• Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • About
  • AdventureX
  • Project Wild Earth
  • Gallery
  • ISA
  • Special Projects
  • Contact
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • About
  • AdventureX
  • Project Wild Earth
  • Gallery
  • ISA
  • Special Projects
  • Contact

Gallery

The latest plan for our snapped axle in a remote a The latest plan for our snapped axle in a remote area of Mongolia was a rescue during the night. That evening a massive storm rolled in which we knew would only make the trail worse. It was almost 3am and still no one had arrived…

Then we heard an engine and saw headlights. Help had arrived. Batnasan and his 4Runner had finally reached us with local help. 💪🇲🇳

Since it was their first time seeing the trailer in person, it took a while to figure out a plan. There was a lot of discussion about how we were actually going to make this work.

They were confident in their idea — putting our trailer on top of their trailer. We still weren’t convinced this was the best solution but we didn’t have a lot of other options! 😅 They told us that they’d done this before in a similar situation, so we stepped back and let them take the lead. 

A few hours later, they were still working as the sun began to rise. They tried everything to make their plan work, but eventually came to the same conclusion. It wasn’t going to work.

So we came up with another plan. 😎

We also had to work out how we were going to get Sarah and Wouter out in the Troopy. They’d gone to help out another local earlier in the day who had also got stuck, and ended up getting stuck themselves.
With a snapped axle on our trailer, we were largel With a snapped axle on our trailer, we were largely stranded in this remote area of Mongolia. 🇲🇳 Luckily we had just got Starlink. We’d been told that help was coming but the time to reach us and the plan to reach us kept changing. 

We soon realised we’d be staying the night out in the woods next to where the axle had snapped. 

The latest plan was for a rescue during the night. We’d been told that two locals were going to come with a trailer and put our trailer on their trailer. They’d successfully done this before in a similar situation. We weren’t totally convinced but we didn’t have too many options at that point and so let it all play out. 

That evening a massive storm rolled in which we knew would only make the trail worse. It was almost 3am and still no one had arrived….
The stub axle had snapped clean off on our trailer The stub axle had snapped clean off on our trailer leaving the brakes in pieces. We were stranded in a remote part of Mongolia along a muddy and swampy track. 🇲🇳 

We had to figure out how we were going to get out of this situation since a normal tow truck wouldn’t be able to get to us. To make things worse, it was a holiday and no one was working. We crossed our fingers that we could get someone out to help. 🤞 

The situation became even more complained as time went on… 

📸 First image from Sarah (@star_troopy) 🙏
We met up with our friends Wouter and Sarah 🇳🇱 in their yellow Troopy (@star_troopy) and began making our way up the west side of Khuvsgul Lake towards Jigleg pass in Mongolia. 🇲🇳 

This would be the first time we had another vehicle with us on our @projectwildearth journey and we were very much looking forward to it! 😎

After a few hours, the hotels and guest houses began to fade and the track became more wet and muddy. We had to get out a lot to check the best way forward and avoid tree roots. As we hugged the lake we were in awe! 🤩

It was all going so well. It was arguably one of the best days on our journey so far…

📸 Some of the images are from Sarah @star_troopy 🙏
One of our favourite camp spots so far.. Mongolia One of our favourite camp spots so far.. Mongolia delivering the goods! ⛺️😍🍻🇲🇳
Things were about to get rather interesting… 🇵🇰
Let’s go! 💪😎🇲🇳 Let’s go! 💪😎🇲🇳
Chapursan Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰 Chapursan Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰
Getting our feet wet in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 Getting our feet wet in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬
Taking a quick dip… Taking a quick dip…
This was all just a distant dream not too long ago This was all just a distant dream not too long ago…
It’s hard to put into words how we were feeling It’s hard to put into words how we were feeling at this very moment! We were nearly through the Bartang Valley, and the end was in sight. Spirits were high! 😎
The Bartang Valley - Wild, remote and frozen in ti The Bartang Valley - Wild, remote and frozen in time. Known for its epic landscapes and isolated villages, it’s also notorious for its dangers — landslides, mud, unpredictable rivers, and elevations over 4000M.
While we continued towards the Pamir Highway - the While we continued towards the Pamir Highway - the second highest in the world at 4655m, we were also pondering another option… The Bartang Valley.

Matt had heard about the Bartang Valley when he did the Pamir back in 2018. He was unable to attempt it then due to the time constraints but it resurfaced again during our research and some conversations in Dushanbe. 

Known for its epic landscapes and isolated villages, the Bartang Valley is also notorious for its dangers — landslides, unpredictable rivers, and elevations over 4000 meters. We couldn’t stop thinking about it. 

In Rushan we’d have to make a decision, turn off onto the infamous Bartang Valley or continue on the Pamir Highway…
Welcome to Uzbekistan! 🇺🇿 Welcome to Uzbekistan! 🇺🇿
It was time to explore Mars… It was time to explore Mars…
Taking a shortcut across the Kazakh Steppe to a ve Taking a shortcut across the Kazakh Steppe to a very unique location. It didn’t turn out to be that short in the end! 😂
Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵 Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵
This was never part of the plan… seeing your hom This was never part of the plan… seeing your home catch fire and then working out what to do next with the clock ticking, visas expiring, all while hours from anywhere…

We had a few options::

1. End the trip 
2. Repair the trailer locally 
3. Contact the Patriot Campers (the manufacturer of the trailer) Even though the fire had nothing to do with them and see what they could do to help.

After making contact with Patriot, and driving towards to the border with China, we had just over 24 hours to make a decision about what we were going to do as our visa to China was about to expire. 

If we were going to go for it. We’d also have to fix the trailer up in China and Pakistan to make sure that it would make it the whole 10,000km to Mongolia, which is where the Patriot dealership is. 

Other challenges were that it was near the end of the year and so there were no more groups crossing China to Mongolia, which would’ve made it very expensive to do that route on our own. 

We also didn’t want to get stuck in Mongolia over winter, waiting for all the parts. and using our visa time as we’d planned to explore Mongolia after the rebuild. 

So we stuck to our original plan of China 🇨🇳 > Pakistan 🇵🇰 > India 🇮🇳 > Nepal 🇳🇵 South East Asia > Nepal > China 🇨🇳 > Mongolia 🇲🇳 . 

Quite the mission!
This was never part of the plan… seeing your hom This was never part of the plan… seeing your home catch fire and then working out what to do next with the clock ticking, visas expiring, all while hours from anywhere…

We had a few options::

1. End the trip 
2. Repair the trailer locally 
3. Contact the Patriot Campers (the manufacturer of the trailer) Even though the fire had nothing to do with them and see what they could do to help.

After making contact with Patriot, and driving towards to the border with China, we had just over 24 hours to make a decision about what we were going to do as our visa to China was about to expire. 

If we were going to go for it. We’d also have to fix the trailer up in China and Pakistan to make sure that it would make it the whole 10,000km to Mongolia, which is where the Patriot dealership is. 

Other challenges were that it was near the end of the year and so there were no more groups crossing China to Mongolia, which would’ve made it very expensive to do that route on our own. 

We also didn’t want to get stuck in Mongolia over winter, waiting for all the parts. and using our visa time as we’d planned to explore Mongolia after the rebuild. 

So we stuck to our original plan of China 🇨🇳 > Pakistan 🇵🇰 > India 🇮🇳 > Nepal 🇳🇵 South East Asia > Nepal > China 🇨🇳 > Mongolia 🇲🇳 . 

Quite the mission!
This snowstorm at 17,000ft caused absolute chaos. This snowstorm at 17,000ft caused absolute chaos. 

One truck after the next had slid off the road or crashed. 

Temperatures were well below freezing.

Roads were impassable. 

Cars and trucks had been abandoned

Nowhere to stop for rest or shelter. 

17 hours in total.

This was longest day of driving we have had on the road so far. 

And it wasn’t much better the day after… 🥶
Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵 Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵
Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵 Will he make it? 😬🇳🇵
It was our second attempt at this very special tra It was our second attempt at this very special trail in the Himalayas. We’d been told it was the best in the region and so we didn’t want to give up at the first hurdle. 

The weather gods had not been kind so far. Looking at the latest forecast, it looked like there might be a short window of opportunity to give it one more go. We were up early to make the most of it... 😎🇳🇵
The Himalayas..😍🇳🇵 The Himalayas..😍🇳🇵
It was our second attempt at this very special tra It was our second attempt at this very special trail in the Himalayas. We’d been told it was the best in the region and so we didn’t want to give up at the first hurdle. 

The weather gods had not been kind so far but looking at the latest forecast, there seemed to be a short window of opportunity to give it one more go. We were up early to make the most of it... 😎🇳🇵
Pakistani trucks are more than just transportation Pakistani trucks are more than just transportation vehicles — they’re works of art. Spotting them across Pakistan had been a real highlight for us, so when we found out we could see how they’re made, we jumped at the chance.

Originating in the mid-20th century, truck art has evolved into a rich cultural tradition where every vehicle tells a story — through vivid colors, intricate patterns, calligraphy, and symbolic imagery. It’s not just about beauty; for many drivers, it’s a deep source of pride and identity. Some spend thousands of dollars to customize their rides, turning highways into living art galleries.

Just off the main road between Islamabad and Rawalpindi, an entire community of painters, welders, metalworkers, horn vendors, and electricians are hard at work bringing these trucks to life.

Then there is a slightly different area you have to go to see where all the finishing decorations like the chains, lights, metal artwork and more are made and sold. All in all, a great way to spend the afternoon. 😊🇵🇰
We will remember them We will remember them
Not something that you see everyday… 👀 Not something that you see everyday… 👀
Spectre Land Rover Defender in Pakistan 🔥🇵🇰😎
It’s not Switzerland… 🇨🇭 Or the United It’s not Switzerland… 🇨🇭 

Or the United States… 🇺🇸 

Welcome to Pakistan 🇵🇰
An incredible week in the mountains of Pakistan 🇵🇰 😎
Postcards from the mountains of Pakistan 🇵🇰 Postcards from the mountains of Pakistan 🇵🇰
Things were about to get rather interesting… 🇵🇰
We were closing in on the Shandur Pass in Pakistan We were closing in on the Shandur Pass in Pakistan which is at 3,700 metres (12,200 feet). It’s the natural border between Gilgit Baltisan and Chitral in the West. The Afghan border wasn’t far away. 🇦🇫
Not your average campsite.. 😎⛺️ Not your average campsite.. 😎⛺️
Heading into the Sarfaranga Desert in Skardu Valle Heading into the Sarfaranga Desert in Skardu Valley, Pakistan.
Sarfaranga Desert is a high-altitude desert in Ska Sarfaranga Desert is a high-altitude desert in Skardu Valley, Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. Unlike typical hot deserts like the Sahara, it’s what is known as a cold desert which is rare. Vast sand dunes meet snow-capped peaks, creating a surreal, moon-like landscape. 

It’s one of the highest deserts in the world, sitting at an elevation of 2,226 meters (7,303 feet) above sea level. The dunes, some reaching heights of 20-30 metres are constantly shift due to strong winds, reshaping the landscape daily. It’s known for its unique contrasts of white sands, freezing temperatures, and pristine night skies. We thought it would be idea for testing out our new setup. ⛺️ 

In winter, the dunes are blanketed with 2-3 feet of snow, mixing desert and alpine elements in a way rarely seen anywhere else on the planet. Temperatures can plunge to -25°C with extreme winds making it feel even colder… 🥶

With irrigation from the Indus River and meltwater from the surrounding glaciers, it’s a semi-arid oasis amid the sands, with orchards nearby yielding apricots, plums, and apples. It’s also home to elusive species like the endangered snow leopard, Tibetan wolves, red foxes, golden jackals, and onagers.

We got the two deserts mixed up, this is not Katpana as the video suggests. Cumulative fatigue kicking in, our error. 🙏 😬 (They’re very close to each other)
Postcards from Shimshal Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰 Postcards from Shimshal Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰
Shimshal Valley, Pakistan - One of the most remote Shimshal Valley, Pakistan - One of the most remote valleys and dangerous roads in the world. 

Single track. 
Cliff edges.
No guardrails.
And if someone’s coming the other way… you’re reversing, hugging cliffs uphill around corners…

Snow blocks it 7–8 months a year.
Landslides are common and there’s no room for error.

And if that wasn’t enough, raised high above the raging river are sketchy wooden suspension bridges built by the locals. 

Would you drive over them?
Chapursan Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰 The first of m Chapursan Valley, Pakistan 🇵🇰 The first of many valleys we were going to explore off the Karakoram Highway.
A brief recap of our time in Tajikistan. 🇹🇯 A brief recap of our time in Tajikistan. 🇹🇯 😎
A brief recap of our time in Kazakhstan. 😎🇰🇿
Getting our feet wet in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬 Getting our feet wet in Kyrgyzstan 🇰🇬
Sometimes doing what you love doesn’t make a lot Sometimes doing what you love doesn’t make a lot of sense… 👌😂
If you like water crossings, you’ll love Kyrgyzs If you like water crossings, you’ll love Kyrgyzstan! 🇰🇬
If you like water crossings, you’ll love Kyrgyzs If you like water crossings, you’ll love Kyrgyzstan! 🇰🇬
Returning from the home of the Snow Leopard in Kyr Returning from the home of the Snow Leopard in Kyrgyzstan. We had a light dusting of snow overnight and woke up to an absolutely epic view in the morning! 🇰🇬
Follow on Instagram

MORE HERE
Matt Prior
  • About
  • AdventureX
  • Project Wild Earth
  • Gallery
  • ISA
  • Special Projects
  • Contact

Copyright©   2026 MP Adventure. All rights reserved