Mongolia: Running for Yak Milk, Sand Dunes, and Community
Originally written July 17, 2013.
Just about three weeks ago, the quest of running in virgin landscapes brought us to Ulaan Bataar, Mongolia, where we began a two week running adventure through the world’s least populated country.
For two weeks, the curiosity of our feet led us on a crazy pilgrimage across steppes and gorges, up giant sand dunes, and past hundreds of camels. We ran three to four hours a day, camped and stayed in gers, (the Mongolian yurt) and when we weren’t being the only three people running in the country we generally drank all kinds of exotic milks, became dedicated red meat & game eaters, and played Mongolian children’s games with camel bones. We did not shower, and we had no cell phones, no computers, and no fruit and vegetables. Instead we had wet wipes, an InReach device, and Haribo fruit-flavoured gummy bears.
While we went in search of desolate landscapes, it was actually the people we encountered that stand out the most. In a flash rain storm that chewed up the dirt road and fogged visibility in Northern Gobi, we dropped in unannounced on a local family, who welcomed us for milk tea even though it was before 9am, and their teenage daughter was still sleeping in the center of our gathering. We were lucky to experience the critical factor that helps Mongolians survive, an empathy and interdependency that supports them to live in harmony with the harsh land. In this world, each family served a critical role to one another. Instead of the latest waterproof technology or tall rain boots, they had community. They let nature take its course, and while they waited, they had a dinner party. Can you imagine if we were to implement this in our own communities?
Below are some of our highlights.
Day 1: Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
rainy season means roads are impassable!locals help dig dirt in a failed attempt to get their van on the movethe storm settles, and we find a ger for coverour first horse sighting!exploring the hills of Gorkhi-Terelj National Parksunset on our first night in the Mongolian countryI haven’t seen moonlight this bright since North Korea (Alicia)our driver from northern Mongolia! He was down to eat whatever we were eating, although he laughed at the freeze-dried packages. He loved meat!this was our last sighting of water for a while, as we headed south to the Gobi Desert later that day…
Days 2-4: the Road to Gobi
we chose to run in the middle of the day in the desert, which was relaxing but HOT!for days we drove and saw more animals than humans. Animal traffic crossings are like cross walks in Mongolia.and the sky suddenly turns to perilous shades! But we run anyway.we’re running right toward an inviting rain and hail storm!asking for directions and driving conditions ahead seems to be a Mongolian pastime.When another storm rolled through, we got a chance to learn about the Mongolian culture of interdepency. Without any hesitation, a local family hosted us for shelter and tea, before 9am. Check out the set-up, this is a common type of home for Mongolians living in the countryside.Mongolians have an amazing education system and very high literacy rate, teenagers from the remote areas attend boarding schools in larger towns. Giraa, a teen we met in the Northern Gobi, even had Facebook!
A Day in the Gobi
chillin in the land rover. I used to figure skate in this makeshift turban (gold sequined overcoat).Just endless space… where you can go ANYWHERE!For whatever reason we would end up running during daily highs, (~30C) maybe it’s a Vancouver thing, the desire to feel more sun?asking for directions on the way to Yolin Am.this is what a Mongolian major road looks like, today. (!!)looks a little bit like the Grand Canyon, don’t you think? An interesting canyon on our way to Yolin Am.camping in Mongolia at sunset is the most beautiful thing!do not drive into this cliff…Quality time, Laurel and our driver. It must have been really windy at the top, hence Laurel’s jacket.
Sunsets and Camel Humps in the Gobi
a ger is a Mongolian yurt, it’s where Mongolians live, herd, cook, and hang out, and we joined them from time to time for a fun way to spend the night.Camels are a legit form of transport in Mongolia, down in the Gobi.The elusive quest to look like a camel in pairs…desert sunsets are so addictive…Often we saw more animals crossing the “roads” than humans or cars. Mongolian roads are like animal highways!Tara nearly pulled her hip from the camel ride, it was an intense hip-opener. Pretty funny.
Majestic Sand Dunes and Rocky Valleys of Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park
Can you believe, these are the Khongoryn Els sand dunes as we drive toward them. From this angle, you can really get the perspective to see how impressive they are– a mountain range in scope.Khongoryn Els is a chain of beautiful sand dunes that rise up like mountains in the otherwise flat / rocky Gobi. The biggest sand dune and the one pictured here is 100k long, 10k wide, and 300m high.
And that’s 300 meters of your feet sinking through the sand about a foot. It felt exactly like climbing up a mountain of fresh powder: tough, but fun and silly, with amazing views at the top.The magical Khongoryn Els by dayanother, addictive sunsetRocky beauty right outside Khongoryn Els.Tara V. the massive sand duneTara V. the massive sand duneWe took a day to adventure around Yolyn Am, which is a beautifully runnable mountain range in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains of southern Mongolia. Here we explored the ridges to our heart’s content, and fell in love with trail-less running alongside hundreds of mountain animals. it’s amazing to see the hills rise up from the steppelucky for my fetish with clambering over rock, rocky sections are characteristic of the Gobi.Laurel whispers to mountain goats on our exploration run up and down Yolyn Am’s valleys.
A few people joked that this author would maybe stay behind to roam Mongolia, but we all came home, loving Mongolia but appreciating our home communities more than ever. In search of remoteness and simplicity, we found an appreciation for people, and for complexity, a new lens on our lives we didn’t know existed. As always, the simple act of moving our feet brought us far more than just that.
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