July 20, 2017

 

Greg Vernovage called in this morning (his evening) to report he and his team arrived in Bayan-Ölgii without issue. The flight from Ulaanbaatar was just over 2 hours and the subsequent drive to Mt. Khuiten National Park was a bit long (6 hours) but generally pleasant. Along the drive over the rolling hills of far western Mongolia they saw golden eagles, yaks, horses, cows, goats, and of course camels. They arrived at Mt. Khuiten National Park with plenty of time to settle into camp and enjoy a nice dinner of fresh salad, chicken and rice.

Tomorrow they’ll load up the camels and head up to their official Base Camp which should take them about 5 hours. They’ll have a few stream crossings to contend with but it doesn’t sound like anything they can’t handle. A rest/acclimatization day follows.

All continues to go well in Mongolia.

Tye Chapman

July 19, 2017

We had a fun day in Ulaanbataar today.  It started off with a visit and tour of the Gandantegchinlen Monastery where a 26.5 meter high statue of one of the main deities stands.  Very impressive.  After the Monastery, we strolled through the main square where Mongolia won its independence through peaceful protests in 1990.  At the end of the square is the Parliament building and a giant statue of Genghis Khan.  We then went to the Mongolian History Museum but were slowed down by an afternoon downpour of rain which is quite rare according to our tour guide.

This evening, before dinner, we visited a local theater where we saw cultural dancing and music.  Highlights included ancient musical instruments that sound fantastic, a contortionist that made us all hurt a little bit and left us in awe and of course, we heard some incredible throat singing.

We are up and out the door early tomorrow morning.  The plan is to head to the airport at 4:45am and be the first in line for our flight to Bayan-Ölgii.

Put this place on your list of places to visit, it is great so far!

Greg Vernovage

 

July 18, 2017

Fellow guide Charlotte Austin, myself and all other members of the inaugural Mongolia/Mt. Khuiten Expedition arrived in Ulaanbaatar with their luggage!  It never gets old to have everyone arrive with their gear at the beginning of an expedition like this.

After a few gear checks and a several naps, the Team kicked off the trip with a Welcome dinner.  For many of the Team, it was a reunion from a number of different past IMG trips.  A few met on the Dolpo Trek while others met during a Patagonia Trek.  As we got together in the lobby before dinner I could instantly tell that this Team is going to have a ton of fun and enjoy everything about Mongolia.  Dinner started off with a bowl of delicious pumpkin soup followed by beef skewers.  A touch of wine ensured a good night sleep.  We are all excited for the city tour tomorrow to learn more about the history of Ulaanbaatar. First impression of Ulaanbaatar is it is an old Soviet-era city that is undergoing changes to make it more modern.

We are off and running for our Mongolia trip!

Greg Vernovage

P.S. This program is in development. Stay tuned for details, links, etc.!