Eagle Festival & Gobi Desert trek

Eagle Festival & Gobi Desert trek Eagle Festival & Gobi Desert trek - 28 Days Trip Code: T4W 197 Phone: +64 6 356 7043 or Mobile: + 64 (27) 356 7043 Email:ann@trekkingadventures.co.nz Grade: Challenging Group Size: max of 12 Starts: Ulaanbaatar Ends: Ulaanbaatar Trip Overview Highlights Day 1: Ulaanbaatar Day 2: Fly Ulaanbaatar Uligii and drive to Tsambagararv National Park Day 3 6: Trekking in Tsambagararv National Park Day 7: Drive south to Altai Tavan Bogd Day 8 10: Trekking in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Base Camp Day 11 13: trekking from Base camp & near the Chinese border Day 14: Trek back to Shar Gol Day 15: Drive to Ulgii Day 16 & 17: Eagle festival & Fly to Ulaanbaatar Day 18: - Ulaanbaatar rest day Day 19-26 Fly Ulaanbaatar south to Dalanzadgad & the Gobi Desert for 6 days trekking Day 27: Fly Dalanzadgad to Ulaanbaatar Day 28 Ulaanbaatar Bustling Ulaanbaatar Return flight to Uligii Return flight to Dalanzadgad - Gobi Desert Mongolian Culture, seeing the nomadic herdsman still living their traditional lifestyle. Alpine meadows, forest and rivers of the Altai Bogd National Park Mongolian remote wilderness which is closed to outsiders Tsambagararv National Park Awesome trekking country from forest tracks to high mountain passes and Glaciers The Gobi Desert Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzag Yolyn Am with Ice filled Canyons Bronze age archaeological sites Annual Eagle Festival 1

Rare wildlife including Asiatic ibex, elk and wolves Building a Ger (yurt) at Base Camp Mongolian delicacies Optional horse riding Milking Yaks Vote with your feet and come walk with me Detailed trip itinerary - (quoted trekking hours are estimated trekking times) Day 1: Ulaanbaatar (the capital of Mongolia) - 1500 metres above sea level) You will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel/guesthouse. There will be free time to explore Ulaanbaatar, which is best seen on foot and is safe to walk around and enjoy the city. We will meet in the early evening for dinner when we will go over trip details. Beverages will be at your own expense. Accommodation: Hotel/Guesthouse Meals: Dinner Day 2: Fly Ulaanbaatar Uligii and drive Tsambagaray National Park. We leave early for the airport and fly to Uligii (3hours), the capital of Brayan Uligii (aimag) which is the western-most province of Mongolia. From here we then drive south east for 2 3 hours to Tsambagaray National Park. From here we drive through dramatic mountain scenery south east 2-3 hours Tsambagaray. We make camp next to a nomadic herders who will be supplying our pack horses for the trek. This 1,110sqkm park on the border of Bayan-Ulgii and Khovd provinces is a beautiful area of glaciers, high pastures and remote mountains (over 4000m at their highest). It protects habitat for snow leopards, argali mountain sheep and other rare species. During the brief summer, nomadic herders from the Kazakh and Uriankhai ethnic minorities set up their gers (yurts) and graze their sheep, goats and yaks in the lush valleys. There are some unusual deer and man stones from the Mongolian past in the area. A perfect place to combine trekking and local culture. 2

Day 3 6: Trek in Tsambagarav National Park Our trekking route will be based on weather and the terrain. Some of the days will be day treks from our camp while other days there will be opportunities to trek amongst the Glaciers or trek to a peak of 4,000 meters. This trek is non-technical. We are able to immerse ourselves in the local culture in a completely authentic way. Our support crew are from the area where everyone knows everyone else. People are very proud of their traditional culture and are always keen for us to experience their way of life. If we are lucky we may get a chance to see the Snow Leopard and other wildlife that are known to the Mongolian Plateau. The locals eagle Hunters may be happy to show us their skills with these wonderful birds. Day 7: Drive south to Altai Tavan Bogd National Park Today we will drive Tavan Bogd NP in a beautiful grassy Valley. We set up camp next to some local herder friends and gers for the night. There will be the opportunity to mix with the local culture and see how they live in this Mongolian wilderness. Our guides have family here and there is ample opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture. Life remains little-affected by the outside world, and foreigners are welcomed as honored guests. Day 8-10: Altai Bogd National Park Trekking in Altai Tayan Bogd National Park trekking across the remote barren rocky and dense bush. We will cross through the border control post and into no mans land. It provides a good contrast to Tsambagarav, as it is thickly forested and unpopulated. Elk tracks through the forest and up high in the mountains provide a fantastic trekking experience. This is a buffer zone on the Mongolian side of the border where local Mongolians are not allowed to live. However we have special permission to enter, giving us the chance to experience a truly remote and untouched wilderness. We will set up our Base Camp and erect a Ger near the shores of Chigertei Nuur, a pristine lake nestled amongst mountains, where nomadic herders graze the yaks, camels, horses, sheep and goats. 3

There is some tourism in the north of the park, but where we go is the domain of the elk, ibex and bear. Day 11 13: Trekking with Pack horse deep into the park There are no roads or tracks, so we follow old game tracks through dwarf birch to an old Rock bivy. Follow elk trails through forest and meadows, and up above the tree line to the domain of the ibex. Due to the remoteness of the area there is still wildlife to be found here, including elk, ibex, bears and wolves. This is fantastic trekking, further into the mountains, close to the Chinese border. We will establish another temporary camp, a day's hike from basecamp. There are no roads or tracks, but we will follow old elk trails. We will carry enough food and equipment on packhorses to stay two nights (depending on weather). The area is a mix of thick forest, meadow, alpine grasslands, and bare Rocky Mountains. Due to the remoteness of the area there is still wildlife to be found here, including elk, ibex, bears and wolves. The Chinese border is only a few kilometres away and not well defined so we do need to be careful not to wander close to the border.once we cross Jalanash Pass (2800m) on Day 13, and descend the other side of the pass, the forest and lush meadows start and we can see the mountains on the Chinese border. We will camp near a 'man stone' site, ancient grave markers from the pre Mongolian (Turkic) period. This uninhabited region will hold plenty of adventures for the intrepid Day 14-15: Trek to Shar Gol drive to Ulgii We will now start back toward Shar Gol, via the 3000m Pass of Death. It doesn't have a local name, so that is what we call it. It is steep but not actually dangerous, We will take the packhorses with us and camp one night along the way. Once we descend on we will meet the vehicles (they need to go back out the way they came in, as there is no vehicle track via the Pass of Death). This is spectacular mountain country and once again great photos opportunities. We drive back up to Ulgii which has fantastic scenery that takes us through spectacularly barren mountains, with their own stark beauty. If there is time we will visit the market and museum, and a women's craft cooperative an excellent place to buy unique gifts for family back home. /Local family stay in Ger in Ulgii 4

Day 16-17: Ulgii and the Eagle Festival & fly Ulgii - Ulaanbaatar The festival happens near Ulgii, so we will base ourselves there either at a ger camp or staying with local friends and family. Choice of accommodation will depend on the group size and how intrepid everyone is. The two-day festival is fascinating and will make a good break after all the trekking. This spectacular celebration of traditional eagle hunting is a yearly event of horsemanship near Ulgii. Watch as hunters demonstrate their eagle's skill at catching a fox skin dragged behind a galloping horse, and riders compete in the local version of buzkashi (two riders compete for possession of a deceased goat). There are also gentler pursuits on show such as best-dressed camel, and local crafts for sale. We will fly back to Ulaanbaatar on day 18 (dinner not included) allowing you to arrange to meet with the group or do your own thing. Depending on the flight time, there may be the opportunity for further site-seeing in Ulaanbaatar. Enjoy a well-earned hot shower and bed at your hotel. The scheduled departure time is unknown at this stage. The flight time is 4 hours, as we lose an hour heading back to Ulaanbaatar and can also be diverted via other local airports. / Ger (hotel in Ulaanbaatar) Meals: breakfast, lunch Day 18: Rest day - Ulaanbaatar This is the perfect place to spend today to relax after the past three weeks. The day in Ulaanbaatar will give everyone the chance to rest and relax, do laundry, and site-see around the city, or just rest. For those who would prefer to avoid the city, we can arrange a day trip to Khustai National Park, home of Przewalski's horse and other rare wildlife. Accommodation: Hotel Meals: breakfast, lunch Day 19-27: Fly Ulaanbaatar Dalanzadgad - Gobi Desert Fly Ulaanbaatar (day 27) No visit to Mongolia would be complete without experiencing the Gobi desert. One of the world's great deserts, the Gobi covers a vast area in the south of the country, on the border with China. For a completely different experience of Mongolia we will fly south and have 6 days trekking in the Gobi Desert, Including the Snow leopard, black tailed gazelle, the beautiful Lammergeyer and maybe the Gobi bear. The highest point is 2,825m. We will base our explorations in Gurvan Saikhan National Park, a 27,000 sqkm region of desert and mountains to the west of Dalanzadgad with a range of wildlife 5

Most of the Gobi is actually rather featureless gravel plains, but there are some very remote parts that are more mountainous, and will be great for trekking. There are specific areas of sand dunes which we will visit such as Khongoryn Els or Moltzog Els depending on how the group feels and how remote we would like to get. This part of the trip is exploratory, as we search out interesting trekking country. Yolyn Am is approx. 50km from Dalanzadgad with ice filled canyons and mountains. There may be sightings of ibex and Argali mountain sheep in this area. Flaming cliffs of Bayanzag (Dinosaur Cemetery) is famous as the site where Roy Chapman Andrews first discovered dinosaur fossils in the 1920 s. This area is spectacular. A surprising variety of wildlife inhabits this desert such as herds of Gazelles, so a good pair of binoculars is a must. We will fly back to Ulaanbaatar on day 27 and will meet for our final dinner together. Day 28: Ulaanbaatar The trip will end after breakfast, however there may be time to do some more sight-seeing or shopping in Ulaanbaatar if your flight schedule has a late departure. You may wish to stay on an extra few days in our hotel in Ulaanbaatar. (Enquire for extra days hotel cost) Meals: breakfast Price includes: Experienced English speaking Local Guide Ascend to Pass of Death and Jalanash pass Return flights Ulaanbaatar Ulgii including transfers & departure taxes (value of USD685.00) Return flights Ulaanbaatar Dalanzadgad & Gobi desert Horses and equipment for pack horsing Support vehicles when necessary Eagle Festival entry Meet and greet dinner (valued USD30) excludes drinks Support cook and Kitchen team 6

Trekking Adventures T-Shirt (value of USD65.00) Four nights x hotel in Ulaanbaatar 21 nights camping in good quality tents on a twin share basis 2 x nights accommodation in Ulgii, shared with a local family or a ger Full board meals when camping as per itinerary Arrival and departure transfers Trekking permits into the National Parks Local porters: The guides and support crew used are all experienced. Your main large pack will be carried by pack horses when trekking however you will be expected to carry your own day pack which should be large enough to carry all you will need throughout the day e.g. raincoat, water bottle, camera, spare clothing, snack food, etc Please bring only essential items in the interest of the horses! You will be provided with water-proof bags for your gear, which will be loaded in to special pack-bags for the horses. Your own travelling bags will be stored in Altai. Meals: We will have a cook with us, who can have a cup of tea ready when we arrive into camp at the end of the day, and prepare meals. Anyone can of course help. The cook may not be able to accompany us when hiking without support vehicles (for most Mongolians the idea of walking anywhere is horrifying they either drive or ride). It may be necessary for the group to work together to prepare meals occasionally (with help from the trip leader). Horse riding: There will be opportunities to try horse riding in the evening when we have made camp for the day. You will be given detailed instruction on how to ride in a safe manner. You will need to bring your own helmet if you wish to ride. Tipping: It is customary to tip the tour leader, local guides and support crew at the end of your trek Please allow US$100. Gifts: The local children of Ulaanbaatar appreciate any warm clothing, shoes etc. Accommodation: All accommodation as detailed in this itinerary are in hotels in Ulaanbaatar on a twin/triple/ and in tents while trekking. Extra accommodation can be reserved for you in Ulaanbaatar before and after your tour at 7

a discounted price. Mongolian Visa: Prior to departure you will need to obtain an entry visa for Mongolia. Depending on your nationality as to what the cost of this would be. Specific information is given to you in your pre departure information. The approx. cost for this (if you are applying in NZ) is NZD$95. Clothing Note: While there is no technical climbing equipment required you should take warm and appropriate leather walking boots, sleeping gear and clothing as the trek on the Mongolian Plateau region can get very cold in the evenings Pre departure information: Further to the information provided in this itinerary, a pre departure information booklet will be sent to you. This Pre departure booklet provides you with information regarding visas, joining instructions, clothing/ equipment list, health requirements, vaccinations, extra hotel accommodation, training tips for fitness etc. Please read it carefully to make sure you are fully prepared. Itinerary flexibility: Please be aware that with our Mongolian trips there needs to be a high degree of flexibility in regards to the day to day itinerary, as we are at the mercy of the weather in Mongolia, and will adjust our plans as necessary. The Altai and Tsambagarav areas in particular are a mountainous environment, and can be dangerous if the weather changes suddenly. There are not daily flights between Ulgii and Ulaanbaatar, and the flight schedule will not be set until early summer even then it can change randomly. We will adapt the itinerary if the flight days do not work out as planned. You need to be open to whatever adventure comes your way, Important note: The enclosed notes are intended as a guide only, indicating a typical itinerary and series of activities and highlights. While every effort will be made to follow the route published on any departure and the distances travelled, driving time and available activities can vary for a number of reasons, in the event of political problems or natural difficulties which are beyond our control and prevent travelling to a particular area, Trekking Adventures reserve the right to substitute an alternative activity for that section of the trip. Overnight stops may vary on occasions from those suggested Please note that your leader has the authority to amend or cancel any part of the itinerary if it is deemed necessary due to safety concerns The leader will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but please be prepared to be flexible if necessary. Remember if you do not undertake some training before hand and you are found not be fit enough for the trip, this may jeopardise you being able to remain on the trek.(please read the terms & 8

conditions carefully regarding this). Price does not include: Entry Visa to Mongolia Drinks, tips, laundry and other items of personal nature Any tour entrance fees not mentioned in the itinerary Meals except where indicated in the itinerary personal gear, Excess baggage fees on domestic flights. Up to 20kg of luggage per person is included in the trip price, including hand luggage - if you need to take more you may need to pay a fee to the airline (about $3USD per kg) International airfares and Travel Insurance Single supplement Updated July 2015 Trekking Adventures P O Box 5543, Palmerston North, New Zealand 4441, Phone: +64 6 356 7043, Mobile: + 64 (27) 356 7043 Email:ann@trekkingadventures.co.nz, web: www.trekkingadventures.co.nz 9