Mongolia

Endless steppe, endless sky

In July 2016, I camped alongside Kazakh eagle hunter families in Mongolia’s Altai Mountains. Days began with the sound of livestock being gathered and put out to pasture. I watched horse races thundering across the steppe, sheep being milked and shorn, mares brought in for their first milking, and cheese being made by hand. Every moment was met with the easy warmth and generosity of hosts whose traditions run as deep as the endless steppe stretching beyond their door.

Yaks at the river in Mongolia
Eagle hunter with bird on arm, Mongolia
Two men trying to lasso mares in Mongolia
Boys arriving on horseback for racing, Mongolia
Man and woman in traditional clothing in their ger, Mongolia
Two boys standing next to sheep, Mongolia
Woman milking sheep, Mongolia
Woman drinking tea from bowl in a ger, Mongolia
Kazakh eagle hunter on horseback with eagle, Mongolia
Ger camped being set up, Mongolia
Woman spinning wool with spindle and whorl, Mongolia
Purgon van fording deep river, Mongolia
Purgon van and horseman on steppe, Mongolia
Kazakh hunter with eagle flying from arm, Mongolia
Eagle sitting by river at sunset, Mongolia

When: July 2016
Where: Ulgii Province, Altai Mountains.
Culture & Tradition: Kazakh eagle hunting, horse racing, sheep milking and shearing, cheese making; strong hospitality and connection to the steppe.
Travel Notes: Camped alongside host families; reached Ulgii by domestic flight from Ulaanbaatar; travelled into mountains by Purgon (UAZ-452) van.

Purgon van climbing mountain track, Mongolia