Uvs, Olgii Ride - Nomad Games Ride
Description
Welcome to our Ride to the Nomad Games
In 2019 we went off in search of an authentic Mongolian party and celebration to end our season. Having been lucky enough to see the main Olgii Eagle Festival back in 2014, at which the young Eagle Huntress Aisholpan competed and reigned supreme and a movie icon was born, we loved so much about the experience - the stark beauty of the region, the distinct and exotic Kazakh culture, and the sheer sensory spectacle of men in fox furs riding with eagles - but the quantity of lenses pointed, and lack of participation and true appreciation that this engendered, was a disappointment. We wanted a smaller, more authentic games, where we could talk with, play with, have some interaction with the exhibitors and competitors. Well, we certainly found that. In September 2019 we were made to feel like the honoured guests at the Alma Kuk Eagle Festival in tiny Ulaankhus soum, Bayan Olgii province, Mongolia’s western-most region. Our guests got to race in the Whipping Game, and even release a treasured golden eagle back into the wild, something that has never been featured in a ‘traditional’ eagle festival line-up. We truly joined the party and were included and entertained in equal measure. Even better, the team at Morindoo were recognised for their contribution in bringing such great visitors to their festival, and we have been invited to join the organising committee for 2020, meaning we can help design our very own end of season party this year.
This year we offer two trips that will culminate at the games weekend; a glorious week trekking in the Altai Mountains, and a spectacular week’s riding in Uvs province. We also offer an opportunity to raft the Khovd river for 3-4 days post-Games, and fly home from Khovd rather than Olgii. The truly adventurous soul can combine riding, camel trekking, climbing, hiking, eagle hunting, and then pack rafting, all in a fortnight. For those who come to ride, you will find the quality of the horses and the riding unsurpassed, and also have the chance to spot wildlife from the saddle that would make safari guests jealous. Ibex, argali sheep, wolves and snow leopards make their homes in these exceptionally remote regions.
The Trip - The Basics
We’ll fly up to the far west of Mongolia on September 7th, beautiful Uvs province, and ride west together for a week towards Olgii, taking in some of the glorious lakes, passes, mountains and waterfalls of Uvs on the way.
Our head guide in the far west, Avgaan, knows this area intimately, and his expert crew of drivers, wranglers, interpreters and cooks will meet us at wonderful camp locations, as if by magic, with all your essential kit and clobber, meaning that you can ride, day to day, unencumbered, knowing you can get dry clothes on and make a crack brew of coffee at both ends of the day. We’ll ride as a group, and camp as a group, but within that, we’ll treat everyone like grown-ups. If you want to go for a gallop on your spirited little horse, we can accommodate that...The Morindoo Cup is something of a tradition. If you want to hop off and forage for wild berries, we can probably accommodate that too.
We’ll eat simple hearty food cooked on open fires morning and night, and either a hot lunch as we meet the support vehicles, or packed lunches on the trail.
We’ll say farewell to the horses on September 15th and drive in the last 50-100kms to Olgii for a wash and preen before making our way to the games. On the way you will get the chance to meet and hang out with one of our favourite local families, who still hunt with eagles in the traditional way. It’s not hunting season yet but you may be able to get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures during their training. We’ll be in Ulaankhus, Bayan Olgii province, to take in the games, and fly home Monday 18th September back to Ulaanbaatar. A more detailed day by day itinerary is sketched out below but please bear in mind we are still awaiting final flight schedules and the horse trek route may also vary subtly as we see how the summer goes, the water flows, and horses fare. Trust us to make it maximally beautiful, memorable, accessible and enjoyable.
A riding day?
Our rides are paced so that there is time in the itinerary; to see what’s over that hill. To make camp with the sun still up and read or write for pleasure and contemplation; to hike and get some blood back through your knees after a long day in the saddle; to swim in that inviting lake (actually that’s unlikely to be a lengthy diversion, the waters are glacial for most tastes…). We tend to breakfast at 8, and break camp either before or after breakfast, depending on frost and sun on tents. We may mount and ride around 9.30 or 10, and stop for lunch on the trail around 1 or 1.30pm. We’ll ride on again until 3 or 4pm, and make camp. For the full of beans, we can hop on bareback for a sunset gallop once camp is up and the fire is gathered, and for the more leisurely, you have time for privacy, solitude, story telling, making repairs, or simply learning about your Mongolian hosts, perhaps helping our crew prepare dinner, or settle and stake the horses out. You’ll be weary each evening but not legless.
Fly into the capital Ulaanbaatar. We will pick you up at the airport and deliver you to your hotel, the Holiday Inn. Depending on when you get in, rest, or go an afternoon city tour, followed by an early evening concert. We'll dine as a group. You will be surprised at how cosmopolitan UB is these days. Twin rooms unless specified.
Day 2 – September 7th - Ulaangom and meet the horses:Fly from UB to Ulaangom local airport. The baggage allowance for this flight is 15kg including carry-on and checked luggage. If you have more than this you’ll need to cover your excess baggage charges; these are not too expensive however, it should be around US$30 and can be paid in cash or card at the counter.
Our head guide out West will meet us at the Uvs province airport in Ulaangom. We will then drive 45km to Turgen soum, where we will meet the rest of our crew for lunch and prepare the ride. With all our equipment ready it's time to meet our fantastic horses and the herders who own and look after them (and teach us all their favorite songs and card tricks). By evening you'll have vocabulary for at least 10 local species and their offspring, by saying "this is the best horse I have ever ridden" and be ready for your first meal cooked over fire by our brillant Morindoo crew. We will camp just before the beautiful Ulaan Davaa or Red Pass. It's well-named as you will see. Listen to the wolves howl and the horses munch contentedly around the camp.
Six more glorious days and nights riding through stunning Uvs Province. We'll take in Uureg Lake, the dramatic Yamaat Valley with it's protected show leopards and plentiful ibex, up and over some exceptional passes and across pristine flowing rivers, strewn with granite boulders like some giant's playground. Our utimate destination is the azure blue Achit Like, on the border between Uvs and Bayan Olgii provinces, with riches of fish and bird life and glorious rock formations to enthrone yourself in and enjoy the sunset or sunrise. The route will be finalized once we know the water, snow and grazing situation, but do trust us to design the most scenic, enjoyable and horse-centric ride: Dugerey our head guide has been riding, living and working in this region for over twenty years and can write the map, not just read it.
Day 9 - September 15th - to Olgii and Ulaankhus:Away from Achit lake in fourgons, the iconic Russian vans and on to Olgii, a half day's drive. Here we'll make the most of an opportunity for a hot shower for those feeling the need and perhaps a round of the local market if there are supplies you require for our final weekend and it's attendant festivities.
We'll stay with a very special family right on the river just 10km from the Games themselves and set up a beautiful camp there where you can meet some of the last remaining eagle hunters as they prepare their birds, horses and costumes for the competition tomorrow. We'll share a feast to mark the occasion.
Day 10 – September 16th - Alma Kuk Eagle Festival:We'll be working on the exact line-up over the coming months, but suffice to say that the action will be thrilling, the competitors will be charismatic and the backdrop so spectacular you will not know where to look and what to photograph first. Dance, music, traditional Kazakh games including the Whipping Contest, Tug of War, trick riding, plus horse and camel races and the ultimate demonstration of eagle hunting prowess, the call of the eagle from the cliff above the festival site, to it's owner in the arena. You'll be tired from having perpetual goosebumps and your hands will get sore from clapping. Or possibly from wielding a whip at the gallop in pursuit of your eagle hunting team-mate in a bout of your own. We have a gold and a silver medal in the Whipping Contest to defend...
A sundown we will ride home to with 'our' family and share stories and a feast with them once again.
Day 11 – September 17th - rest and back to Olgii:We'll return to Olgii at a leisurely pace. If there is an afternoon flight we will endeavour to catch this one, but the flight schedules tend to be released in April or May and we expect Olgii-UB is early morning. So, today should serve as a contingency day. We'll stay at a nice ger camp within easy range of the airport, climb up the wonderful viewpoint in the city of Olgii and toast our good fortune at such a beautiful journey together. If you are interested in the local handcraft, musical traditions or just want to have another chance to handle an eagle, we can arrange the day to meet your desires.
Day 12 – September 18th- return to UB:It's around 2 hours flight back to UB and worth staying awake throughout to see this stunning landscape from the air. Once back in UB (flight schedules have not yet been confirmed) we'll dine as a group if there is time. If you need pampering, shopping or to lie flat in a comfy bed for the rest of the day, we'll make that happen. Hopefully we can enjoy a wonderful meal out together to cement new relationships made and experiences shared. You may enjoy the novelty of choosing off a menu again and having a coctail or two. You may be over it for life...
Day 13 – September 19th - fly home:Transfer to airport for your journey home. If you want to stay on, we can organize any number of additional experiences, or just help you ace your souvenir shopping at the black market.
