Stage 4 ~ The Long March to the Orkhon Valley. Drum roll pleeeeeeeze….the anxiously anticipated day of the Long March began with a later start time of 10am. Initially, the course had us traversing a lot of ups and downs through the stunning steppe landscape of limitless grassy terrain and had us finishing up in a soggy, very tired heap....

Gobi March ~ Stage Two ~ The Nomadic Wilderness. The course for day two is filled with more lush green rolling valleys and endless tracks of dirt roads leading to infinity, sprinkled with random gers and herds of livestock.

Gobi March ~ Stage One ~ Wide Open Mongolia. Rolling hills and dirt road trails and nothing but green, green, green, as far as the eyes can see. I wanted to burn the green color into my retinas and memory for all time’s sake. I was surrounded by a landscape of colors ~ luscious verdant green with a slight purple hue due to all the lavender and wildflowers covering the hills.