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Old trauck doors (above) near the town of Bulgan have been put to a practical use in this usually fenceless countryside - an outhouse nearby was the cabin of a truck placed over a hole in the ground! Mongolian resourcefulness stems from the self-sufficiency required to survive on the open steppe. A yarn and a smoke. Two herders (left), travelling between Bulgan and Erdenet, were impressed by how far Graham had travelled and that he chose to travel in the same way as way did. However they joked they could cover the 600 km distance of his ride so far in a week. Graham never passed a fellow traveller without stopping for a chat. |
My trials weren't over yet. Zeus displayed a nasty tendency to throw me off with alarming regularity. A high-spirited horse, he was too much for me - just the sight of Samson's green saddlebags would send him wild. As I headed west through heavy rain towards the copper-mining city of Erdenet the track deteriorated and, much to the amusement of locals, I once again began leading my horses. Efforts to swap Zeus for a more suitable mount were usually met with some exploitative attempt to exchange my fine racehorse for an aged nag, until I met a boy riding home from a Naadam. He was only too willing to swap his quiet horse for my fiery steed. Welcome Goliath, my fifth and I hoped last, travelling companion.
My trip became easier - for the first time I could actually control my horses and I felt sufficiently confident to buy a del to wear while riding. I travelled through Erdenet, and two days later, arrived at the smaller town of Bulgan. Nestled by a fast-flowing river, the town has conifer-lined streets dotted with run-down log cabins. I spent two days here, resting the horses and exploring while staying with a friendly family on the town's outskirts.
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Teamwork. After the Erdenet NAADAM, Graham helped his host family's eldest son establish camp. GERS always face southwards for protection from fierce northerly winds and building a GER (above) is a skill learnt from a young age. A standard GER includes five lattice panels and wooden support poles extending into the centre. These poles are supported like the spokes on a wheel by two central posts. After building the wooden structure, woollen felt is draped over the GER for insulation. Waterproof canvas is placed over the felt (left), and finally it's covered with a white cotton cloth, held tight with three bands of plaited-horsehair rope. |
 A
nomadic family stands proudly in front of their new GER (right).
The brightly decorated door is common to all GERS and once inside,
men move to the left (west), where it's believed they're protected
by the great sky and women move to the right, protected under the
sun. The previous night, as is tradition, a GER-warming party took
place and Graham was amazed to see 25 people consume about 100 litres
of AIRAG, a crate of vodka and a whole sheep. Most partygoers went
to bed at dawn and got up bright and fresh two hours later to collect
the horses. |
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It
was now early August and I'd fallen way behind schedule. I had only two
days left before a rendezvous with two friends in Khatgal, 275 km away,
where I was to collect my food supply. My only option was to leave the
horses with a family near the main route to Khatgal and make the journey
by road. It was a difficult decision, especially as it compromised my
goal of riding the entire 1500 km (to 1000 km), but the trials of the
past two months had left me exhausted. I needed a break and knew the horses
would also benefit from the rest. So I stood, thumb out, on one of the
few roads frequented by trucks and jeeps, and hitched a lift.
Over the following two weeks I enjoyed being with my friends as we rode hired horses along the shores of glassy Lake Khövsgöl. Surrounded by 2000-metre-high mountains, thick pine forests and lush meadows, the beautiful 2760 sq. km alpine lake is full of trout, lennok and sturgeon, which we savoured. Returning to Khatgal on 27 August, I collected my supplies and caught a bus back to my horses.
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Dramatic alpine scenery (above) surrounds Lake Khovsgol -Mongolia's second-largest lake that's sacred to local people who call it "Mother". While resting his horses, Graham spent two weeks hiking and riding hired horses in this region where mountains tumble down to the lake's shores and fresh snow on the peaks is a reminder that winter is not far away. In the hills around the lake (left) Graham found mushrooms, wild onions and delicious rhubarb to munch on. The lake's deep, blue waters make it appear like a sea and the steep mountains bordering it provide many glorious vantage points. |
