A Ride Through Mongolia

Mongolia has been generating significant buzz among adventurous travelers for several years, evolving from a niche destination for hardcore backpackers into a premier frontier for "Type 2 fun"—the kind of experience that is grueling in the moment but deeply rewarding in retrospect. It is a raw, beautiful place where rich history and nomadic culture come with a heavy dose of unpredictability. For those seeking to truly disconnect from the digital tether of modern life, few methods are as effective as a motorcycle expedition. Riding a bike through the Mongolian steppe removes all the filters between the traveler and the environment, exposing the rider to every gust of wind, every temperature swing, and every grain of sand.

This ambitious six-day, 1,000-kilometer journey was designed by the AETHER Apparel team to serve as the ultimate proving ground for their newest line of adventure motorcycle gear. To navigate this unforgiving landscape, they partnered with Nomadic Off-Road, Mongolia’s leading off-road adventure outfitter and an official Husqvarna partner. The expedition crew was a diverse mix of industry veterans, designers, and high-profile enthusiasts. It included AETHER co-founders Jonah Smith and Palmer West; acclaimed photographer David “Shadi” Perez; vehicle designer and racer Alex Earle of Earle Motors; and a trio of actors known for their off-screen passion for two wheels: Norman Reedus, Bryan Greenberg, and Justin Chatwin. To document the journey, the team utilized GoPro’s MISSION 1 PRO cameras, relying on their advanced stabilization to capture the chaos of the terrain.

Day 1: Headfirst into the Wild

The expedition began with an ambitious 300-kilometer leg, a distance that would be challenging on paved roads but was exponentially more difficult across the deep, rutted sand troughs of the Mongolian interior. The landscape here is deceptive; what looks like a flat plain from a distance often reveals itself to be a series of treacherous "whoops" and sand traps that can swallow a front tire in an instant.

The sand claimed its first victim early in the trip. While cruising through a particularly soft section at approximately 60 kilometers per hour, Palmer West caught a hard edge hidden beneath the silt. "My bike went into a high-speed, tank-slapping death wobble while riding through the sand," West later recounted. A "tank-slapper" is one of the most feared phenomena in motorcycling, where the handlebars oscillate violently from side to side. "I clipped the hard dirt and launched into the rough terrain. My momentum took me over the handlebars, landing on my head."

In many scenarios, such a crash in a remote location would end the trip, if not result in a medevac. However, the technical specifications of the gear proved their worth. West was wearing the AETHER Mojave 2.0 jacket and pants, equipped with integrated D3O® armor. D3O is a non-Newtonian material that remains flexible during normal movement but locks together instantly upon impact to absorb and dissipate energy. Combined with his Leatt helmet, the gear allowed West to walk away without a single broken bone or bruise, despite a minor concussion. After a brief period of recovery in the support truck, West’s resilience—and the integrity of his equipment—allowed him to get back in the saddle and reach camp by sunset.

Day 2: Cultural Collisions and Celestial Fury

The second day offered a stark contrast to the violence of the first. The riders began their morning in a picturesque valley, a verdant expanse where the "Eternal Blue Sky" of Mongolia lived up to its name. They shared the landscape with local herders moving their livestock—camels, goats, and horses—across the vast commons. "Watching Mongolian herders chase camels across the landscape on small, rugged motorcycles was one of those moments that perfectly captures the country’s blend of ancient tradition and modern utility," Jonah Smith observed.

The expedition also highlighted the global reach of modern media. While the crew was refueling at a skeletal gas station in a remote village, a passing driver stopped abruptly. He hadn’t recognized the high-tech Husqvarnas or the branded gear; he recognized Norman Reedus. Despite the language barrier and the geographic isolation, the star of The Walking Dead and Ride with Norman Reedus found himself surrounded by fans. This became a recurring theme throughout the journey, with locals frequently approaching the actor for photos. Smith noted with a laugh that he made it his personal mission to photobomb as many of these celebrity selfies as possible.

However, the hospitality of the locals was soon overshadowed by the hostility of the atmosphere. As the group climbed into a mountain pass where the tarmac dissolved into mud and loose rock, the weather turned. What began as a light mountain mist rapidly escalated into a torrential downpour, which then transformed into a punishing hailstorm. The riders were pelted by ice pellets that stung through their gloves and rattled against their helmets. Yet, in the strange psychology of adventure riding, the misery produced a sense of euphoria. The riders were no longer just tourists; they were participants in the raw mechanics of the planet.

Day 3: The UNESCO Heartland and Ancient Flavors

On the third day, the team awoke at the Genghis Khan Retreat, an equestrian wilderness lodge situated deep within the Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This region is considered the cradle of nomadic civilization, featuring archaeological sites that date back to the 6th century. Waking up here felt like a journey through time, with wild horse pastures stretching toward a horizon unmarred by power lines or fences.

The day’s riding was the most technical yet, involving swollen river crossings and narrow, muddy singletracks that required precise throttle control and balance. To refuel, the group partook in a traditional Mongolian culinary ritual: khorkhog. This "nomadic barbecue" involves cooking lamb—slaughtered only hours prior—inside a metal milk jug with fire-heated stones and wild root vegetables. The stones are often handed to the guests to hold, as the heat and grease are believed to have medicinal properties.

The afternoon was spent tackling steep, rocky ledges and hillclimbs that tested the torque of the Husqvarna engines and the grip of the riders’ boots. Every ascent rewarded them with panoramic views of the Orkhon River winding through the valley like a silver thread.

Day 4: The Wall of Dust

The fourth day brought the group face-to-face with the terrifying scale of Mongolian meteorology. On the horizon, a towering, apocalyptic wall of dust began to rise, resembling the "haboobs" of the Sahara or the cinematic storms of Dune. It was a massive sandstorm, a common but dangerous occurrence in the Gobi-adjacent regions.

Realizing they were directly in the storm’s path, the group had to make a tactical decision: hunker down and risk being stranded, or "pin the throttle" and attempt to outrun the front. They chose the latter. The ensuing ride was a blur of orange dust and adrenaline, as the riders maintained high speeds in low visibility to reach the safety of their next waypoint before the heart of the storm overtook them. It was a test of trust—trust in their lead guides, trust in their machines, and trust in their own ability to stay upright when the wind threatened to blow them off the track.

Day 5: Navigating the "Bermuda Triangle"

The penultimate day took the riders into a notorious stretch of grassland known locally as the "Bermuda Triangle of Mongolia." The name stems from the area’s deceptive nature; while it looks like easy, flat riding, the tall grass hides a minefield of marmot holes, deep ruts, and "black cotton" soil that turns into a slick, axle-snapping trap when damp.

The "Triangle" lived up to its reputation. The group suffered a series of high-sides and low-sides as tires lost purchase on the treacherous surface. Footpegs were bent, and bodywork was scuffed, but the riders remained largely unscathed. This section served as the final validation for the AETHER gear; the abrasion resistance of the fabrics and the impact-dampening properties of the armor were tested repeatedly as riders were tossed from their bikes into the tall grass.

Day 6: The Return to Ulaanbaatar

By the time the team crested the final ridge and saw the neon lights of Ulaanbaatar shimmering in the distance on day six, they were different people than the ones who had left the capital a week prior. Their gear was coated in a fine layer of Mongolian silt, and their bikes bore the "badges of honor" of a thousand hard-fought kilometers.

The final night’s farewell dinner in the city was a celebration of survival and camaraderie. "Trips like this are never really about motorcycles," Jonah Smith reflected as the group shared a final meal. "They’re about the people you share them with. The crashes, the storms, the breakdowns: these are the things we’ll laugh about years from now. It’s the hard days that become the best stories."

The 1,000-kilometer loop through the Orkhon Valley and beyond was more than a marketing exercise for AETHER Apparel; it was a testament to the philosophy of the brand. AETHER delivers uncompromising, built-to-last garments that blend timeless style with modern performance and functionality, enabling them to seamlessly go from city to summit. From their rain jackets to their ski apparel and motorcycle gear, the garments are characterized by immense versatility and robust protection. Whether shielding a rider from a hailstorm on a Mongolian mountain pass or protecting a founder during a high-speed tumble in the sand, the gear proved that in the world of adventure, quality is the only thing that stands between a great story and a disaster.