 Testimonials Testimonials
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The Grand Tour of Mongolia 2007 by Yvonne and Jurgen |
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 Photo: Jurgen and Yvonne in Altai Mountains, September 2007.
Mongolia was going to give us that peace and much more.We were wild camping for the first time, pulling off the dirt road and driving until there was somewhere to put the tents up. The places we camped were in the middle of nowhere, very tranquil, you could hear yourself think, you could hear the nearby animals, and you could unwind at a pace to suit yourself. We travelled in a trusty van that took us to the nooks and crannies of the hillside, showing us the most glorious views backed by a blue sky dotted with cotton wool clouds. The scenery changed again and again, each hill and bend gave us a different feast for our eyes. |
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Travel in Gobi-Altai by Nick Fielding, Oxford ,UK |
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From catching a first glimpse while coming through the passes of the southern-most chain of the Mongol Altai mountains, Eej Khairkhan – Mother Mountain – takes your breath away. Sat on an open desert plain, the small cluster of peaks shimmers in the sun, its black rocks mysteriously reflecting the light in such a way that they seem to be covered in snow.
As you descend the Altai foothills the mountain taunts you, tempting you to cross the gravel plain that strands it in isolation. It appears to be only a few miles away, but it takes more than two hours of hard driving before you approach its precincts. Only then can you begin to appreciate the beauty of this remote place, facing out into the endless wastes of the Great Gobi.
Photo: Nadia, Atar and Nick at Lake Har Us, August 2006.
If you have made it this far, you will be one of the very few non-Mongolians to have visited one of the most sacred sites in the vast expanses of south-western Mongolia, balanced precariously between the high pastures and snow-covered peaks of the Altai mountains to the north and the great desert to the south that stretches for a thousand miles to Tibet and the foothills of the Himalayas.
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I became acquainted with Amara, a director of Wilderness Adventures Mongolia in 2005 after reading an article in our regional newspaper "The Yorkshire Post".
I was so concerned about the conditions in his old school that he had drawn up a project aimed at getting English speaking visitors to the area so that the children could improve their English. The area is so remote there is no internet provision. I first visited Mongolia in 2004 to take part in a charity horse ride, following this I spent a week sightseeing in the capital Ulaanbaatar.
I was won over by what I saw and the people I met, there are not many places left in the world where the contrasts to our western way of life are greater.
Following my visit I gave talks to local Rotary clubs and also one of our Primary Schools whose travelling bear - Bernard, came with me. I thought I could help raise awareness of Wilderness Adventures Mongolia’s plan. |
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Travel in Gobi-Altai by Nick Fielding, Oxford ,UK
Even more remarkably, a few miles away, in the lee of the mountain, water piped from a dam far away in the Altai – a legacy of the Soviet period - irrigates fields of melons and tomatoes, surely one of the most remote farmlands in the country. There are many treasures in this remote spot. The extremely rare Gobi bear, which lives off wild rhubarb and other succulent roots, is occasionally spotted and just a few dozen miles to the south is the domain of the wild Bactrian camel. Lynx and wolves harry the black-tailed gazelles, while bustards and sand grouse abound.
Travelling by vehicle in these remote trackless regions is a challenge. If you have time, the Mongolian horse is a better option. The small horses are rightly famed for their stamina and temperament. Despite the growing use of motorbikes, it is unlikely that the Mongol arats (horsemen) will ever be parted from their steeds for long. Even those who now use vehicles are obsessed with racing their horses and if you can time your visit to coincide with the summer Naadam festivals that take place in every district, you will see some of the most spectacular horse racing anywhere in the world.
Having travelled all over Central Asia, I can say without fear of contradiction that Mongolia is truly one of the last great wildernesses. Nomadism is alive and well in the Gobi-Altai, a region that once visited, you can never forget. read more...
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