Intrepid traveller Leo Murray leads a group into Mongolia's far northern region and shares his experiences with Cafe and on You Tube. And he's already planning another horse trek next summer. Wish to join him? Then read on...
Tapestry of life in Mongolia
I recently returned from another “never been, done before” horse riding trip to Mongolia’s far northern region where my friends and I did not see a single other foreigner. Not one.
To “feel” (and hear) what our expedition was like, you might care to have a look at the 22 video clips I uploaded to YouTube
Enter “Northern Mongolia 2008” in the “search” space and then click onto the “videos” you want to watch. These clips represent a good cross-section of the trip experience we had.
This was my 9th visit to Mongolia.
Chronology of my trips to Mongolia:
2008: Horseback riding in Northern Mongolia along the Siberian border. This included visiting a remote thirteen-“teepee” encampment of the Tsaatan reindeer herders near Mongolia’s border with Russia.
2007: Horseback riding in Western Mongolia where the Gobi Desert meets the Altai Mountains, and a climb to the permanently snow-covered summit of Mt. Sutai, one of Mongolia’s highest mountains (13,419 ft/4,090 m)
2006: Horseback riding near the Mongolia/China border, always in view of massive/snow-capped Mt. Munkhhairhkan, the second highest peak in Mongolia (14,310 ft/4,362 m), and invariably camped alongside hospitable Mongol and Kazakh nomads
2005: Horseback riding (with camel support) in the Gobi Desert and the Mongol Altai Mountain Range, with three days camped beneath the impressive snow-clad peak of Mt. Tsambagarav (13,805 ft/4,202 m) in the Namarjin Valley, where we met with Kazakh eagle-hunters
2004: Horseback riding in the Gobi Desert's Mongol Els, the biggest expanse of sand dunes in Mongolia some 200 miles long, and around the majestic, snow-covered Mt. Otgontenger (13,225 ft/4,031m), one of three sacred mountains in Mongolia
2003: Horseback riding in Mongolia's far north to visit the Tsaatan reindeer herders and Mongolia's “Blue Pearl” - Lake Khovsgol
2002: Horseback riding in the Mongol Altai Nuruu, Mongolia's highest mountain range
2000: Horseback riding to the glaciers in Mongolia's far west, close to the Russian and Chinese borders, followed by camel trekking in the Gobi Desert
1999: Trekking in Gorkhi-Terelj National Park, attend the annual Naadam Festival and a first-ever doue-day horse-riding experience around the sacred Bogd Khaan Mountain.
I am going to return to Mongolia next summer. In 2009 the focus will be on the least travelled part of the country - the “Wild East” of Mongolia. In this area are the majestic Khan Khenti mountains, the birthplace of Genghis Khan. This is also the location of the Three Holy Rivers of the Mongols.
This will be a two-week trip (with 10 days of horseback riding), tentatively scheduled for July 15-31. A reconnaissance of the never-before-offered route we will follow will be carried out within the next two weeks by the owner of Nomads Tours and Expeditions, along with four senior Nomads’ staff.
If this sounds like an expedition you’d like to come along on, please let me know. Email: hkmurray@hkstar.com
• Photos courtesy of Leo Murray
