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![Mailing address:
Ian Andersen
Holiday Inn Ulaanbaatar,
Sambuu St 24 5th Horoo,
CHD - 5 khoroo,
Ulaanbaatar 15141, Mongolia
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with hyperlinks in bio
Key gear: tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden (2 days): 190 miles (307 km)
Total distance ridden: 7,991 miles (12,861 km)
Currently in: Barangol, Russia]()
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2025-10-12 19:14:28
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Mailing address:
Ian An..
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![10-day push through Siberia. Here is day one. What do you want to know about (or see) in Russia, anything that I should cover over the next 8-9 days?
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with hyperlinks in bio
Key gear: tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 74 miles (119 km)
Total distance ridden: 7,801 miles (12,554 km)
Currently in: Barnaul, Russia]()
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2025-10-08 09:10:59
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10-day push through Sib..
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![Thank you to the two fellas that scooped me up off the side of the road. And to veloshop.semey for the rim job. Every time I need help and help shows up, it makes me feel less alone out here. More tethered to the world. More hopeful you know.
Anyways this was cheating, the sixth time. Hopefully seven is a boat from China to Japan, and we don’t reach eight.
Pushing north to the Russia border tomorrow morning. Wish me luck. 🤞
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with hyperlinks in bio
Key gear: tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 51 miles (83 km)
Total distance ridden: 7,727 miles (12,435 km)
Currently in: Semey, Kazakhstan]()
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2025-10-05 00:41:47
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Thank you to the t..
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![Only 90 km today, but I’ve been hammering it this week: 100, 150, 150, 140, 130, then 90 today. Russian visa kicks in October 6th, and I’ve got just 10 days to get through. 1,100 km with 10,000 meters of vertical gain. Not totally sure that’s possible, especially if snowstorms hit. Anyone done something like this before? Any tips?
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with hyperlinks in bio
Key gear: tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 65 miles (104 km)
Total distance ridden: 7,507 miles (12,081 km)
Currently in: Ayaguz, Kazakhstan]()
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2025-10-02 01:02:43
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Only 90 km today,..
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![You have 2 choices for your travel aesthetic: low profile or attention seeking. Usually I go for the first one. In tactical circles it’s a concept is called “grey man” — flying under the radar without drawing unnecessary attention. My look is plain, functional, and repetitive. Nothing excessively loud unless it’s high viz. Some people have joked that I’m like a cartoon character wearing the same thing every day, and they’re not wrong.
Your other option is to look as ridiculous as possible. Create a curiosity gap so that people want to get to know you. Tom Wolfe would say to do whatever it takes, an orange suit for example, Because it’s the best way to have interesting travel experiences.
Which one you go for depends on the context and your personality. Here is an example of peacocking.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 65 miles (104 km)
Total distance ridden: 7,097 miles (11,421 km)
Currently in: Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan]()
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2025-09-28 07:42:54
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You hav..
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![If you believe in this kind of storytelling: quiet, slow, human - you can keep it alive. A free or paid Substack subscription helps me stay on the road with just a little more comfort.
Anyways, thank you for being here.
Love,
Ian
Currently in: Almaty, Kazakhstan]()
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2025-09-24 23:49:56
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If you believe in this ..
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![Made it to Almaty, Kazakhstan. This past week wasn’t very visual. Just visa research and logistics. Had my Russian embassy appointment, now I wait until Tuesday to see if I can ride through Siberia.
If Russia says yes, it’s game on: ten-day push through Siberia, drop into Mongolia, apply for a China visa in Ulaanbaatar, ride across China, then boat to Japan, about 2-3 months to the finish line.
The consulate surprised me. Staff were kind, smiling, even the security guard was warm. It’s easy to flatten countries into stereotypes, so I want to enter Russia with an open mind. Tuesday we find out. Yes means hammer down to beat winter, no means no land route left.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 6,933 miles (11,158 km)
Currently in: Almaty, Kazakhstan]()
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2025-09-22 23:46:17
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Made it to Almaty..
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![eSIMs are a scam bro. They’re slower, worse coverage, no real support. Just walk into the local shop when you land. Beeline in Kyrgyzstan $5.72 for 70 gigs vs $100+ on the apps. Same gigs, but better.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 65 miles (105 km)
Total distance ridden: 6,387 miles (10,329 km)
Currently in: Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan]()
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2025-09-07 23:07:44
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eSIMs are a scam bro...
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![Tajikistan was supposed to be about mountains and yaks and wilder people. Instead it turned into heinous diarrhea at 15,000 feet, rocks falling on our heads, and somehow skitching behind woodchippers up the pamirs. This is that story.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Last week’s distance ridden: 258 miles (415 km)
Total distance ridden: 6,322 miles (10,224 km)
Currently in: Osh, Kyrgyzstan]()
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2025-09-05 18:39:24
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Tajikistan was supposed..
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![Getting harassed on the road never feels great. Not about gay or straight, just unwanted advances you know.
Tajikistan so far: high mountains, lots of switchbacks. Villages where everyone waves, kids chase the bike, and the roads are riddled with pot holes. My knee has been telling me it’s not happy, but the scenery makes up for it.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Last week’s distance ridden: 312 miles (553 km)
Total distance ridden: 6,064 miles (9,809 km)
Currently in: Murghob, Tajikistan]()
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2025-08-30 21:44:08
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Getting harassed on t..
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![Self doubt day on the road. Afghanistan felt like non-stop highs and Tajikistan’s been slower. That’s why I’ve held back a bit here. Just giving it to you straight so you know what’s up. We’ll soldier through it same as the rest, and the Tajik vids will be better than ever 🫡
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,752 miles (9,256 km)
Currently in: Khalaikhum, Tajikistan]()
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2025-08-23 00:10:00
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Self doubt..
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![Spent 4 hours at a checkpoint on my birthday. Ended the night eating a burger and chips in a bathrobe, watching outdoor boys on YouTube. Not everyone’s idea of a perfect bday but I was grateful.
It’s been weeks of flat tires, heat, pure survival. So sitting in a nice room with AC and normal food was a real gift.
Hard to believe how many of you are following these stories. When I started biking in Lisbon, I could’ve never imagined so many of you watching. Feels like I’m not riding alone out here. It’s a huge privilege and I don’t take it lightly. Thank you.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 50 miles (80 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,645 miles (9,083 km)
Currently in: Kulob, Tajikistan]()
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2025-08-20 00:33:13
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Spent 4 hou..
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![Aug 14 I rode the final 60km and crossed into Tajikistan. The Talib at customs said I was cutting it pretty close. Vaguely threatening. Today is my birthday. Couldn’t have asked for better timing to post my final Afghanistan video.
Afghanistan was heavy and beautiful, generous and dangerous, contradictions stacked on contradictions. Four weeks here taught me more than four years in a classroom.
If you like this one, you can find more Afghanistan highlights in the story pinned to the top of my profile. Next stop: Tajikistan, the Pamirs, and the road north toward Japan.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 53 miles (85 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,539 miles (8,913 km)
Currently in: Farkhor, Tajikistan]()
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2025-08-18 20:30:00
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Aug 14 I rode the fin..
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![Border closed. Visa dying. Then I fell into raw sewage. The Taliban rummaged through my underwear looking for a drone but found a crucifix instead. (gagged and put it back like it was a hot cheeto)
p.s. I edit with a few days’ delay. I actually made it out of Afghanistan safely on Aug 14. Final day vid is a good one.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 6 miles (9 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,486 miles (8,828 km)]()
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2025-08-17 20:30:00
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Border closed. Visa d..
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![Both borders go to Tajikistan, the next country I need to cross to reach Japan. But the one I aimed for was the shortcut. Less distance, more scenic through the Pamir, straight shot across Afghanistan. I couldn’t find any trip reports, forum posts, nothing recent to say if it was possible. So I gambled. And the border was closed. Now we backtrack to the other crossing before the visa runs out. Long way around it is. Risked it for a biscuit and lost today bud.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,480 miles (8,819 km)]()
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2025-08-16 20:30:00
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Both borders go to Ta..
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![Four days left on my visa. 50% chance the border’s closed. If you’re not following yet, recommend to swipe past this one cause it’s long.
Fun fact: Fayzabad is one of the most remote provincial capitals in the country. No railways, no highways in the Western sense, just narrow roads that get covered by landslides every spring. The Kokcha River runs right through, and you’ll see people panning for gold all along the shoreline.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 106 miles (170 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,480 miles (8,819 km)]()
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2025-08-15 20:30:00
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Four days left ..
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![Almost died looking for a hotel. Ended up with a Taliban escort, a mistranslation about being “the enemy,” and sleeping in a field. Today is a new day.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 75 miles (121 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,374 miles (8,649 km)
Currently in: Kunduz, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-14 21:00:00
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Almost died looking..
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![500 km in 5 days. 5,500 m of vert. Really giving ‘er everything to get out of here on time.
What I learned today: in Afghanistan it doesn’t matter if you camp or stay in a hotel. People will say hello in the morning either way.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 65 miles (105 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,299 miles (8,528 km)
Currently in: Fayzabad, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-13 21:50:00
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500 km in 5 days. 5..
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![700 km in 7 days. 8,000 m of climbing. Resting in Kabul has been a treat but the bike isn’t going to bike itself to Tajikistan. So back into traffic that ignores physics. Ultimately we couldn’t clear the 2,500 m pass in one go, so I camped. And got discovered at the crack of dawn. Visa clock is ticking here, next stop Tajikistan.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 53 miles (85 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,234 miles (8,423 km)
Currently in: Fayzabad, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-12 21:10:58
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700 km in 7 days. 8..
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![$800 million embassy. Abandoned in 2021. The Taliban left us a note on the wall, feel free to read it.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,181 miles (8,338 km)
Currently in: Taleqan, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-10 22:50:52
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$800 million embassy. A..
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![This family’s been living in a cave house in Bamiyan for 20 years. No running water. No insulation. Just rock. The dad herds sheep for very little money every day. Two of the kids had to drop out of school because they couldn’t afford uniforms. They bathe in the same room that they sleep, and burn scavenged grasses to stay warm. For barakat, I gave 5x the amount my guide recommended. But editing this video, I was reminded that it never feels like enough.
Anyway, I accidentally fell in with a tour group from my hotel in Kabul. If you’re looking for a guide in Afghanistan, I recommend the excellent jaihoonak — We drove four hours to Bamiyan to see the Buddhas, visit a cave house, and explore a bit. Then all the way back to Kabul. I’m back on the bike tomorrow, August 7. Might be off-grid for a while after that. Don’t worry, kittens. I will survive and return with more good videos soonly.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,181 miles (8,338 km)
Currently in: Kabul, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-06 23:49:52
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This family..
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![1,500 years ago Buddhist monks carved massive statues into the cliffs of the Bamiyan Valley (what is now Afghanistan). Then the Taliban blew them up in 2001.
I will stay neutral on this topic while in Taliban controlled territory. But the comment section is open for discussion if you wish.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 0 miles (0 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,181 miles (8,338 km)
Currently in: Kabul, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-05 20:08:07
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1,500 years ago Buddhis..
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![Kabul traffic a bit like demolition derby with 9 million people. No rules, no lanes, lots of minor contact. Bumpers are beat to hell, honking never really stops, but somehow everyone accepts it. I’ve seen cars reverse in a roundabout, motorcycles with 4 people and a goat, taxis using the sidewalk as an extra lane. It’s chaos but it works. Kinda.
Fast facts:
Downloadable packing checklist with my full gear list in bio
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden: 87 miles (140 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,181 miles (8,338 km)
Currently in: Kabul, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-03 01:24:29
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Kabul traffic a bit..
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![Meta flagged my content as “pro-Taliban.” Hopefully you know me better than Meta’s AI content moderation algorithm. But I don’t think it’s smart to be critical while in Taliban controlled territory.
Here’s what I’m trying to do:
* Show what daily life is like here, without inserting my own opinions too much.
* Document the kindness I receive, without suggesting that speaks for everyone’s experience.
* Stay safe, both in person and online.
Really, I am treated like royalty. People invite me in, give me food, offer their homes. But I’m also aware that it’s optics. I’m a guest and a symbol.
And at the same time there is tension. Resentment just under the surface. Some people look at me like I’m famous, and others like I personally ordered strikes. Both can happen in the same afternoon. It’s complicated and I’m still figuring it out.
Fast facts:
Packing checklist with my full gear list in bio.
Key gear: stove, tent, patch kit, cigs
Total distance: ~10,000 miles (16,000 km)
Today’s distance ridden:63 miles (102 km)
Total distance ridden: 5,094 miles (8,198 km)
Currently in: Kabul, Afghanistan]()
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2025-08-01 23:06:26
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..
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![Afghanistan so far: cigs, checkpoints, phenomenal mosques. Tea with men who’ve lost everything. Taliban ask for selfies, 30 person households, and FBI most wanted. Still blown away daily by the kindness. Here are 20 pics from the road.]()
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2025-07-30 22:22:19
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Afghanistan so far: cig..
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On average, Ian Andersen gets 51K likes and 695 comments per post. (Historical)
