Mongolia

The morning started around 7 AM for me and as all the other occupants of the cabin were women I gave them their privacy and stayed out absorbing the surrounds. We had another 30 klms to go before we had a few rest days for the Naadam Festival. The ride was mostly undulating terrain and our bodies were now getting used to the longer hours in the saddle. We had covered around 200 km by this stage, and the horses showed no sign of fatigue whatsoever.  Aside from a few drink stops and a lunch stop, it  was a relatively uneventful ride. The highlight, if you could call it that, was riding past a human skull on the side of the trail. Whilst this might seem a bit bizarre to us, it was 'a matter of fact' for our guides and wranglers. We were told that in older times, when people or animals die, they are taken out to a spot and left for the vultures. This is not common practice today and this could have been from a long time ago. The town of Renchinhumbe was now...

We planned to leave around 1030 AM to make our way back to Hogrog. Our dog didnt come up the hill with us because we didn't want him to get into fights with the local dogs, but another dog adopted us on our trail and he did come. He was nicknamed Poodle dog because he walked like a poodle. He got into a few skirmishes but managed to walk away most of the time. He really enjoyed being with us and we enjoyed his company. As soon as it looked like we were getting ready to go he was there waiting to join us on the journey We set out on our trek up through the pass to the top of the mountain and Poodle Dog was out clearing the way for us. After a saddle adjustment we continued our walk back to Hogrog, stopping for occasional drinks and to pick up lost glasses and other items. The snow we stopped at earlier had all but melted now, but the views remained breathtaking. Lunch was provided before we left and safely stored in the saddle bags. We stopped at the same spot on the side of the hil...

 Day 6 of our adventure is a day at the summer camp of the reindeer people. After another delicious breakfast we prepared to meet the Sharman. We were all invited into his tent where he shared some information about his life and practices. On our way back to our teepee I came across his wife milking a reindeer. Reindeer are a major resource here and nothing goes to waste. Even the antlers are used when they fall off. They are soaked in pine tar and carved then sold to tourists. Aside from a meagre government handout this is their only source of income. We were then invited to sit on a reindeer. I can tell you it isnt as easy as it looks and the bigger the antler, that harder it is to hold on. You cant hold on to the antlers so balance is important. The locals then brought out an array of handicrafts for us to see and purchase. Everything from carved antlers to carved jade and wooden pendants was available. We bought a beautiful carved antler and knife.  The day was...

Day 5 started off early as we had to have all bags ready for loading up on the pack horses. Our trek today was the to the reindeer people in one of the most isolated areas of Northern Mongolia. During the night, one of the horses wandered off, so a wrangler had to go and chase him down. This delayed the departure, and we got away around 9am. We rode across a wide open plan before heading up a hill and into some low lying shrubs and fir trees. Our first stop was over the top of the hill alongside a running stream. Dismounting from our trusty steeds we grabbed a drink and had a comfort break. We had just covered 8 kms and according to a wrangler the whole trip was around 50km. It was shaping up to be our longest ride to date, so we were eager to get on our way to make it by dark.  Our first leg was about five kilometres We stopped for lunch around the 12 kilometre mark, on the side of a hill overlooking a beautiful little stream. We saw two more groups of horse riders, go...

Day 4 brought a shorter ride our way. Our guide Shuree said about 20 Mongolian km which equates to 25 km. It was a later start to the ride but we were still on the trail by 10 AM. We started with a gentle walk  and ahead of us was an open plain with a gentle rising slope. We got the call for a gallop to the top. One little kick and Khan was off and racing. Yet again we were cut off by a slightly out of contol rider so had to back off before kicking into gear. At the top of the hill the support van was waiting for us near a Sharman teepee. This is to let you know the roadbahead is protected by the Sharman. You go around the structure 3 times and pray for good weather and protection. After a short break we hit the trail again and headed off to a friend of Shurree’s for our lunch stop. These were a newly wed couple with a new ger and we were welcomed into their home. We wer invited to share some soup, sweets and a shot of vodka. Even though there was a language barrier we managed to g...

Day three riding the horses and we have a big day ahead of us. Riding about 40 kilometres to our next campsite. We left the town around 10 a.m. and slowly made our way to the countryside. The weather was looking dubious so we stopped and put on our wet weather gear. We trotted for about 15 minutes and walked for 15 minutes. Our plans had changed and now we were heading to one of the wranglers home to weather the storm. Once the rain had passed, we mounted up again and headed off. Because of the varying paces of the horses, Khan was trotting most of the time. After a few comfort stops, and stops because of off road buggies, we pulled up for our lunch stop. Once again the cook excelled with a delicous chicken curry and rice.  At the end of lunch, the ladies all made a bee line for the forest before we mounted up for the next leg. We heard there was a local Nadaam festival near by so made a diversion to check it out. We arrived just in time to see the end of the 2yo horse ...

This day started off nice and early with another great breakfast cooked by the wonderful staff. We all gathered at the top of the hill near a shaman structure for a photo opportunity. The plan for today was to walk the horses, as in we walk with them, down the hill because it was too dangerous for us to ride them. I did pack some hiking boots but didn't realize we were walking so quickly and consequently my riding boots and not fit for walking that distance. At the bottom of the hill we mounted our horses and began to ride. We started off with the gentle walk which progressed into a Mongolian trot.  Following the dry river bed for some time, we eventually came across  some flowing water and had a few small river crossings. At one point it seemed the water was coming straight out of the ground to start the river. We stopped for a morning break and then further down the road stopped for lunch. The local park ranger caught up with us there and we paid our entry fee to...

Today we get to meet our horses, but not until we do a 2 hour 4 wd trip. All the horses are white so if your horse has a distinguishing mark you need to take a mental note.  The horses dont have names so we gave our horses one. Ann called hers Ghengis so it was only fitting I called mine Khan. The horses are around 14.2 hands, but these  are renowned for their stamina and endurance.  After being assigned a horse, and setting our stirrup heights we were soon under way. They almost immediately go into a trot and with shorter legs than our own horses, it is harder than we are used to. We trotted and walked for about an hour and we eventually got our rhythm. We had covered 6.5 km and we got a call to rescue. It seems both 4wd vehicles were bogged  and need to be pulled out. It was quite comical watching everyone hooked up to a rope and horse tethers trying to pull  4wd out of an axle deep bog. The horse tethers snapped and all the ladies hit the dirt. Peristance pai...