Kyrgyzstan
DifficultTian Shan Mountain Road — Bishkek to Song-Kul Lake via Kochkor and Moldo-Ashuu Pass
Nomad country at 3,000 metres. Earn every view.
Feature: Camping
Australia
ModerateBungle Bungle Range 4WD Track — Purnululu National Park Entry Road via Spring Creek Track
Beehive domes at the end of a brutal dirt road.
California
ModerateMojave Road — Afton Canyon to Government Holes via Soda Mountains
Old wagon ruts through the Mojave's brutal heart.
Northern Cape
ExpertRichtersveld Potjiespram 4×4 Trail
Africa's harshest mountain desert. No mercy.
Northern Cape
ExpertRichtersveld Helskloof Pass to Sendelingsdrift — Orange River Desert Canyon Traverse
Hell's Gorge. No shade. No mercy. No cell signal.
Alaska
DifficultDalton Highway — Fairbanks to Deadhorse via the Brooks Range and Arctic Tundra
414 miles to the top of North America.
Italy
ModerateSibillini Mountains High Ridge Track — Castelluccio to Forca di Presta via the Piano Grande
The Apennines' forgotten high plateau run.
Mongolia
ExpertTrans-Mongolian Steppe Route — Ulaanbaatar to Khövsgöl Lake via Tariat and the Orkhon Valley
No roads. No signs. Just 1,000 km of steppe.
Australia
DifficultGibb River Road Alternative — Kalumburu Road to Mitchell Falls via Drysdale River Station
Dead-end Kimberley dirt to Australia's best falls.
Gorno-Badakhshan
ExpertPamir Highway — Osh to Ishkashim via the Wakhan Corridor Junction (M41)
The roof of the world has a road. It barely qualifies.