Mongolia. Immersion in Tsaatan Lands

Transcription

1 Mongolia Immersion in Tsaatan Lands

2 TRAVEL DESIGNER Stephane Gautronneau BRANDON If our guide based in the easternmost part of the planet is not in Ulan Bator, it is because he is most certainly riding around somewhere in the steppe. An ardent fan of Mongolia, he is based in the Mongolian capital, come summer or winter. A mechanic by soul and a fine motorcycle trial rider, he can make you discover this magnificent region by sharing his passion for travel. An intense adventure where we take on the Mongolian Taiga for an unforgettable motorcycle journey. 2

3 MAP A TRIP WITH UNIQUE SENSATIONS Looking for adventure? You can find all the right ingredients on this tough road trip awaiting you in the northernmost region of Mongolia. On the frontier with Siberia, discover a different Mongolia, that of Tsaatan, the nomadic reindeer breeders, the taiga and its wooded mountains. Get on your Royal Enfield, ride for close to 1350 km on various tracks in the region to reach the high point of this journey: the sacred Lake Khövsgöl Time to put on your helmets and gloves! 3

4 AT A GLANCE 6-8h riding a day Unexpected events on the road Remote regions Period June to September Duration 14 days including 9 days riding Level Demanding English-speaking tour leader Accommodation Standard or Camp * Rain can make the tracks muddy and slippy at any time. From

5 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES STAGE 1 Arrival in Ulan Bator: According to your flight time. Reception at the airport followed by transfer to your hotel. Free time to visit the city. Dinner at leisure. Ulan Bator, with one million inhabitants, is made up of 9 districts. In the center, you can visit a few places with a highly mixed architecture where soviet heritage blends with chaotic and warm urban design that is so typical of big Asian cities. A city of contrasts, you can meet nomadic families, taste exquisite dishes or even relax in a luxury spa, all in the same day. Ulan Bator - Moron [domestic flight: 1h15]: You leave early for Ulan Bator s airport along with your motorcycle tour leader to head for Moron at 690 km in the north. Moron is the capital and the administrative center of the Khövsgöl province. Stephane Gautronneau STAGE 2 This is your first day, you can relax and visit the city s museum which has a beautiful collection of local flora and fauna. Traditional Buddhist and Shamanic costumes are also on display. In the 19th century there were no less than 60 temples in Moron but all of them were destroyed in 1937 under pressure from the communist regime at the time. A new monastery, Danzadarjaa Khiid, was built to the city s west in the 1990s. Overnight stay at the hotel. 5

6 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES Moron - Ikh Ull [120 km* - 4h riding]: First day on the motorcycle! We leave this morning on a very beautiful slender road towards Ikh Ull. Halfway into this leg, we wind our way along the magnificent valley of Selenge, one of the great Mongolian rivers with its endless meanderings Its waters find refuge in Lake Baikal in Russia. Overnight in a yurt camp*. *Yurt camps or Urts are often the best accommodation available in the places where we stop. Each of these beautiful traditional yurts, identical to the ones we come across throughout the day, is available on twin-sharing basis. The charm of these tents easily compensates for their basic comfort level: two single beds and a stove. We share a common bathroom where it is often possible to take a hot bath. Clean European-style toilets are also available. STAGE 3 Ikh Ull - Ulziit [170 km* 6h riding]: We start this leg by riding along the Selenge valley for a few kilometers and then we push a little deeper into the immensity of the steppe. Midway through, we leave the main track to explore the local tracks. We leave the region of Kövsghöl for a bit to enter the region of Arkhangay and reach the small town of Ulziit. Camp for the night. STAGE 4 Livestock breeding in Kövsghöl: After a few kilometers, you will become aware of the central position occupied by pastoralism. The region accounts for inhabitants for more than 3 million heads of livestock (reindeer, sheep, goats, horses, camels, etc.). 6

7 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES Ulziit - Galt [120 km* 6/7h riding]: Today s ride is split between the main track and the secondary tracks. We go a little further into the mountains of Khangai, the wolf kingdom We reach the village of Galt late afternoon and enjoy natural hot springs. STAGE 5 STAGE 6 Galt - Bayan [200 km* 6/7h riding]: We head northwards for this long day which will lead us first to the salt water lake of Sangiin Dali surrounded by dry mountains. Several migratory birds find refuge here. In the afternoon, we reach the city of Balan along the Delgermurun river. Water is everywhere in the region of Kövsghöl! There are no less than 400 rivers and 300 lakes here. Be prepared to cross numerous water bodies with your bike! 7

8 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES Bayan - Tugul [230 km* - 7h riding]: We leave with the first rays of the sun for the longest leg of our trip. Steppe landscapes of Bayan gradually give way to Mongolian Taiga as we head northwards. The Russian border is only around fifty kilometers away to the west. In the evening, we reach Tugul, a small mountain village with log houses. Overnight in hotel. STAGE 7 The houses in this region draw influence from the neighboring Siberia. In the villages, the houses are made with logs. In the camps, urts, or yurts resembling tepees, are omnipresent. STAGE 8 Tugul - Gurvanshaikan [180 km* 7h riding]: You will ride around at the heart of one of the most beautiful valleys in the country. In the east, the Khodol Sarag mountains tower above us with the peaks attaining a height of more than 3000 meters and to the west, the Ulan Taiga range. We reach the banks of Lake Dood Tsagaan. Camp for the night. 8

9 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES Gurvanshaikan - Khövsgöl Lake [180 km* 8h riding]: After having followed your explorations for close to one week, the rocky tracks will liberate you from your expectations by offering you an extraordinary panorama of the famous Lake Khövsgöl. Lake Khövsgöl, also referred to as the blue pearl, Younger Baikal or even as the Mother Sea by the Mongols, is sacred to them. Formed tectonically, it is like its big brother Baikal Immense! It covers an area of 2760 km2, its length of 136 km and depth of 262m make it a lake of superlatives. 96 rivers flow into it but not even one comes out of it. Overnight stay in a lakeside yurt camp. STAGE 9 Khövsgöl Lake: Today you leave your mounts to take some rest and enjoy the lake s surrounding areas. In the middle of the Kövsghöl National Park, try to observe the exceptional fauna (wolves, brown bears, ibexes, bighorn sheep, deer, elks, wolverines). The lake breathes life all around it in a complex eco-system. Several animal and plant species are endemic to it. STAGE 10 Overnight stay in the same yurt camp as the night before. 9

10 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES Khövsgöl Lake - Hatgal [80 km* - 5/6h riding]: Early in the morning, we get back on our Royal Enfields for the exquisite part of your trip. We ride along the Lake Kövsghöl to reach the village of Hatgal on the extreme southern tip of the lake. Overnight stay in yurt camp. The Tsaatans: (litterally those who live with the reindeer ) are reindeer breeders present uniquely in this part of the country. You will discover their way of life as well as the deer that accompany them. There are around 80 Tsaatan families in the area. STAGE 11 Hatgal - Moron [80 km* 2/3h riding]: Let us enjoy the lake area with our motorcycles before hitting the trail and then the road towards Moron. To the city s west, we will discover, if you so wish, deer stones of Uushigiin Övör. Deer stones form a funeral complex with tombs whose tombstones are engraved with deer and heavenly bodies. The site dates back to the Bronze Age. STAGE 12 Overnight stay in hotel. 10

11 YOUR TRIP IN 14 STAGES STAGE 13 Moron - Ulan Bator [domestic flight]: It is time to leave this magnificent region. We reach the Moron airport early morning and head for Ulan Bator. In the afternoon, free time in the capital. Ulan Bator - International airport: A leisure day for those who have a flight in the afternoon. We enjoy, for the last time, the unique spirit of this warm and friendly capital. A taxi will come to pick you up from the hotel to take you directly to the airport. End of our services. Stephane Gautronneau STAGE 14 *Riding distances are indicative. 11

12 YOUR FORMULA Join a fixed departure 4340 / pilot* 4040 / pillion* Book at 4 and more: 4240 / pilot* To know the dates of our upcoming fixed departures. go to - tab "Our Trips", or contact one of our travel advisors at: contact@vintagerides.com. *These rates are indicative, please refer to our General Terms & Conditions. Want to leave in a closed group? Ask us for a quote for a private tour. And enjoy 5% off your second trip 10% off your third trip and more Always in the limit of

13 MORE INFO PRICE INCLUDES A Royal Enfield 500cc motorcycle is provided with full mechanical assistance and all spare parts Domestic transfers as appearing in the program, by private vehicle An English speaking Tour Leader (from day 2 to day 13) Fuel expenses An expert mechanic of Royal Enfield motorcycles A support vehicle with driver for groups with 4 or more participants; side luggage carrier for groups of less than 4 participants Lodging in standard hotels and camps, on a twin (two single beds) or triple-sharing basis (three single beds). If you wish to stay in a single room (extra), please inform your travel advisor at the time of registration. Meals: Full board meals during riding days Third party motorcycle insurance PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE Compulsory insurances, including repatriation assistance which covers you in case of a motorbike accident in India and legal assistance International flights and airport taxes Visa fees A refundable security deposit of 400 for every motorcycle Dinners and meals during days of transfers Admission fees to various monuments, temples etc. Souvenirs and personal expenses Drinks Tips 13

14 MY CHECKLIST Appropriate equipment is a component of a successful journey! Travel lightly, STAY UNDER 10 KGS FOR THE DOMESTIC FLIGHT BAGS: A sailor bag would be perfect, a walker's bag too (without steel bar). You can close it with a padlock if you want to. Don t forget to tag it before leaving with your address. Also with the address of Vintage Rides in India. A small backpack of 20 litres is advised for daily necessities such as camera, sunscreen lotion, etc. SPECIAL MOTORCYCLE EQUIPMENT: Motorcycle boots are strongly advised or trekking shoes (waterproof) Warm motorbike jacket (synthetic preferred) A rain suit (just in case!) Gloves Helmet Bandana PERSONAL MEDICINE: CLOTHES AND PERSONAL EQUIPMENT: 2 light pants 4 shirts (including some with long sleeves, to protect yourself from the sun) 2 warm sweaters or jackets Sunglasses Hat Sport shoes or trekking shoes 1 liter canteen (flask) and a flashlight (don t forget the battery) Some sweets and cereal bars Sunscreen lotion Lip balm Broad-spectrum antibiotic Paracetamol Anti-diarrhoea Elastoplast Skin disinfectant Bandages and special blisters bandage 14

15 CONTACT US Elisabeth Fieujan Copyrights photos : Thomas Goisque - Joseph Patrick VINTAGE RIDES INDIA C-65 Okhla phase 1 New Delhi Tel: VINTAGE RIDES FRANCE 98 Rue Baudin Levallois-Perret By appointment only Tel: CONTACT@VINTAGERIDES.COM 15