Introductions
Saying yes to a "bizarre invitation": John VanOstenbridge takes us with him across Mongolia
"It began with a simple text message," says travel author and retired pediatrician
John VanOstenbridge. "How could I pass that up?"
The text was an invitation for the adventure of a lifetime: cycling across Mongolia—from the blistering heat of the steppe to the bitter cold of the mountains—with no guide, limited food, and cell phone service that was spotty on a good day.
So how did that go? Well, you'll just have to read
Bikepacking Mongolia: An Epic Adventure, the half memoir, half travel guide John wrote after returning. "I put together some of my pre-trip research notes with daily journal entries," he says, "then sifted through hundreds of photos to help explain the story. This created the beginnings of a book."
Then, with encouragement from his wife,
Bikepacking Mongolia became a reality.
"This travel adventure," the back cover informs us, "is a test of endurance and sheer will—and a firsthand account of daily life—in a land as generous as it is unforgiving."
Here's John to talk a little about his life and work:
Welcome, John! How did this trip to Mongolia come about?
It began with a simple text message. My travel buddy Jon (who I barely knew) had been planning this trip for years but couldn't find anyone to go with him. His cousin Jeff (who was my friend) told Jon about me, a recently retired guy who liked biking. Likely out of desperation, Jon texted Jeff to ask if I was interested in biking across Mongolia with him. How could I pass that up?
What moment stands out as your favorite from the trip?Wow, there were so many. The people were amazing, so friendly and always willing to help us. It's a nomadic culture, so it's natural to be curious about travelers. Buddhist philosophy teaches that helping others is a noble cause. Daily biking offered a sense of freedom, riding alone across open land, so unlike my life working in an office. The Golden Eagle Festival was an amazing spectacle, and now I understand why tourists from all over the world travel to see it. Although being snowbound in the mountains for four days wasn't fun, surviving it was!
That's a lot of miles to ride a bike. How do you train for something like that?I'm one of those rare people who enjoys working out. As a pediatrician, I frequently discussed healthy lifestyles with patients. Eating healthy and being active is normal for our family. I cross-trained with biking and running, and had access to a fitness center with ellipticals, treadmills, and the like. I tried to focus on cardio for endurance and thighs for strength.
Daily biking offered a sense of freedom, riding alone across open land, so unlike my life working in an office.
Have you done any other adventures like this one?Not exactly. The year after the Mongolia trip, Jon and I kayaked the 981-mile Ohio River, from Pittsburgh, PA, to Cairo, IL, where it meets the Mississippi River. That trip took seven weeks, about the same time as the Mongolia one.
Why did you decide to write a book about your experiences?This was a weird enough adventure that I wanted to document it for our kids. I put together some of my pre-trip research notes with daily journal entries, then sifted through hundreds of photos to help explain the story. This created the beginnings of a book and, with encouragement from my wife, it evolved into its final form. Jon does a lot of adventure travel and usually writes books about his experiences. He also gave me helpful encouragement.
Dr. John VanOstenbridge is a travel writer and retired pediatrician with an adventurous spirit who enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, and outdoor fun. He lives outside Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife, Val, and their dog, Ziggy. Eager to find the travel adventure of a lifetime, John said yes to a bizarre invitation and found a new world of culture, climate, and challenge that he will never forget—and wrote about those experiences in
Bikepacking Mongolia: An Epic Adventure.
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