Cold Steppes

Nomadic Road's March 2025 edition of the Cold Steppes expedition took a new group of overlanders deep into Mongolia at the coldest end of the calendar. Over 11 days, the convoy covered 2,600 kilometres across the country's northern, central and western regions, driving on tarmac, packed snow and the smooth, blue-black surface of frozen lakes. Daytime highs barely climbed above zero, and night-time temperatures dropped as low as -30°C in the more exposed sections of western Mongolia. Winter in Mongolia is quieter and emptier than the summer version. The steppe goes on without fences, signs or other travellers. Traditional gers dot the snow at long intervals, and small towns appear like waypoints rather than destinations. Eagle hunters still practise their craft in the Altai region, and many families wear the bright deels that pop hard against the white. Participants in the 2025 edition included returning overlanders and first-time Nomadic Road travellers. Several days involved driving on frozen lakes thick enough to support a convoy of 4x4 vehicles, with the kind of cracking sounds that are entirely normal but never reassuring. Snowstorms shifted the route more than once, and the group spent evenings in heated gers and small guesthouses, comparing GPS tracks over hot meals. The Cold Steppes expedition is built for travellers who want winter overlanding at the harder end of the scale. The March 2025 edition delivered the temperatures, the terrain and the silence the route is known for, with cultural stops in Kazakh and Buryat communities along the way to layer the trip beyond just the driving.