Polish explorer Mateusz Waligóra became the first person in recorded history to cycle across Mongolia’s Gobi Desert in winter, covering 1,285 kilometers in 26 days.
Despite severe cold, sandstorms, and multiple breakdowns, he finished the trek on foot, pushing his disabled bike for the final stretch.
Waligóra began the journey solo between Altai and Sainshand but was forced to skip about 120 kilometers when his bike suffered a critical failure. Local residents helped transport him to the nearest town, where replacement parts were shipped from Mongolia’s capital. Once repairs were complete, he resumed the route.
Extreme conditions
Throughout the trip, Waligóra faced temperatures plunging below minus 30 Celsius, frequent spoking issues, and jammed electronics.
Shortly before the end, his bike’s frame snapped, forcing him to walk for hours to the finish line.
“I’m exhausted and happy,” he said. “I feel it was worth crossing the Rubicon a second time to experience this short moment of joy.”
In an Instagram post, Waligóra wrote: “Gobi, by bike, in winter, alone. Twenty-six days and 1,285 kilometers… I’m exhausted. I’m happy. This is the moment I feel it was worth crossing the Rubicon a second time. … If you’re not freezing, if hunger and thirst don’t tear at your insides, who is there to envy?”
Return to the Gobi
It was Waligóra’s second expedition to the Mongolian Gobi; in 2018, he became the first person to traverse it on foot. This year, he endured water shortages, hauling multiple thermoses, and navigating flash thaws that turned the frozen desert into mud.
He credits local inhabitants for their hospitality, saying they “never left me in need and always found ways to help.” Waligóra, known for extreme expeditions to remote corners of the planet—particularly deserts—has also crossed Greenland on foot and traversed Australia’s Canning Stock Route.

Published Date:2025-03-18