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Imagine exploring the unique culture and amazing landscape of this mystical country, the home of Genghis Khan and the eternal blue sky. Travel in Mongolia by horseback and experience the land the way the Mongols do.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (PRWEB) April 25, 2013
Stone Horse Expeditions & Travel announces its new season of 10 and 14 Day horseback riding expeditions exploring new routes and sites through the cultural and wilderness landscapes of Mongolia. Running from mid-June through mid-October, with these trips one can venture by horseback into this unique and colorful land where horse riding and traditional nomadic herding is still a way of life.
These small group horseback riding expeditions are suitable for fit and adventurous novices and experienced horse riders alike, guiding people through the pristine national parks of the Gorkhi-Terelj and the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia on an adventure of a lifetime. Crossing mountain passes, fording rivers and riding through colorful historical landscapes, guests will meet nomadic herders and see evidence of ancient horse culture everywhere.
“We did the Gorkhi-Terelj National park expedition in September 2012, with Stone Horse. It was an incredible experience,” says Marieke Dechesne, who made the trip to Mongolia with several friends just to do this ride. Keeping the group size small attracts people like Marieke who want a safe quality experience and environmentally friendly travel.
“Mongolia is a safe holiday destination and visitors are always amazed at the openness and the friendly hospitality of the Mongolian people,” says Keith Swenson, an American who has lived and worked in the country for the past 14 years and is founder of Stone Horse Expeditions & Travel. Keith has worked in remote places throughout the world in areas as diverse as Antarctica and the Sultanate of Oman, managing a large wildlife sanctuary. Drawn to open spaces and the natural world brought him to Mongolia, where he helped develop the protected area system and worked for the improvement of rural livelihoods in the country’s mountainous Western regions.
Sabine Schmidt, his wife and co-founder of Stone Horse and takes care of expedition logistics to ensure these extraordinary horse riding adventures are as comfortable as possible for guests. Working in Mongolia since 1998 with conservation and development has brought her close to rural people and the issues they face in managing the natural resources they depend on as pastoralists.
“These horseback expeditions in Mongolia are a way to share knowledge of the country and its natural environment. Working for natural resource protection has helped to understand the beauty and secrets of the landscape and about people’s relationship to their land,” says Schmidt.
The Lonely Planet guide to Mongolia agrees and list Stone Horse Expeditions & Travel as a “professional outfit with quality horses and eco-conscious policies.” Stone Horse takes great care to ensure their horses and the equipment they use are the best possible, even going so far as to design and build their own custom saddles for the comfort of both horse and rider.
The land of the eternal blue sky and open steppe is changing fast though. Large scale mining operations with both its positive and negative effects are bringing enormous challenges to Mongolian that need to be addressed if the country is to move forward without damaging its environment and social fabric. Nomadic herding communities are still living a life steeped in age old practices yet adapting quickly to modern technologies, shaping life on the steppes today. The nomadic lifestyle and culture everywhere is fast disappearing and Mongolia is no different, so now is a good time to see and experience this country and this unique way of life.
Keith and Sabine are well known for their knowledge of the country’s national parks, rural life and of the challenges nomadic herder’s face. Conde’Nast Traveler magazine acknowledged this when looking into the issues that Mongolia’s young democracy must work with when preserving its culture and meeting the demands from international markets for natural resources. The country certainly is “on the move”.
Travelers who want to experience the real Mongolia with its nomadic culture and spectacular landscapes can contact Stone Horse Expeditions & Travel at https://stonehorsemongolia.com, or info(at)stonehorsemongolia(dot)com. Or phone: +976 11 343 074 and +976 9592 1167.
