turn extreme overnight. From there, the team committed to roughly 1,000 km in 10 days, riding Royal Enfield sidecars and motorcycles across open steppe and mountain-framed valleys before reaching the lake itself.

In deep winter, the numbers stop being “performance” stats and become survival realities: temperatures around -40°C change how fuel behaves, how quickly riders fatigue, and how long a simple stop takes once gloves come off.

Lake Khövsgöl: Mongolia’s “Blue Pearl”, turned white

Nicknamed the “Blue Pearl of Mongolia”, Lake Khövsgöl sits at about 1,675 meters above sea level. In the heart of winter it freezes hard enough to become a road—usually from January to April. The lake stretches roughly 136 km long and 36 km wide, a scale that plays tricks on distance: what looks close can take hours.

To the east rises the Khoridol Saridag mountain range, dark with conifers and topping out around 3,000 meters. It’s a powerful contrast: a perfectly flat, reflective surface under your wheels, and a wall of winter forest and peaks beside you.

“Will the bikes tame this giant?”

On paper, a frozen lake sounds simple: ride straight. On the ground, it’s never that clean. Ice can be smooth, ridged, wind-polished, or dusted with snow that hides texture. Gusts can push a sidecar off line. And the cold punishes hesitation—every delayed decision costs heat, energy, and focus.

With sidecars, the challenge becomes physical as much as technical. Steering effort increases on inconsistent surfaces, and the team has to manage traction without the luxury of “testing” too much: you want control, not drama.

Planet Ride pro tip (rider’s craft): in extreme cold, don’t plan “long days” the way you would in summer. Build the stage around real riding hours—and add buffer time for warming breaks, visibility changes, and mechanical checks. Fatigue arrives earlier when your body is fighting the temperature all day.

A small team, big mechanics, bigger trust

There’s a specific kind of confidence required to ride “full gas” on ice: not recklessness—trust. Trust in tires, in mechanical preparation, in the line you choose, and in the person riding beside you when the wind rises and the horizon disappears into white.

The group’s profile matters here: seven riders, all keen on mechanics, facing the classic expedition trio—obstacles, hassles, doubt—plus a fourth element: the lake itself, unpredictable in mood and texture.

Why this story fits Sylvain Tesson

Tesson has long carried a “vagabond’s” reputation—someone drawn to edges of maps, to winter, to the kind of travel where the environment answers back. Central Asia and Russia often echo through his work, and this ride—on the doorstep of Siberia, near the Russian border—belongs to that lineage.

This expedition would later inspire a film directed by Clément Gargoullaud and a book co-written by Sylvain Tesson and Thomas Goisque: stories driven by raw landscapes, extreme conditions, and that rare feeling of being far enough away that the world goes quiet.

If you’re dreaming of Mongolia by motorcycle

Mongolie en moto isn’t only about hero images—it’s about rhythm, routes, and the right format for your level. Lake Khövsgöl in winter is a niche objective; Mongolia in riding season is a broader playground of steppe tracks, highlands, and remote villages where the last fuel stop matters.

If you want to turn the inspiration into a real ride, here’s the original link from the source article:

Read the original Planet Ride article

Mini-FAQ (Mongolia motorcycle trip planning)

Is Mongolia suitable for a first off-road motorcycle trip?

It can be, if you choose the right itinerary and pace. Many routes mix paved connectors with gravel tracks; the key is not overestimating daily distance.

When is the best season for a Mongolia motorcycle trip?

Most riders target late spring to early autumn for milder temperatures and more predictable conditions. Winter riding is a specialized undertaking.

Will I have network coverage on a Mongolia roadtrip?

Coverage drops quickly outside major towns. Plan for offline navigation, spare power, and pre-downloaded maps.

À savoir aujourd’hui

This article tells a specific, dated expedition (March 2017) and its core realities remain true: Khövsgöl is vast, winter is extreme, and the ride demands discipline. What should be checked before leaving is the current access situation, local winter conditions on the lake, and any updated rules or safety constraints for riding on ice in the region.