Barnaul to Western Mongolia - S1.E5

Entering Mongolia - Roads get difficult. Before Ewan and Charley enter Mongolia, they have a small portion of Russia they must travel through first. They are thrilled to be on decent roads again, and make good time driving to Barnaul, a rather large Westernized city. The guys are shocked to be back in modern civilization, but quickly push on. Ewan and Charley are taken by surprise by the stunning gorgeous Altai region they find themselves in. Snow-covered mountain passes and lush green valleys greet them as they make their way to a river to clean up. After a quick skinny-dip in a freezing stream-and a night camping-the guys drive to the Mongolian border. Ewan is feeling tired, which is not a good start as Mongolia will demand all they have. There are literally no roads in Mongolia as we know them. Instead, the guys must follow tracks marked in the earth by trucks. Passing a heard of elk, we quickly realize Mongolia is the poster child for "middle of nowhere."