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    • Our Trans-Mongolian Adventure
      1
      Day 22

      The Nomads of the Steppe

      September 16, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

      We’re writing this on Sunday evening after a magical day in the Gobi. This morning we set off at 8am from Camp 2 towards our next overnight destination Goviin Anar (we will call it Camp 3) - a journey of around 120 km, all off-road.

      NK had told us that at some stage on the journey he would select a nomadic Ger settlement and head off the track to allow us to see what life is like for the nomadic people. He explained that the nomads were always welcoming to guests and told us that these days most nomads have a summer and winter camp which are fixed Gers that they leave in place all year and move between the two in May and October. In past times the nomads would move their Gers from site to site.

      After a couple of hours drive across the Steppe we saw a Ger, however when we got there we could see that the nomads were working around 400 yards away from their home so NK decided to move on.

      When we came across the next encampment (they appear around very 5km or so) we struck gold. There were two Gers and a herd of horses milling around close by. When we stopped the vehicle NK spoke to a man standing in the doorway who was happy to welcome us - after he had secured one of his dogs who he told NK might attack us!

      We went into the Ger and there were four men eating noodles from bowls. The three year old son of the owner was also there and was fascinated by us (NK said he may never have seen a westerner before). Their wives were all out some distance away tending to the goat and sheep herds whilst the men had work to undertake with the horses. The Ger was extremely basic and as could be expected in the middle of the Gobi had no running water or mains electricity.

      We were asked to sit on what was obviously the owners bed (everyone else sat on the floor) and as is customary with the arrival of guests in Mongolia a large bowl of fermented mares milk was circulated for everyone to sip from. This is an alcoholic beverage and the main money earner for this encampment. Yes they make booze from milking horses! It actually tasted OK and was followed by a small bowl each of cows milk tea and goats cheese sweets which was also acceptable. We would have loved to show the inside of the Ger but felt it was too intrusive to take any photos.

      The nomads then left the Ger to set out on their work and we followed, first checking with NK that we were following the correct protocols. NK spoke to the men who said that they had to separate and catch two horses from the herd. The owner saddled and mounted what was obviously his tethered horse and took up a long pole with a looped rope on the end.

      He then rode in amongst the herd of horses and what we then witnessed was exhilarating as he selected a horse he wanted to secure and then a chase commenced. The horsemanship and control was amazing as at some speed he chased down his selection, which ran frantically around the herd and sometimes through it. Once he had managed to secure the loop around it’s neck it still took some time to settle the captive down until it reached a point when one of the other men could gather the horse and tether it. This was repeated until the two captured horses and his own were tied in a line.

      At this stage the voyeurs wondered why these two horses had been selected. If you are eating your breakfast please read this later! NK was told that these two horses had been selected for castration which would take place later that morning. Some people from the nearest large town, Dalanzadgad, would be travelling out for lunch and guess what? Their lunch would be a great Mongolian tradition of raw horse testicles served still warm from the body.

      We decided not to hang around to watch this process progress, however we did witness something quite special as the owners son was then made ready to ride out with his father to check how the women were getting on with the other animals. He was quickly changed into appropriate clothing and took his bridle to a horse that had already been prepared with a small saddle. He and his father then mounted and the pair of them headed away from the settlement across the Steppe. Hard to believe he is only 3 yet looking so comfortable on a horse. NK is certain that this child’s grandfather, great grandfather and many more past generations will have been master horseman on the Gobi.

      We left feeling very privileged to have spent time here. This was not tourism in the normal sense, just a chance to see life as it has been led for centuries and it is quite hard to believe that thousands of families in Mongolia are still living in this way.

      We have some good video of this but can’t post it yet due to our remote location.

      Leaving the settlement we drove towards Camp 3 to arrive in time for lunch and had to go through a mountain pass to get there. NK said there was a chance to see Ibex there (large mountain antelope with huge horns) and our driver spotted a group of about a dozen high up on rocks some distance away. We got out to look and than another tour vehicle pulled up. One of the people in the van was a westerner wearing full camouflage gear (jacket, trousers and hat) who introduced himself as Larry from San Francisco. He certainly didn’t lack self-confidence and passed John his high powered binoculars to look at the Ibex. He told John that they were exactly 475 metres away and he knew that because there is a range finder on these binoculars that he uses when he goes hunting! We immediately had a downer on him for that, particularly as Janet then heard him proudly boast that he had shot Ibex previously. His vehicle (containing him, his guide and a driver) then developed a mechanical problem and wouldn’t start. As much as we would have like to have left them stranded (especially him after his hunting boast!) we had to give them a push to get them going.

      We then continued through the pass to Camp 3 where lunch and a beautiful old fashioned Ger awaited us. We were told to expect an interesting afternoon......      Read more

    • Our Trans-Mongolian Adventure
      Day 22

      Walking on the Dune

      September 16, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ 🌙 12 °C

      Our Sunday afternoon activity was based around a visit to the nearby Sand Dunes. Now we told you there is actually little sand in the Gobi Desert but these huge Sand Dunes run for 180 km through the middle of the region.

      We had asked if we could ride camels and were taken to a spot close to the Dunes where a Mongolian Ger Camp have a herd of Bactrian Camels (two humps) which can be hired for riding. Cutting a long story short our Camels were prepared by being saddled and kneeling on the ground but John’s back problem meant that climbing on board was almost impossible for him and he found himself three quarters of the way onto the Camel physically unable to either sit down or get off, being stuck between the two humps. He was in absolute agony in this position but with the help of the Camel herder, Janet and NK was eventually able to fall away from the Camel to safety. So Janet decided that she wouldn’t ride alone. We had passed the cash over before starting, however the Camels owner, who was involved in John’s rescue, sympathetically returned the money and we rewarded them with a healthy tip. John’s Camel riding days are over before they begun!

      Despite the Camel loading problem John felt fine to walk and this was very necessary as we embarked on the main event of the afternoon, which was an attempt to climb the highest point of the Gobi Sand Dunes named Khongoryn Els.

      Now from the base to the peak is a walk of around 300 metres which does not sound much of a distance but after a gentle start of around 100 metres the face of the Dune becomes almost sheer and every two paces forward in the soft sand results in one pace back. As we looked up to the summit and saw those on top looking like dots the task was daunting and Janet’s view was that she would probably be able to complete a third at best. John was hoping to make it but was not totally confident.

      Our trusty guide NK, after giving us a bit of a warning about potential health risks, told us that we should try to complete the walk but that we should take it slow and easy. He said that once the slope really steepened we should consider taking about ten steps before stopping, sitting for a few minutes and then completing another 10 paces. He recommended us not to adjust our climbing style by trying to move on all fours (we saw several people trying this method) as this hindered rather than helped progress. There was no hurry he said. He always kept about 20 yards in front of us, encouraging us and bit by bit we made our way up, at times feeling we were not moving forward despite our efforts. We then realised that the size of people on the summit was such that the end point seemed achievable then found ourselves within touching distance. After about 75 minutes climbing we finally made it to the top with a sense of real achievement. Once we had celebrated we looked around us and could not believe the view. It was stunning across 360 degrees and most definitely worth the effort. Big thanks to NK who said he was very proud of us.

      There had been a big festival at the base of the Dunes and a number of Police from the main town (200 km away) had been on duty. At the end of the event they decided to climb the dune and arrived at the summit shortly after us. They were interested in us Westerners and a couple of them practiced a few words of English much to the amusement of their colleagues. The Police Chief was particularly keen to communicate with us and for about 20 minutes NK had to translate a number of questions from him about our views on Mongolia and what the UK is like. NK said it seemed more like an interrogation but then we guess that’s the Police Chiefs job. They were in good spirits and were keen to have photos taken with us as well as singing some traditional Mongolian songs.

      We said farewell and then began our descent which was great fun as you could almost run down in a zig zag manor and it took us around 5-10 minutes to get to the bottom, creating sand avalanches all the way down. You would not believe the amount of sand the three of us dumped from our shoes before we got back in the vehicle.

      It was getting late and we arrived back at Camp 3 just before sunset having seen both Golden Eagles and Vultures close to the roadside on our way. After dinner we were just leaving the dining area when who should walk in but our still heavily camouflaged Ibex murdering American acquaintance, Larry. He was interested in our train journey and gave us his business card so we could email him details of our travel company. He also told us enthusiastically that the rest of his itinerary in Mongolia is a couple of days back in the Capital, UB, and then he is going on a 10 day hunting trip, presumably to bag a few more Ibex, plus some Antelopes, Wolves and anything else that moves.

      We told NK what Larry was up to and he shared our displeasure. It gave us the perfect opportunity to explain to NK what is, and who is, an ‘asshole’!!

      This didn’t spoil another lovely Gobi day and we went to bed happy and exhausted. We have one day left in the desert before returning to the big City.      Read more

    • Weltreise
      Day 35

      Tour durch die Mongolei - Tag 7

      October 5, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

      An diesem Tag ging die Fahrt weiter gen Süden. Die weiten Landschaften in der Mongolei sind wirklich beeindruckend. Auch die große Anzahl an Tieren ist bemerkenswert, da ja die Landschaft doch so feindlich erscheint. Wir sahen kleine Nagetiere (vermutlich Millionen), Pferde, Rinder, Ziegen, Schafe, Adler, Geier, Bussarde und andere Vögel sowie Kamele.
      Nach der Ankunft im nächsten Camp und dem nächsten leckeren Mittagessen, brachen wir zur Wanderung zu den Flaming Cliffs. Dort verbrachten wir den ganzen Nachmittag und warteten auf den schönen Sonnenuntergang.      Read more

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    • Weltreise
      13
      Day 36

      Tour durch die Mongolei - Tag 8

      October 6, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

      Endlich wollten wir mal die Gelegenheit für den Sonnenaufgang nutzen und sind daher ein wenig früher als sonst aufgestanden. Danach gab es dann Frühstück. Nachdem wieder einmal das Auto gepackt war, ging es auf zur Fahrt zu den Sanddünen.
      Nach dem Mittagessen brachen wir zur Wanderung in den Sanddünen auf. Nach der Rückkehr gab es Abendessen und als Anlass zu Domis Geburtstag ein kleine „Party“ mit deutschen Chips, Bier und Vodka. Als Überraschung haben unsere Guides für Domi einen Geburtstagskuchen gebacken. Total Improvisiert mit Kuchenböden aus der Pfanne, Nutellacreme außen, Schrift „Happy Birthday“ aus Butter, Deko aus halbierten Cocktailtomaten und einer Kerze, gebastelt aus einem Deckel mit Pflanzenöl und Docht aus Holz. Das war wirklich total lieb! 😊      Read more

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    • Weltreise
      3
      4
      Day 37

      Tour durch die Mongolei - Tag 9

      October 7, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Nach dem gewohnten Frühstück (immer mit Brot, Ei, Marmelade, Nutella und einem kleinen Gebäckstück) stand an diesem Tag Kamelreiten an. Es war spannend auf diesen interessanten Tieren zu reiten. 🐫
      Zum Mittagessen gab es Sushi in mongolischer Interpretation, aber sehr lecker! 😊
      Am Nachmittag fuhren wir dann zu den höchsten Sanddünen (ca. 150m hoch), um den Sonnentergang anzuschauen. Der Aufstieg war wirklich sehr anstrengend, aber wir haben es geschafft. Oben angekommen, haben sich dann doch noch viele Touristen versammelt. Den Weg runter fuhren wir auf Plastikboards nach unten. Dies war nur mäßig lustig und am Ende waren wir voller Sand. Die nächste Dusche erwarteten damit sehnlichst, doch hier gab es die erst einmal noch nicht...      Read more

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    • Weltreise
      1
      Day 38

      Tour durch die Mongolei - Tag 10

      October 8, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

      Nach dem Frühstück fuhren wir nun weiter Richtung Osten. Das Mittagessen genossen wir diesmal auf dem Feld, was immer ziemlich schön war. 😊 Es gab Schweinefleisch mit Kimchi (koreanisches Nationalgericht) - sehr lecker! 😋
      Tagsüber sind die Temperaturen auch immer ziemlich angenehm, nur nachts wird es ziemlich kalt...
      Der nächste Stopp war der sogenannte „Ice Canyon“, da in diesem Canyon an der schmalsten Stelle das Eis erst im August geschmolzen ist... Sogar bei uns gab es kleine Flecken Eis ❄️ zu entdecken. Außer Eis konnten wir auch sehr viele Pikas (Pfeifhasen) sowie Steinböcke sehen. Nach der Wanderung durch den Canyon fuhren wir in ein Seitental um dort unser Lager für die Nacht aufzuschlagen. Wir übernachteten diesmal in Zelten und mit zwei Schlafsäcken und vielen Schichten Klamotten (und Vodka 😉) ging es auch mit den eisigen Temperaturen.      Read more

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    • Weltreise
      21
      Day 39

      Tour durch die Mongolei - Tag 11

      October 9, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

      Nach dem Frühstück an unserem Lager und dem Zusammenpacken der Zelte ging die Fahrt weiter zur Hauptstadt der Provinz Südgobi. Dort kaufte unsere Köchin Kamelfleisch, da wir das auch noch probieren wollten. Danach ging es dann weiter gen Norden zu den „Colourful Cliffs“. Die Besichtigung der Klippen erfolgte nachdem wir unsere Jurte (bisher die schönste) bezogen und mittaggegessen hatten (Gebratene Nudeln mit Kamelfleisch). Abends haben wir noch zugeschaut wie die Nomaden mit Hilfe unseres Fahrers Ziegen und Schafe gefangen haben und auf den Lastwagen gepackt haben 🥩.Read more

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    • Chris + Elli: World Tour
      Day 234–238

      Gobi Desert

      July 3 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

      After some discussions in UB about how best to see Mongolia (in short, it's a big country and it's very difficult to travel around) we came to a compromise. We don't like tours as a general rule, because you are completely at the behest of what someone else thinks you want to do for 24 hours a day, but we found a phone number on the internet for Nyamkaa who lives in the Gobi desert, and who seemed friendly, like she wasn't trying to scam us, and could show us round for a few days.

      We took the 11 hour endless bus to Dalanzadgad which was our first real sight of the absolutely endless steppe. There were gers dotted here and there but mostly it just gradually turns from green to brown.

      We spent a night in Dalanzadgad and then drove to the Yoliin Am National Park which is an ice field within a gorge, and a surprise set of mountains in the desert. It's Mongolia so obviously we rode horses down the gorge.

      Then a long drive through more desert to the Khongoryn Els dunes where Nyamkaa lives with her family. They run a small ger camp and do camel rides, and live there half the year - in the winter they move to their winter camp on the other side of the mountain. They made us tea in their ger and her father in law offered us snuff in a slightly intense Mongolian ritual. Mongolian don't really do personal space or knocking so we spent a few days with the kids running in and out of our ger whenever they liked but it was an amazing place to stay. We woke up at 5am and watched the election coverage with the sun rising over the desert.

      We rode their camels through the desert - even more painful than horses, and they really do spit a lot - and went to the nearby springs which are a bizarre oasis. Mostly it doesn't rain much but it rained twice while we were there - apparently it means we are auspicious guests!

      Did an evening hike up the sand dunes to see the sunrise and they are an exhausting climb with Korean tourists falling down all around us but the reward at the top is one of the most extraordinary views I've ever seen over the dunes. We carried boards up with us and surfed all the way back down, which is amazing, and didn't feature any broken bones.

      More long drives back to Dalanzadgad through expanses of nothing while Nyamkaa taught Elli Mongolian. All round slightly mind blown at the Gobi and very happy with our life choices and our incredibly lovely guides.      Read more

    • TravelerMongolië
      2
      Day 18

      Karakorum en de Gobiwoestijn

      September 30, 2018 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

      De volgende dag is ons einddoel de vroegere hoofdstad Karakorum. Daar bezoeken we het Erdene Zuu klooster. Dit boeddhistische tempelcomplex werd ooit bewoond door meer dan 1000 monniken. 108 witte stupas (gebedstorens) vormen een indrukwekkende omheining rond de tempels. Na een korte rondleiding van een plaatselijke gids gaan we nog naar een museum waar de geschiedenis van Mongolië uit de doeken gedaan wordt.
      In ons gerkamp kunnen we zowaar douchen, al de derde keer op onze trip. Het wordt hier bijna een luxereis!

      Een lange rit van 350km brengt ons de dag erop naar de Gobi woestijn. Die is minder woestijnerig dan ik me voorgesteld had. Het zijn namelijk vooral stenen en lang geel gras, geen zand te zien. Onderweg zien we onze eerste kamelen en daarna tonen Anuka en Baatar de foto’s van hun huwelijk om de tijd wat sneller te doen passeren. Zij zijn op 1 september getrouwd en Mongolië is voor hen een deel van hun (lange) huwelijksreis. Daarna gaan ze nog naar Japan, Borneo, Patagonië en Costa Rica. Rond 17u bereiken we het Onghi klooster waar we nog een wandeling doen tussen de ruïnes en dan onze tent opzetten voor een 2e (en laatste) nachtje kamperen.

      Tijdens de volgende rit zien de woestijn langzaam veranderen van rotsachtig naar zanderig. In de verte doemen de Flaming Cliffs op en een gerkamp in de buurt wordt onze slaapplaats voor vannacht. Gelukkig, want voor Vé is het een beetje veel aan het worden. Zo lange dagen in de auto, de hele tijd in groep leven, de prikkels van de muziek in de auto,… Ik zie dat ze aan het afzien is maar kan er jammer genoeg weinig aan doen.

      We krijgen de nieuwste ger van het kamp met mooie versiering en zelfs paardenhoofden uitgesneden uit het hout. Nadien voert Max ons naar de Flaming Cliffs waar we rondlopen en foto’s trekken tot de zon onder gaat. Zeer “vlammend” zijn ze niet, de kliffen, veel rood en oranje is er niet te zien. Maar wel mooie vormen. Daarna stappen we terug naar het gerkamp in het donker. Na 45 min zien we autolichten op ons afkomen. Het is Max die ons komt ophalen omdat Gloria ongerust was dat we nog niet terug waren. Blijkbaar zijn er ooit enkele van haar toeristen de verkeerde kant uitgelopen en in een ander gerkamp terecht gekomen. Na het avondeten is er tijd voor een lekker warme douche en daarna kruipen we al snel ons bedje in.

      De volgende bestemming is de zingende zandduinen. Deze zijn slechts een paar tientallen meters breed maar strekken zich over 180km uit. In ons gerkamp hebben we een mooi uitzicht op de duinen en liggen enkele kamelen te rusten. We krijgen Ook even tijd om te rusten, ideale plaats om een Golden Gobi biertje te drinken. Als snack krijgen we daarbij een stukje gebakken kamelenvlees. Vrij gelijkaardig aan rundsvlees maar met een veel sterkere smaak. Om 5 uur springen we in de auto bij Max die ons wat verder naar de voet van de zandduin brengt. “Slechts 15 minuten wandelen en je bent boven”, zegt hij. Maar we merken direct dat we wel wat langer zullen nodig hebben om de 200m hoge berg zand te beklimmen. Het is steil en bij elke stap die we zetten zakken we een stuk terug naar beneden.

      Tijdens de klim worden we vergezeld door enkele andere toeristen en de hond Max die laat uitschijnen dat het een wandelingetje in het park is. Na 35 minuten puffen en blazen bereiken we de top en kunnen we genieten van het geweldige uitzicht. Ik vind het wel speciaal dat er slechts 1 grote zandduin is, met enkele uitlopers en kleinere hoopjes zand ernaast. Daarachter is de woestijn opnieuw volledig vlak en rotsachtig. We trekken wat mooie foto’s van de zonsondergang, delen een glaasje vodka met enkele Russische toeristen en beginnen dan aan de afdaling. Dat gaat uiteraard een stuk vlotter. We kunnen zelfs naar beneden lopen en door de grote stappen die we nemen zijn we op amper 10 minuten terug aan de auto.

      De dag erop blijven we in hetzelfde gerkamp en wandel ik met Vé naar de dichtstbijzijnde zandduin waar we een nog mooiere zonsondergang dan gisteren meemaken. Als we terugkomen, merken we dat Gloria volledig uitgeteld in de familieger ligt te slapen. De anderen leggen het ons uit: geen lunch en wat te veel vodka gedronken… Max en de gastvrouw bereiden dan maar het avondeten. Fascinerend om te zien hoeveel werk men daar soms insteekt. De gastvrouw was 3 uur geleden al begonnen met verse pasta te maken, snijden, drogen, nog fijner snijden,… Het smaakt ons dan ook heerlijk!

      Onze tour zit er bijna op. De laatste kilometers op hobbelige banen staan vandaag op het programma. Helaas zijn het er nog 170. Te veel voor Vé, die 2 keer moet overgeven. Na de lunch is het nog een uurtje rijden op asfaltbanen tot aan onze slaapplaats aan de Yolyn Am canyon. Daar doen we een koude en winderige wandeling met Gloria. De hoge grillige rotsen zijn wel mooi om te zien. We kopen er ook enkele souvenirs van 2 mannen die daar een godganse dag in de kou zitten te wachten op toeristen. Veel respect voor hen.

      ’s Avonds is iedereen duidelijk bekaf. Het wordt geen feestje, iedereen kruipt snel zijn/haar bed in. Ook Max, die voor de laatste nacht bij ons in de ger slaapt.
      De laatste dag staat er 600km in de auto op het programma, richting Ulaanbaatar. Gelukkig alles op verharde wegen. Toch is het voor Max een zware dag. Begrijpelijk, als je ziet wat hij deze reis allemaal gereden heeft. Na 3 uur lunchen we in een dorpje en nog eens 3 uur later zien we UB al verschijnen in de verte. De laatste kilometers gaat het traag door file in het centrum van de stad en dan zijn we eindelijk terug in het Golden Gobi guesthouse!

      We nemen afscheid van Gloria die morgen alweer vertrekt op een andere 16-daagse tour. Samen met chauffeur Willy, die we daardoor ook nog een hallo kunnen zeggen. Max zien we later nog want we spreken af om 2 dagen later samen naar de karaoke bar te gaan met hem en Maria. ’s Avonds gaan we met ons groepje van 5 een laatste keer samen eten. Het einde van een lange, zware maar geweldige tour!

      De laatste 2 dagen in UB gebruiken we om wat uit te rusten en dan is het tijd om naar Nieuw-Zeeland te vertrekken.

      Nog een laatste video van Mongolië: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RiwDG87Ho3wMkNeV9      Read more

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    • Our Trans-Mongolian Adventure
      111212
      Day 20

      Into the Gobi Desert

      September 14, 2019 in Mongolia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      It’s Friday morning and our alarm goes off at 3am (ouch!) for a 4am pick up to UB Airport for one of the highlights of our journey, a four day trip to the Gobi desert. We only have a small weight allowance for the flight so the bulk of our luggage will remain at our UB hotel for our return. Eggy is ready and waiting for us in the lobby and everything works well as after a good flight we arrive in bright sunshine at Dalanzadgad Airport, in the middle of the Gobi, on time at 7.50am. Our guide NK and driver Choijo are waiting at the airport, having driven 700 km yesterday from UB.

      Our accommodation throughout the four days will be in Gers which are the traditional homes of Mongolians and can be seen all across the country, even close to UB. Ours will be in Tourist Ger Camps which gives decent comfort whilst allowing you to stay in remote parts of the Gobi Desert. These Camps have around 20 Gers and two shared buildings, one a dining area and the other containing toilets and showers.

      Our first night will be in Camp 1 then we will travel in a loop through the Steppes and Mountainous areas staying at two other Camps before returning to Camp 1 on the last night before flying back to UB on Tuesday morning.

      We had a great cooked breakfast at Camp 1 before going through our itinerary with NK and then having a couple of hours sleep. After lunch we travelled about 40 minutes from the Camp to walk the Eagle Gorge. There are three tarmac roads on the Gobi but the majority of driving has to be done off road which is challenging but provides constant spectacular views.

      Photo’s cannot do justice to the scale of everything we will see here. This afternoon as we drove to Eagle Gorge there were shadowed mountains to our left and on the other side perfectly flat Steppe to the horizon, punctuated by occasional nomadic Ger (always white) and herds of various animals.

      We will run out of superlatives during these four days but the walk through the Gorge was fantastic. From the car park it begins about 80 metres wide but narrows down gradually until after about an hour it is just a few metres from side to side, before gradually opening up again. A stream runs through the Gorge and has to be negotiated via natural stepping stones and we kept dry. The narrowest point was tricky to negotiate but achieved and we walked a bit further past this point and then returned to the car after a well paced three hour walk.

      At the wider points of the Gorge we encountered several Yak herds, there were lots of gerbils running around (nest building for winter) and plenty of horses. We also saw a number of Golden Eagles (hence the name of the Gorge) and also Bearded Vultures, Mongolia’s biggest bird with a wingspan of over 9 feet.

      We had a bizarre incident as we wandered through the Gorge. There were occasional hikers, but then we happened upon three Mongolian men one of who was staggering around. It quickly became apparent that he was completely drunk and extremely aggressive. One of his friends was trying to hold him back and the other one looked drunk but stayed in the background. The very drunk one approached NK, slurred some kind of insult and looked like he was going to take a swing at him, but his mate caught him in time. We had some concern but managed to divert past them and continued to the Gorge, whilst the drunkards walked towards the Car Park. Our driver later told us that he saw these people pick an argument with the local horse trek guides who gave them all a good thumping. That was good news!

      Despite this minor blip we had had a memorable walk in the Gorge in the most perfect weather. It was a totally blue sky. Warm in the sun but very chilly when in the Gorge in the shade of the surrounding mountains.

      Although we have already been to locations with big annual temperature swings, nothing matches the Gobi. Summer maximum can hit +50C and just to give it some symmetry the winter temperature can fall to -50C. Quite incredible.

      We drove back to our Camp across the Steppe with the sun going down and arrived back just as the full harvest moon was rising above the horizon.

      We enjoyed a hot shower, dinner (delicious spaghetti bolognese - something we weren’t expecting in the Gobi!), a beer and an early night. Janet had noticed a small mouse in our Ger (not really a surprise in our location) when we were getting ready for dinner so we mentioned it to our guide. We were presented with a solution which was a ‘sticky mouse trap’ to put under the bed which would glue the poor mouse’s feet to a glue pad when it ran over it. We decided we could not be that nasty - and didn’t mind sharing our accommodation - so we abstained from using this primitive execution equipment! We only saw the little thing once more before bed time and we think it slept as well as us.      Read more

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Ömnögovi Province, OEmnoegovi Province, Ömnögovĭ, Yuzhno-Gobiyskiy Aymak

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