General Description

Karakorum, Khentii, Terelj and Hovsgol
Practically untouched by western influence, Mongolia is one of our wildest destinations. A vast open country where the horse is an essential and integral part of life and local culture. It is a land of mountains, larch forests, alpine meadows and lakes of unbelievable clarity, of great open plains that are dotted with 'gers' - the round felt tents still lived in by the nomad shepherds of the area. Bears and wolves inhabit the region along with Asiatic ibex and, perhaps the rarest of all the big cats, the snow leopard. Exploring Mongolia's grassy steppe you will ride with the nomads, will taste "airac" the local hooch made from fermented mares' milk and listen for the howl of wolves as you relax around the camp fire. Several itineraries are available, visiting the Hovsgol, Khentii, Terelj or Karakorum regions, which are, scenically, some of the most beautiful parts of this incredible country. The Hovsgol, Khentii and Terelj areas are heavily forested in parts; they have broad alpine meadows, gorgeous wildflowers and wildlife such as bear, ibex and deer. Hovsgol also offers excellent fishing and is home to the fascinating Reindeer people. The Karakorum region is known as the 'cradle' of the Mongolian civilisation and many of Mongolia’s ancient monuments lie within its borders.

Rides are run from fixed dates for 10, 11, 13, 14 or 16 nights between June and September. Other departures (and tailor-made itineraries) can be arranged for groups on request. Please contact us to discuss.

Summary

2008 Dates:		The Khentii Ride - 11th to 25th June, 6th to 20th August Lake Hovsgol & The Reindeer People - 1st to 17th August The Karakorum & Nadaam Festival - 30th June to 13th July The Karakorum Ride - 11th to 22nd August, 30th August to 10th September The Mongol Ride - 29th May to 8th June, 25th September to 5th October Hunting with Golden Eagles (occasional riding only) - 1st to 12th October
		Other dates may be arranged on request for groups - please enquire.
Season:		June to September.

Horses and Riding

Mongolian horses are small - around 13 hands - but strong, extremely agile and used to long hours of hard work. Their stamina and dexterity are outstanding and they are tough and extremely sure footed over rocky, even snow covered mountains. They are generally unshod and are trained in a different style to horses in the UK, although they are easy and fun to ride. Groups are usually a maximum of 12 guests.

Hours: There is usually 4 to 7 hours riding a day, moving from camp to camp, broken with rests and for lunch.

Pace and experience required: These rides suit riders of various abilities. The horses are small, easy and fun to ride so riders of all experience levels can take part although a reasonable level of experience and riding fitness means you will enjoy the rides all the more and will cope better with the long hours in the saddle. There is good open country on most rides and long canters are possible, with the Khovsgol and Karakorum itineraries probably allowing the fastest going. The going on the Khentii Ride is the most challenging and can be boggy or rough so this itinerary is for more experienced riders only.

Accommodation

Accommodation is in good quality hotels when in the capital Ulaan Baatar, and in camps when in the countryside. In Ulaan Baatar, the Ulaan Baatar Hotel or Genghis Khan Hotel are usually used, both of which are about equivalent to our 3* standard. They are clean, quite comfortable and have bars, restaurants and currency exchange facilities. When in the countryside, accommodation is in camps, either using small lightweight two man dome tents in mobile tented camps or in 'ger' camps. When mobile tented camps are used, a back up vehicle transports tents and equipment where possible (if vehicle access is limited, pack horses will be used) and the camp will be set up ahead of you by staff. A large mess tent is used for meals and there is a tent with a 'long drop' loo. There are no showers at mobile camps, although camps are usually set up by a river where there is clean water for washing. 'Ger' camps are the traditional home of the nomadic people. Basic but comfortable accommodation is in dome like, rounded 'gers', with latticed walls covered by felt and canvas. Gers are generally shared (everyone sleeps in the ger) and there are usually wooden framed beds, with a dresser and a wood burning stove in the centre to take the chill out of cool nights. There are basic shower and washing facilities at ger camps with hot water sometimes available.

Rates & Travel

Travel
The meeting point for the rides is Ulaan Baatar ('UB'), capital of Mongolia. You can fly to UB via Moscow, Frankfurt or Beijing. There are flights to Moscow or Beijing from London with British Airways (and various other airlines) and then from Moscow onto UB with Aeroflot or MIAT, the Mongolian airline. From China, MIAT and Air China fly to UB. Aeroflot generally have one flight a week from London, which connects straight through Moscow to UB. Or, you can spend a night in Moscow on the way. If you fly via Beijing, you usually have to overnight before flying on to UB. For flights from London budget around £500 with Aeroflot; £800 with British Airways / Air China economy return (varies with the season and availability).

Itinerary in Brief

Example itinerary (Karakorum Ride)

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