Mongolian Spring Horse Treks
Our Mongolian spring horse treks start the annual season of Stone Horse Expeditions. They are horseback tours in May and June with 5 days of riding in Gorkhi Terelj National Park and 4 nights in tented camps.
Our Mongolian Spring Horse Trek dates are:
- May 17 to 23
- May 31 to June 6
These tour dates include arrival and departure days. The actual horse trekking days are May 18 – 22, and June 1 – 5.
Costs and Payment
The cost of the 5 Day Mongolian Spring Horse Treks is US $ 2,040.00. This includes airport transfers, accommodation on arrival and departure days, and the 5 days riding with all food and drinks and equipment for riding and camping provided. The deposit for the 5 day horse treks is US $ 500 and can be paid here.
What’s included in the listed price
Tour Itinerary and Trekking Route
Day 1: Pick-up at Chinggis Khaan International Airport and transfer to hotel in Ulaanbaatar city.
Day 2: Travel to Stone Horse Base Camp, about an hours drive from the city center. After breakfast at the camp, you will meet your horses, adjust saddles, load saddlebags, short test ride for adjustment, then have an early lunch before heading into the park and 1st nights camp next to the Terelj river.
Day 3: 2nd day of riding – after breakfast, day trip up the Terelj River Valley to the Elephant River; lunch on the trail, return to camp for the night, accommodation in tents
Day 4: 3rd day of riding – after breakfast, ride up the scenic valley extending to the North, return to the campsite for a picnic lunch. In the meantime, horsemen have broken camp; in the afternoon, the whole trek moves down the Terelj valley to reach our next campsite near a tributary to the Terelj river. Dinner in camp
Day 5: 4th day of riding – after breakfast, ride up a forested pass and down a scenic valley to ascend another pass in the vicinity of which we will have a picnic lunch. Return in the afternoon via an open valley, and the big open Terelj valley before turning towards our campsite for the night.
Day 6: 5th day of riding – after breakfast, pack up camp, cross the Terelj River and ride over another pass into Gachurrt Valley; lunch on the trail, unload and repack personal gear to travel luggage, stay in Stone Horse ger camp in Darkhid Valley for the night, or if leaving the next day, travel into Ulaanbaatar hotel for the evening.
Day 7: Transfer to Chinggis Khaan International Airport. Departure.
Depending on weather and the conditions of passes and river crossings, the route may change a little, or be traveled in reverse. However, the trek will go through the same areas and landscapes and the overall experience is not compromised by route adjustments.
Mongolian Spring Horse Treks – Weather, Environment and Horses
Mongolia has long winters, and even in May you will still see signs of winter. Stretches of rivers that the spring sun does not reach may still have ice along the banks. Forested valley bottoms may still have ice covers or mounds of ice. In Mongolia, May is the first month when new grass starts greening up hillsides and valleys.
It depends of course on the weather pattern each year how green the landscape already is during the Mongolian spring horse treks. Typically, spring flowers are already out in the mountain meadows in May. Namely the yellow and purple pasque flowers make for beautiful colors in higher altitude forests and grasslands. By June, greening up has progressed further and wildflower season is already nearing.
We don’t start our horse trekking season before May for the sake of our horses. They have received winter feeding twice daily from November through April, or longer, and come through the winter in good condition. But we still want to make sure they have good grazing available by the time they are back on their jobs as saddle and pack horses. By late May and early June they can graze on the new grass. We choose campsites where there is plenty of grazing for our horses.
Clothing and Equipment for Horse Trekking and Camping
We prepare well for springtime weather to make riding and camping during the Mongolian spring horse treks a good experience. For sleeping we provide guests with warm sleeping bags, with cozy inner bags and if needed, an outer bag or a whole second sleeping bag. For springtime horse treks we use four season tents, single occupancy unless guests wish to share a tent.
For clothing, the same rule as for all horse treks in Mongolia applies. Bring layers, and expect to experience four seasons in one day. In springtime, especially in June, days may already get quite warm, but it is more likely that temperatures still require an overcoat for riding. Check out our equipment list and download the Free E-Book for advice on how to prepare and what to bring.
