Bonnie Folkins, Temuujin Zemuun and Batmonkh Muntuush have completed their Long Ride in Mongolia |
November 2010: Bonnie Folkins has completed her second expedition by riding across Kazakhstan. She was accompanied by Bahat Ibrai, Nurbek Dalikhan and Alpamse Dalaikhan, the first Long Riders from that country. The international team faced severe challenges.
It
was a very tough ride, far more strenuous that Mongolia. We were for the most part in isolation. Streams were ice cold and we could not make dung fires to heat water for fear of setting off grass fires. The biggest problems were temperature extremes, for example 32 degrees, then we were plunged into snow.And the wind was off the scale. Still, we loved it and would like to finish the second half of Kazakhstan next year, Bonnie informed the Guild.
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October, 2009: Bonnie, Temuujin and Batmonkh (known to his friends as Moo Moo) have finished their Long Ride. Here is Bonnie's report.
This is the route we took to do our 1100
mile Long Ride in Mongolia (2009). We tossed out two original plans in favour of the route you see here.
(Click on map to enlarge it) |
The reasons we changed our plans were to ensure water and grass for the
horses. My Mongolian partner riders believed that the Khangai mountain range
(Khangai Nuruu) would provide lush vegetation and plenty of streams and
rivers. They were wrong. Not only did we not find
resources, but there were few nomads or gers in sight (therefore little help
or advice when we needed it). From the few shepherds we encountered, we
learned that many were moving to greener pastures in the north. We were
ourselves sometimes able to give suggestions to migrating herders because of
the trail we had already left behind.
After Tsetserleg, we rode into high altitude mountains (almost 9000 ft.) with
sweeping, barren plateaus. Only one river provided the water sources we
expected and only for a few days. The final five hundred miles took us for
days on end through steppe that was desolate from overgrazing. That meant
almost no grass was available and often the arid land was over-run with mouse
colonies. In Mongolia, steppe mice invade the underground making tunnels that
are, for the most part, invisible to the eye. It is a very different
situation to the holes that Marmots and Ground Squirrels make that can be seen
by the horse and rider. The mouse burrows collapse with the weight of the
horse and his leg sinks hard and fast into the ground for at least twelve
inches. If your animal is moving quickly, there is a risk of tripping and
falling - even breaking a leg. If you are chased by a predator, your risks of
getting away effectively are hindered by the dangerous underground.
Our route was the following: we left the Hangard Tourist Camp on Lake
Khuvsgul and rode to Muron (in Khuvsgul Province) then on to Bulgan in
Bulgan province. From there we rode to Arkhangai Province (Khashht Village)
and to Ovorkhangai Province (Kharkhorin city), then back up through another
corner of Arkhangai Province to Tsetserleg city. Our problems started in
Bayanhongor Province through places like Jargalant, Zag and Huree Maral
(places I called Hell!) I strongly recommend that Long Riders
not follow the latter part of this route. It will put your horses at great
risk.
In the north-eastern part of Govi Altai Province we passed through the towns
of Delger and Guulin, then on to the southern parts of Zavkhan Province to
Shiluustei and Tsagaanchuluut. Back in Govi Altai (Province) again we got
lost twice in the Gobi Desert (frightening) before reaching Altai City, where
we were obliged to buy hay to accommodate the horses because the desert steppe
was so barren. We carried the hay with us all the way from Altai City to our
final destination, the ovoo of Black Horse Mountain.
Click here to read about the danger of wolves:
Bonnie has also highlighted the fact that some parts of Central Asia were used as nuclear testing sites, many of which should be avoided by Long Riders, even though twenty years have elapsed. So, would-be Long Riders, do your homework!
Click on any picture to enlarge.
In December 2008 this interesting email arrived at the LRG HQ:
My friends and I are planning a
ride from Harazargiin ( |
We plan to
have a backup vehicle, (a Russian UAZ Purgon), for tents and provisions.
It will be driven by our Kazakh friend Bahat who lives
in Olgii in
We will each have one horse and there will be one back-up horse.
We plan to purchase a breed called the Darkhad Valley White Horse, a little larger and maybe a little stronger than the typical Mongolian horse.
They will be purchased from a breeder
called Jargal who lives near a village called
Renchinlhumbe at Deed Tsagaan Nuur. This is in
Bahat, Temuujin and Moo Moo |
Temuujin and Moo Moo |
Temuujin's family |
We wish you the best of luck, Bonnie, Temuujin and Moo Moo!
Bonnie has now made another journey in Kazakhstan.
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