I miss the sunrise but the morning light is beautiful and no one else is up so I head out with my camera and walk to a neighbouring ger along the river. A dog bounds out to greet me and I briefly wonder if he’s friendly until I see the wagging tail and allows me to pat him. It’s a frosty morning with clear, blue skies and I’m bundled up against the cold. Dog joins me on my walk, running ahead and then returning when he’s lost sight of me. We follow the meandering river, passing deserted wood cabins and corrals. Herds of cattle, sheep and horses are heading out to graze. The tweeting of birds is occasionally broken by the revving engine of a passing motorbike.
Our breakfast is alfresco beside our ger while Narankhuu and Erdenee herd our trek horses into the corral. They look feisty, biting and kicking at each with their ears pinned back. Erdenee attempts to rope a couple out of the herd and one of them jumps the corral fence to escape his lasso and runs off. A younger fellow enters the corral and proceeds to round up ten horses for our trip with apparent ease. We’ll need four horses for us, a horse for Unuruu, three pack horses to carry all our gear and two for Erdenee and Narankhuu.
Now comes the difficult task. Erdenee and Narankhuu have to pack the saddle bags with even weight and without objects rattling around that may spook the horses. Looking at all our gear I don’t see how all of it will fit, especially with camping gear, food, camp stoves and our backpacks. We’ve been told to leave behind what we don’t require out of our bags so I’m leaving extraneous items in the van with Ganbaa. The concern is over my camera gear as they don’t want it on the pack horse in case it gets damaged and I can’t carry my camera bag while riding. I strip down my gear and have a smaller camera case that’ll hold my camera and lenses and Erdenee seems happy with that. He’ll carry it for me which is much appreciated.
While we’re waiting for the saddle bags to be packed, Ganbaa shows us how to set up the tents and insists we practice. I think I’ve got it managed and am confident I can set up my own tent. Three hours later the saddle bags are hefted onto the three pack horses and we’re assigned our horses. They’ve been advised that I have a bit of riding experience so I’m given one that has a bit of pep who will need to be reined in so he doesn’t take off. The saddles are constructed of metal with padding for the seat and cinched closer to the rear legs than the front. I’m sitting more forward with shorter stirrups than I’m used to but I feel comfortable in the saddle. The bridle and reins are made out of hard leather held together with knots. My mount is eager to get started and I circle him around the others to keep him occupied until everyone is ready. We’ve been advised that these horses aren’t domesticated like at home as they’re out to pasture most of the time and to avoid any sudden movements, items rattling on our person, yelling or loud laughter and wearing anything that could fly off in the wind. To get the horses moving we’re to give a kick to the flanks and say a forceful, “Choo”!
We have a three hour ride through a valley and over a mountain to reach the reindeer family that we’ll be staying with. Heading out we follow Narankhuu who’s leading a pack horse, with Erdenee bringing up the rear leading another pack horse. The third pack horse, who I’ve nicknamed Kitchen since he’s carrying all our cooking equipment and food, is on his own without a lead rope.
There’s a small river crossing before we go through the valley and everyone manages it except for Oliver’s horse who has decided he’s not getting his hooves wet. Erdenee takes hold of the lead rope and makes him cross but now Oliver has lost his confidence and doesn’t want to try riding on his own again. Narankhuu is now leading a pack horse and Oliver on his horse while controlling his own. John is doing really well considering he’s never been on a horse before and Padraig’s horse is being led by Unuruu. We’re not sure why Padraig isn’t being allowed to ride on his own since he actually took lessons before the trip but he assumes there’s a reason so doesn’t question it. As we’re ambling along, I see Unuruu’s chin sink to her chest and her shoulders relax and realize she’s falling asleep! I call her name and she abruptly sits up.
We ride through a narrow muddy trail, the horses sinking deep into the bog. My horse is searching for dry ground in amongst the scrub and trees so I’m ducking under branches and having to watch that I don’t get my legs pinned between him and a tree.
A few hours later, coming into open space we see five tepees set up on the edge of a bog and a reindeer herd of almost three hundred amongst the trees. Some of the males’ antlers are massive and the calves are cute and inquisitive. The herd communicates to each other through deep grunting that sounds like a pig.
There are four families camped in the area that are all related and they share the large herd, working together to look after them. This is one of their spring camps and they’ll be moving in a couple days in search of fresh grazing for the herd. They don’t own horses and use the reindeer as transportation. Saddled as you would a horse, they give a smooth ride and can navigate the hilly terrain easily.
The four of us will sleep in a spare tepee on raised wooden “beds” and we set up a tent for Unuruu. The tepee’s wooden poles are covered in thick tarps with a small hole at the top for the wood stove’s chimney to poke through. With the front flap closed, it gets very warm. This is the roughest camping I’ve done in quite some time.
We’re invited to meet the families and enter the main tepee where reindeer milk tea and fresh “donuts” are offered in welcome. The wife and children are reserved but the husband has a quick smile and is asking Unuruu questions about where we’re from and how we like Mongolia. He’s younger than me but this is a hard life and it’s taken its toll. The wife is cooking fresh donuts in a pan of boiling animal fat on the stove and uses a large strainer to remove and place them in a large bowl. These donuts are what the families eat for breakfast and lunch everyday along with the milk tea. Due to the limited diet, they’re shorter in stature, wiry and thin compared to other Mongolians.
We have a late dinner and the husband joins us, animatedly talking to Narankhuu and Erdenee. The guides will sleep in the main tepee with the husband and his family. I bundle up in all my thermals and down jacket before climbing into my sleeping bag and then pile a spare sleeping bag and blanket on top. If I have to pee in the night, it’s nature toilet by the closest tree.
