Galloping at a good pace across an arid stretch of land, my Mongolian adventure had taken somewhat of a heart-pounding turn.
I hadn’t intended at speeding along so quick, but a local herder taking me for a trot was bucked off his horse, broke a rib, let go of my reins and all of a sudden, I was speeding away.
Luckily, after saying some prayers, I coerced the horse to grind to a halt before cautiously hopping off.
I was in Mongolia with 12 other intrepid souls on a 14-day tour with adventure tour operator Exodus Travels.
We all had a shared interest in the country’s rich history, nomadic culture and remote landscape.
My nerve-wracking horse ride, on day three, was just one of many exhilarating experiences during the 2,000 km-plus off roading journey – although the rest weren’t quite so perilous, I have to say.
From sharing fermented mare’s milk with local nomads to some bone-shaking off-road driving on untraversed tracks and getting close to the rare Przewalski’s Horse (the world’s last surviving subspecies of wild horse), the adventure delivered something new every day.
We set out from the capital of Ulaanbaatar, where a highlight was a $13 hour-long massage at the Joy Massage Center – she even massaged my eyeballs.
The bustling metropolis – where around 50% of Mongols live – is one of the most polluted cities on the planet, with big power plants rearing their ugly heads and I found the traffic appeared to be gridlocked most of the time.
But once you head out of Ulaanbaatar, you enter the vast wilderness where the internet drops out and animals outnumber humans.
‘Welcome to the land of blue skies and endless lands,’ our chirpy guide Odgerel Purrevdorj said as we peered out of the van windows at the grassy lands beyond.
Mongolia, sandwiched between Russia and China, is the 18thbiggest country in the world but it is one of the most sparsely populated nations, with just over 3 million residents.
The punishing weather has something to do with this.
In the summer, temperatures reach highs of 40 degrees Celsius and in the winter, it plunges to lows of minus 40 degrees Celsius, with winds relentlessly blowing throughout.
When we were there, summer was in full swing, with the flora and fauna back to life.
If only my words could convey the heavenly scents that wafted around we reached the Mongolian Steppe.
I’ve travelled a fair bit but never have I encountered a landscape more fragrant.
A mix of herbs carpeted the place and essences akin to rosemary, thyme and lavender scented the air with each step.
As we neared the Gobi Desert there was also a chive-like plant that would make my tummy rumble with its flavoursome perfume.
But there were some less heavenly smells along the journey, including the whiff of camels and the fermented mare’s milk which we were kindly offered by local nomads each time we stepped into their tented homes.
When it came to food during the tour, the western-style staples at lunch and dinner included salad for starters, mutton or beef for mains and something random for dessert, from slices of Swiss roll to ice cream and jelly.
‘Mongolians don’t really do dessert,’ our guide explained.
When we visited a couple of nomadic families we tried some more typical delicacies.
Along with the mare’s milk, popular local Mongol snacks include chunks of dried milk curd, salted tea and buttermilk.
What to pack for a Mongolian adventure
I visited Mongolia in August with the temperature around 20 degrees Celsius with some cooler evenings. Here are some of the essential items I packed which worked well for the dusty and mountainous terrain:
- Mountain Hardwear Direttissima 50 Outdry Rucksack £119 – A good-sized bag for a two-week adventure and comfortable to wear
- Lululemon On The Fly Pant £88 – Very soft fabric that doesn’t require ironing, perfect for a long-haul flight
- The Northface Thermoball Packable Eco Jacket £170 – Extremely warm, lightweight and great for cooler mornings or evenings
- Vivobarefoot Magna Trail Womens £160 – Slip-on grip-soled booties that are comfortable to travel in and waterproof. Great for the outdoors
- Smartwool Merino Strappy Bra £49.99 – Sweat wicking and body-sculpting fabric
- Decathlon Forclaz Trek 700 Women’s Mountain Trekking Zip-Off Trousers £34.99 – Lightweight and can be worn as shorts in warmer weather
- Beachbody Shorts, from £30 – Easy to pack, comfortable stretch waistband
- Merrell District Maya Backstrap £70 – Sturdy sandals for trekking with a cushioned heel
- Havaianas Slim from £18 – Super slim, lightweight flip flops that slip easily into your bag, perfect for around camp
All are a little hard to stomach if you’re not used to them.
I admittedly hid some dried milk curd in my pocket as I found its pungent parmesan taste a little hard to swallow.
The mare’s milk also had an unusual fizz, like curdled yogurt.
On the accommodation front, after leaving Ulaanbaatar, we swapped a comfortable hotel for gers – the Mongolian equivalent of a yurt – for the rest of our cross-country journey.
The circular structures, crafted from a wooden frame clad with woollen felt, were very comfortable, with a wood burning fire for chillier nights.
By day seven we reached the wilds of the Gobi desert, where the sun beat down and the winds whipped the caramel sands into sculptural mounds.
The push to get there saw us drive 12 hours one day and 8 hours the next on unmarked tracks, peppered with rocks and potholes.
Our guide warned us from the start: ‘You have to trust us, there won’t be roads and we don’t use GPS, our drivers just know where they are going.’
At one point one lady in our group joked, with a touch of seriousness, ‘Can we just find a paved road please?’
But all of the bone-jerking action paid off and the Gobi was another exhilarating highlight.
It is Asia’s biggest desert, covering an area of 500,000 square miles.
We trundled up a steep stretch of sand to watch the sun set and hiked around the red sandstone Flaming Cliffs where American palaeontologist Roy Chapman Andrews famously found the first dinosaur egg fossils in 1923.
The Yolyn Am valley is another must-see spot with large birds of prey swooping around the towering granite cliffs and little critters beavering away in the shaded grasses below.
I saw a snake slinking by the water’s edge here as we navigated the river running through the rocky gorge.
Flying out back to Ulaanbaatar from the Gobi and looking out of the plane window, I was captivated by the weathered, sprawling lands below.
From the fragrant Steppe, to the peaceful Buddhist monasteries and welcoming nomads, Mongolia is a country that promises to leave an imprint on your soul.
Planning your own Mongolian adventure:
I travelled with Exodus Travels on the 14-day Mongolia: Steppes, Deserts & Nomads tour. Prices start from £3,399, including flights. Cycling itineraries and one coinciding with the Nadaam Festival are also available.
Aeroflot runs flights from London to Ulaanbaatar via Moscow. To gain access to airport lounge facilities during extended stopovers, try PriorityPass.
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source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/11/the-magic-of-mongolia-heart-pounding-horse-rides-drinking-mares-milk-and-off-roading-through-asias-largest-desert-11234559/
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