Purgatory is....

.....NW Mongolia.

The roads have deteriorated into a series of corrugations that are impossible to avoid and rocky roads that have my speed down to an average of 7km/h. My body is jarred out of alignment and my hands and shoulders ache. I have to regularly stop to get feeling back into my hands and my palms feel permanently bruised.

All this is joined with afternoon thunderstorms and hail, strong winds and steeper passes.

Yeehah! The things we do for fun.