[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]In September of 2022 I was incredibly fortunate to be asked to document an expedition in Mongolia working alongside the inspirational Megan Hine. Having had two years of delays due to the Global Pandemic the expedition finally got the green light and we embarked on what was one of the most mind blowing experiences I have ever had.

We flew into the capital of Ulaanbaatar landing in Chinggis Khaan International Airport and after a 10 hour flight were greeted by some big mountainous views and an incredible sunrise. I was lucky to meet some of the expedition team who were on the same flight after connecting in Frankfurt Airport, once we had collected our luggage in Ulaanbaatar we all jumped on the bus to head over to our base hotel in the capital, where we caught up with expedition leader Megan, who had been in the country for a few weeks having some adventures and immersing herself into the culture and environment.

The rest of the team joined us at the hotel after their flights arrived and we started the trip with a team briefing over a couple of drinks and some amazing Mongolia beef steaks. After the meet and greet we took the opportunity to see what the capital had to offer visiting the Zaisan Monument which overlooks the city as well as the Choijin Lama Museum. It had been a long day of traveling for everyone that evening we headed back to the hotel for some much needed shut eye to try and combat the jet lag before our early flight to Ulgii in Western Mongolia.

Our internal flight across Mongolia the next morning was amazing, the sunrise colors against the vast landscape were so striking and there was so little development across the outer areas of the country, the only real evidence of civilisation was the occasional ger’s (yurts) where nomadic families and their herds would settle. After a couple of stops…yes that’s right, the plane stopped a couple of times to drop off and pick up, we descended into the small colorful city of Ulgii where we met our local guide and his team, we grabbed some supplies from the local supermarket and jumped into the 4×4’s for another 3hrs of cross country driving to our destination in the Altai National Park, Mongolia’s most western point where the land converges with Russia, China and Kazakhstan.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001646731-ed7376f5f9eb989752fe5f74de9ba7cc-8″ include=”14268,14270,14269″][vc_column_text]The passing scenery was incredible, we spotted Eagles, Kites and Marmots and an infinite number of Yaks, Goats and the occasional camel whilst our driver played some Mongolian Dance Music and some questionable 80’s music that I have never heard before. Everyone’s spirits were high and excited for the adventure to come!

After a few obligatory team photos as we entered Altai, we descended through the small village to the valley floor where a few locals were busy constructing the site for the Festival of Eagles that we were attending the following day. We were welcomed into one of the local family Gers for some lunch, which consisted of Yak meat, steamed buns and some salty milk tea, all of which was delicious. On our way to camp we were greeted by a friendly camel who posed for a few pictures and we then headed to our gers which would be home for the next few nights. After dumping our bags, we headed out for a quick explore to get our bearings, heading up the nearest mountain to the camp at around 2000m. The incredible views were a 360 degree panorama of Mongolia steppe and mountains, and a perfect birds eye view of our small camp. We were very excited to find out that the Eagle masters would be releasing their birds from the very same spot the following day as part of the festival games.

We descended as the sun set just in time to get the group out for some of the photography enthusiasts out for a quick photography tuition session. A surprise visit to camp from two eagle masters and their beautiful golden eagles, they joined us in the social ger for dinner and chats about their amazing culture. We then shared another beautifully prepared traditional dinner from our expedition cooking team, and spent the night getting to know each other before heading to bed to get some well needed shut eye before the festival.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001646809-2597396adabdf022e2bc88d6d56db544-6″ include=”14275,14278,14281″][vc_column_text]Day 1 of the Eagles Festival was overwhelming in the best possible way, I don’t think any of us really knew what to expect. Around 150 people had gathered from all over the region to watch the event. As we stood with the crowd we began to notice silhouettes on the horizon of a number of Eagle Masters mounted on horseback holding their eagles as they made their way to the festival from neighbouring settlements. More and more eagle masters arrived and the event abruptly kicked off with the procession of the eagle masters, galloping past the crowd holding their eagles above head height whooping and hollering. As a photographer in this situation my mouth hit the deck, it was so spectacular!

The Nomadic Altai Games officially started with some traditional singing and dancing from the local children. The Eagle Masters then made their way up the mountain we had climbed the previous day. The Golden Eagles would be released to the skies and summoned using their unique calling screams by their master on horseback from below. The Eagle master who caught their bird the fastest within the allocated area would win a grand 1st prize of a spanking new motorbike. Game On!

After watching several eagles flying off to their freedom in the other direction and completely ignoring their master’s calls, we then started to see some of the more experienced competitors calling and catching their eagles in less than 20 seconds which was exhilarating and exciting to watch. The rest of the afternoon consisted of watching horseback archery and a game where the rider had to pick up three small pieces of ribbon from the floor whilst galloping along the arena, this did not look one for the faint hearted, watching riders hanging out of their saddles at great speed with nothing to hold on to. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001646890-45ee7499f58822d22c21be1616e06e4d-1″ include=”14301,14308,14319″][vc_column_text]That evening we were treated to another stunning sunset as we headed for our evening meal. Little did we know whilst we were eating and sipping some very good Mongolian vodka, our local guide Tulga was putting together a little surprise party for us.

After dinner we were ushered outside and we walked straight into a makeshift party complete with a DJ and a troop of dancing locals and Eagle Masters. More and more people started to arrive from the local settlements and we all partied the night away under the starry Mongolian sky, this was probably one of the most epic and remote parties I will ever go to! You will never forget the experience of dancing to Gangnam Style alongside a team of Eagle Masters, literally living our best lives! We all finally flaked out around 1am after drinking far too much “Ultra Drinkable” beer and dancing until our feet hurt.

A few sore heads were seen on Day 2 of the festival,, but nothing a hearty breakfast and some strong coffee didn’t sort out.

The games kicked again with a long distance horse race, followed by an interesting game where the ladies raced their partners on horseback whilst beating them with a stick. The main event of the day was the second round of the timed eagle catching. We headed up onto the ridgeline to get an eagles eye view of the festival watching the eagles being released. Finally the victor was crowned who looked over the moon with his new motorcycle. Prizes, certificates, and sweets were given out to all the competitors and one by one the Eagle masters packed up their gear, wrapped up their eagles, and headed back to their homes. After another fantastic meal we hit the hay ready for our first day on horseback. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001646977-f37ab3fc7a13f2fa1f40c1edf43c4591-0″ include=”14342,14338,14326″][vc_column_text]The next morning we woke up to a whole new climate, it was freezing and their was snow on the surrounding mountains. We were introduced to our horses who the team promptly named and we all got saddled up. Right at this moment the heavens opened with some really biblical downpours and the decision to postpone the ride was made as it wasn’t going to be pleasant for anybody, especially the horses. One of the locals kindly offered us his house to weather the storm. We headed into the village for a quick explore and much to the locals shopkeepers excitement, 10 westerners descended into his small shop to stock up on snacks and vodka.

The rain finally blew over in the afternoon and we were able to get familiar with our horses. We spent the afternoon on horseback, learning to ride these incredible animals. We took a trek out over a mountain ridge into the neighbouring valley and back again. Descending back down the mountain just as the sun was setting which was so surreal. I had spent very little time riding horses before the trip, so to be riding in Mongolia, witnessing a spectacular sunset was really life affirming. I felt ready for the next 4 days of riding and was so excited to get back on my horse “Daquiri” the following morning.

The next four days were spent riding across the Mongolian Steppe, we forded streams and rivers, climbing higher and higher into the Altai Tavan Bogd National park. Each day we would cover between 20-30 km on horseback, stopping for delicious hot lunches, provided by our expedition cooking team along the way. We were welcomed into local families’ gers, where we drank lots of salty milk tea and ate fantastic traditional food. It was so fascinating learning about how the nomadic tribe would survive in such a baron and harsh landscape. Our camps were set up for us by our local team with a roaring fire every night. Temperatures dropped to well below 0°C, one night it was around -10°C, so a good four season sleeping bag was a must. The campsites were always situated in the most spectacular of landscapes, surrounded by mountains and beautiful lakes. The skies were so clear on a couple of the nights that I was able to offer some astro photography tuition and help people capture some cool shots of the milky way.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001647068-dd8920aabca882b4528310715e71114e-6″ include=”14370,14366,14384″][vc_column_text]We were all heartbroken when we had to say goodbye to the horses after 4 days of trekking, the bond we had built with them was very real. On the last full day by the lake, Megan led us out for a hike up a nearby 3000m mountain, which overlooked the snowy peaks dividing Mongolia and China. I keep saying it but the views really were outstanding, it was a photographer’s paradise.

The following day it was time to head back to Ulgii in the 4x4s which was a great off-road experience for much of the journey. We spent our last night in a ger and had the final meal with our wonderful local expedition team, who had been an incredible support and a lot of fun to be with on the trip. This was also the first time I had any mobile signal in 7 days which I loved. [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_media_grid grid_id=”vc_gid:1680001647203-a65fa844a81816b965d00613b46e8283-5″ include=”14397,14399,14380″][vc_column_text]The next day we took our internal flight back to Ulaanbaatar and we headed out for the final meal with our team. Our group consisted of people from all walks of life, each and every one of them fantastic. We connected incredibly well, I couldn’t think of a better group of people to share this experience with.

Whilst it was lovely to be back in a warm comfortable hotel, I couldn’t help but miss being away from modern civilisation. It was so good not having continuous phone/work notifications and the constant barrage of depressing news rammed down your throat. I couldn’t recommend the trip more for anybody that needs a detox from modern life.

I’m very fortunate and excited to be heading back out to Mongolia in September 2023. If you would like to join us on the next trip, click this link https://meganhine.com/unique-trips[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_empty_space height=”12px”][vc_column_text]