Join me (Dan) in Mongolia!
Our inaugural exploratory hiking expedition to the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia is less than four months away - 24th of June. I am getting seriously itchy feet and yearning to get back and further explore those glorious mountains, alpine grasslands and forests. I was last there in August 2012 and spent two weeks horse trekking in and around the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park, it was on this trip that I saw the tremendous potential for a pack horse assisted hiking trip that could explore further into these valleys and mountains on the Mongolia-Chinese border. Hiking in to country well away from formed roads or tracks, our route will mostly follow wildlife trails along valleys and ridge-lines.
If joining me sounds like a bit of you - read on..
Local team
We will be joined on the expedition by a team of very competent and friendly Mongolians that come from the local region and village of Altai. A translator, guide, cook and several wranglers and drivers will make up the team. Getting to know these people, and visiting the gers (Mongolian nomad tent) of their families as we trek through the mountains and summer grazing areas, is, to my mind, one of the real highlights of the trip. They are also great singers and musicians and love to pull out the 'dombra' (similar to a mandolin) and sing and dance whenever the opportunity arises. One stand out memory for me from the last trip was a spontaneous disco that broke out in the base camp ger one night, we had a big hike the next day so it didn't go on too long and despite what you may be thinking, it was not fuelled by the 'vodka' (ridiculously cheap in Mongolia) it was more just a taste of what these fun-loving and down to earth people do to entertain themselves in what can be a wild and unforgiving land.
The hiking
For a detailed day by day account of the trip have a look on our website. About ten days are spent trekking, we have also included an overnight trip to Khustai National park after we get back to Ulaan Baatar, this is a great opportunity to experience a different region of Mongolia and see wildlife including Przewalski’s horse, the only true wild horse once extinct (in the wild). This is also a perfect place to relax and act like a tourist after the rigours of the past ten days!
The eating
About me - Dan Murphy
I'm mad on wild and out of the way places that get overlooked by the mainstream tourist. Getting to Mongolia in 2012, was a fulfilment of a long held dream. But I was quick to realise that one visit was not going to be enough for me, therefore I decided to arrange this trekking expedition! It probably goes without saying that I'm an avid hiker and outdoors person being a guide and co-owner of Hiking New Zealand and Active Earth Adventures. My first forays in to the wilderness were as a young teenager exploring essentially my own backyard in the rural backblocks of the North Island, this naturally grew in to more organised and ambitious trips with clubs and likeminded mates. Not content for it just to be a weekend activity I started working as trekking guide back in the late 1990's, firstly in Spain where I spent two years guiding relatively easy hiking trips in Andalucía. A fantastic and rewarding experience which I was lucky to be able to carry on when I came home to New Zealand and became a guide for Hiking New Zealand - back at the start of the new millennium. Overseas adventures have taken me to Canada, Central America, the Middle East, Northern and Southern Africa, Spain, Britain and Ireland. Not being much of a city person, my travel has always sought out the mountains and the wild areas, and I have been lucky to have had many enriching travel experiences in some truly wild ,beautiful places and met plenty of fascinating people along the way. Overseas adventures are not so frequent these days as family life and the adventures my wife, Anne and I have raising our two children, Liam (8 years) and Eva (7 years) keep me closer to home.
What next...
The close off date for this trip is the April 1st. We are very close to confirming the trip, just 2 more bookings! Give us a call or email and register your interest or if we have already convinced you -book.
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