Mongol Horsetrails

Introduction
Khan Khentii Mongolia
A close encounter with the Mongolian horsemen and their exquisite horse culture!

This horseback journey offers close encounters with Mongolian horsemen, nomadic people who have thus far been able to withstand modern pressures and lifestyles. There is no other nation in the world that depends on horses to such an extent. Mongolian horsemanship is famous and in many ways different than anywhere else. The herders keep their horses in a semi-wild condition, allowing them to live freely in harem groups. During the harsh winter with extreme subzero temperatures, the horses fend for themselves and protect their foals against predators such as wolves. Fences or stables are virtually unknown.

On this trip we will explore two very different environments on horseback: First, we ride across the vast treeless steppe, summer pastureland of Mongolian herders. Gradually we will come through the very scenic forest steppe and up into the southern taiga zone of the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area. You will experience steppes, wooded meadows, forests and mountains and enjoy camping along winding rivers. We will undertake this horse ride as a "Nomadic Journey", e.g. without vehicle support, in wild terrain. All our luggage will be loaded onto yak carts; even a ger (Mongolian yurt) will be carried to serve as our mobile restaurant.

Combination
In early July this trip can be combined with the world famous Naadaam in Ulaanbataar!  Reserve early! A once in a lifetime experience for those who wish to immerse themselves in the horse culture of Mongolia! 
 

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a progressive ride, so you will be staying in different locations during the trip.

Description
You will be staying in a hotel for 2 nights, a low-impact ger camp for 2 nights, and tent tipis for 6 nights (changing location every 2 nights), making a total of 5 different locations. All accommodations are based on double occupancy. Private bathrooms are only available for nights spent in Ulaanbaatar. On all other nights, facilities are shared.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1: Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Night 2-7: Tent Tipis
Night 8 and 9: Low-impact ger camp in Jalman Meadows
Night 10: Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Bayangol Hotel in Ulaanbaatar
Ideally located in the city center, this hotel offers elegant and comfortable ensuite bedrooms. Each room is equipped with air conditioning, a TV, free Wi-Fi access and tea and coffee making facilities. Laundry is available for an additional cost.



Tent Tipis
Temporary camps in spacious tent tipis, with foldable bed-cots. We take along a Mongolian ger (yurt) to serve as our mobile restaurant, as well as showers and compost toilets housed in traditional Mongolian marquee style tents.
Bring your own sleeping bag (if you do not have any you might borrow some locally for an extra fee).
During cold spells early and late in season, there is a slight chance of night temperatures below zero centigrade.  Frost is unlikely but can happen between mid-June and early September.  Therefore, a four-season sleeping bag is definitely necessary early and late in the season.  If you feel cold easy, or your body is small, you should take some care in the selection of a sleeping bag.   The idea of a sleeping bag is that your own body heat will maintain and keep the warmth inside the bag.  It means that sleeping without clothes is better than having warm clothes on.  And small people should not sleep in a very large sleeping bag as they cannot heat the space with their own body temperatures.
If you have never slept under the stars:  Don’t worry!  You will find it a real pleasure!
Toilets tents with a drop toilet with wooden seat and separate shower tents are on site. We ask our clients to bring bio-degradable toiletries only. 



Low-impact ger camp in Jalman Meadows
This is a permanent camp where each ger is equipped with cot beds (including full linen), chairs and a table, and a wood burning stove. There are also toilets tents with a drop toilet with wooden seat and separate shower tents are on site. Showers are also on site.  We ask our clients to bring bio-degradable toiletries only. 

Room Occupancy
Triple occupancy is possible.
Single riders listed as 'willing to share' do not have to pay the single supplement cost if we are unable to find another rider to share.


Meals
All meals except lunch in Ulaanbaatar are included in the trip.

Our cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having excellent cooks adept at both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. We can usually buy fresh milk and yogurt from local herdsmen. Traditional Mongols mostly eat meat and milk products. Mongolians who live in the city have adopted Russian and Western food habits. Although, they still like the traditional foods of the countryside, and frequently also eat these. The cuisine features lamb and mutton, the Kazakhs in western Mongolia prefer goat. We usually boil water all the time, and your water bottle may be filled in the evening.

Alcohol is not allowed on this trip. 

Dietary Restrictions
We can cater for vegetarians. Please make sure to advice us in advance of any dietary requirements that you may have.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


Mongolia is probably the most equestrian nation in the world. Not only is the Mongol heritage and lifestyle intimately connected with the horse, Mongolia is an exceptionally inviting place for keen horse riders. The absence of fences and the vast expanses of the steppes and forests are ideal for uninterrupted and scenic riding at its best!
We emphasize the quality of human contacts and encounters with local people and respect for the horse and local equestrian traditions, from which many lessons can be learnt.
On this tour, apart from the short drive to the starting point of our horse-riding adventure and back to the city, we will not rely on any motor vehicle support. Instead we utilize traditional wooden carts, that Mongolian families still use moving from one pasture to another.

Riding Experience
You should be a competent rider, fit and capable of riding at all paces confidently. Varying terrain, in the saddle for several hours on most days.

Tack
We will provide you Russian saddles, which are more convenient for "western bottoms" than the Mongolian equivalent. We provide a saddle bag if needed.

Staff
A Mongolian English-speaking guide will accompany the group at all times. A cook will follow with the yak cart caravan. In addition, the services of local herdsmen will be employed along with their animals. The horsemen follow a traditional lifestyle in the areas where we will be riding. If the group consists of 4 riders or more, we will also have a Mongolian doctor come along as part of the crew. We are supported by a caravan of yak carts and local nomads.

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Note: Riding tours may be done in the reverse for operational reasons.

Day 1: Arrival
Arrive in Ulaanbaatar. Transfer to your hotel. Tour briefing after dinner.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Day 2-3: Introductory Ride
In the morning of Day 2, we visit the Gandan Lamasery, the center for the Buddhist revival in Mongolia, possibly in time to see the prayers. Mongolians follow Lamaism (Tibetan Buddhism), with the Dalai Lama being the supreme theocratical leader. We then drive out of the city, and gradually the wide-open Mongolian landscape unfolds before our eyes.
We will be pitching camp near some nomadic families. Here we will meet the local herders with the yak carts and our horses. We will get to know the horses and go on a short trail ride.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Tipis

Day 4: Steppe Ride
All our provisions, camping equipment and luggage will be loaded onto yak carts. Even a ger (yurt) will be brought, and we will learn how to set it up. We ride across open steppe, but also cover hilly terrain with occasional patches of birch forest. Throughout the ride we will have the chance to meet with local herdsmen, often relatives and friends of our local horsetrail guides. 
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Tipis

Day 5: Khentii wilderness Ride
Forests will suddenly start to appear and we are now riding towards the Khentii wilderness area, which includes the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area and Gorkhi Terelj National Park. In Mongolia, the Siberian boreal forest meets the Central Asian desert and steppe and will be riding through the transitional zone between grasslands and northern Larch forests. 
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Tipis

Day 6-7: Sharbulag Valley
The horses will now permit us riding through the larch forests, up the slopes of the mountains following the ridges with superb scenery whilst the yak carts will follow the broad river valleys. We will arrive and pitch camp at the Sharbulag Valley. We will spend two nights here, and it will allow for some flexibility in the middle of our ride.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Tipis

Day 8-9: To Jalman Meadows
We will ride towards the Jalman Meadows, famous for its wildflowers and reach our semi-permanent ger camp. It is situated next to a beautiful wooded meadow on the upper parts of the Tuul River. Here, we say goodbye to the herders and their yak carts caravan. We will have a superb last day ride in the surrounding area.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight in Ger camp at Jalman Meadows

Day 10: Back to Ulaanbaatar
We are picked up by a driver and returned to Ulaanbaatar to check into the hotel. See the capital city on your own. Distances are short. The local guide is standing by to assist where your points of interest are located. Farewell dinner in a local restaurant as well as entertainment.
Meals included: Breakfast & Dinner
Overnight at Hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Day 11: Departure
Transfer back home or on to your next destination.
Meals included: Breakfast



Naadam Games Extension (optional for June 30th, 2020 departure) 

July 10th: Ulaanbaatar
Conclusion of horseback riding trip after breakfast. Today, one day before the National Naadam officially begins, we will drive out of the city and attend smaller, more intimate "country-style" Naadam festivals, usually held in three communities some 50-60km away. This failing, the big horse races also start on the Hui Doloon Hudag plains today. In the countryside you have the chance to get up close to the horse races, and also to the wrestling matches. Local people usually wear their finest traditional dresses, adding to the colorful, festive atmosphere. We have a picnic lunch nearby and head back to Ulaanbaatar in the afternoon.

July 11th: Ulaanbaatar
Today Naadam is officially opened by the President of Mongolia. Soldiers on horseback, dressed in warrior regalia, ceremonially bring Genghis Khan's nine white horsetail banners from the parliament, where they are normally displayed, to the stadium. We will attend the impressive opening ceremony, after which the first round of wrestling will immediately follow. In most years 512 wrestlers from all over Mongolia compete, but in some years there are 1024! There are no judges, no time limits and no weight limits. We may try and attend the archery competitions (if not done the previous day) and later make our way out to the steppe area on the fringes of the city, where the horse races take place. We visit the nomadic tented camps that have sprung up, and experience a concentrated version of nomadic Mongolia. Herdsmen have come with their horses and all provisions for the festivities, which of course include airag (koumiss; fermented mares milk) for the merry making. Stroll around the area and you are likely to be invited in somewhere. You may also try your luck at the finals of the horse races, but prior instructions are necessary, since the finishing line of a full horse race of several hundred, is a potentially hazardous environment.

July 12th: Ulaanbaatar
Our services end after breakfast (and transfer to the airport if applicable), as we have covered all aspects and the highlights of Naadam by now. You may of course remain in the city to attend the final rounds of wrestling and the awards, or continue for one of our trips further into the great Mongolian void. You need to be attentive with hotel reservations and advise us early if intending to stay beyond mid-day.

 

Rates and Dates for Mongol Horsetrails

Dates Note:

Other Info
Meeting: Ulaanbaatar
Airport: Chinggis Khaan International Airport (UBN)
Transfer: Ulaanbaatar

Climate:
                                                Ulaanbaatar area