Paul A. Teolis - Digital Imaging, Photography & Media

Across the Steppes of Mongolia

ULAANBATOR, Mongolia. - In Mongolia, “necessity is truly the mother of invention.” In a country devoid of trees, cooking on a fire made of yak dung takes on a whole new meaning.

A country which once relied on the Soviet Union for economic survival has now embraced a market-free economy and with it the hardships of runaway inflation. This has made most guide books to Mongolia obsolete before they even reach the bookshelves.

Mongolia is not for the budget traveler. Vast distances separate most sparsely populated towns and with the lack of infrastructure, a slow and often unreliable transit system forces one to spend more time getting to a destination than staying in it.

So what’s the lure of this landlocked country? Once outside the dreary capital city of Ulaanbator, you enter the true majesty of Mongolia. Rolling plains as far as the eye can see give an eerie moon-like beauty as the emerald green steppes seemed to go on forever with not a tree in sight. Oceans of livestock ebb and flow their way across the plains, always guided by its herdsman and his mighty staff called an urga. In a country of just under three million people, some 30 million livestock inhabit what has to be the world’s largest grazing field.

As part of a six week research trek along Marco Polo’s Silk Road, Bruce Poon-Tip, owner of GAP Adventures in Toronto, arranged for eight days in Mongolia, providing a unique glimpse into one the remotest of travel destinations.

Boldbaatar, the Mongolian operator of Eden Tours in the capital, had a name that conjured up images of a Goliath individual covered in tanned animal skins, but in reality, he was a soft-spoken man who saw to all our travel needs.

Small operators like this will make all necessary arrangements and with sufficient planning you have your choice of a multitude of outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, mountaineering and camping.

Prices are based on a group minimums of two and can vary from under $1000 for an eight day excursion into the central region, to over $2000 for those wanting to venture into the Gobi desert in the south or the more mountainous region in the west.

No need to worry about the language. A French or English speaking guide is included along with a driver and private vehicle, usually a Russian-made minivan.

This provides sufficient means and freedom to go off the beaten track and explore while not being bound to the schedules of local transportation.

With little to block the always charging wind, a cloudless, sunny June day was a deceivingly chilly experience. While all roads remain pretty much unnamed, but always leading back to the capital, hours would go by before one would see another vehicle, unless it was broken down.

Stops were infrequent if only to let herds of goats, sheep or horses cross the road, providing for some marvelous photo opportunities.

Occasionally a stop at an ovoos which was nothing more than a large pyramid-shaped collection of rocks, gave time for our Buddhist driver, Jamma, to make a religious offering, usually in the form of another rock or an empty bottle placed on the already growing pile.

Although some modern conveniences have crept into their lives, horseback is the desired mode of transportation overland and the white, felt homes called Gers or Yerts seem to collect in pockets on the rich plains. Easy to assemble, these small Ger communities relocate some four times each year to minimize damage from over-grazing.


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