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February 26, 2017

Mongolia: Golden Eagles to the Gobi Desert

Asia Cultural Traveler Stories

15-Time WT Adventurer Shares His Explorations in Mongolia to Witness the Golden Eagle Festival and Experience the Stunning Landscapes of the Gobi Desert

Mongolia is a land of blue sky, vast landscapes, and a vibrant traditional culture. On our autumn journey with WT, Wild Mongolia, we had the pleasure of witnessing the Golden Eagle Festival (made famous by the film “The Eagle Huntress”), and exploring the Gobi Desert, with hikes to ancient sites, camel rides, and experiencing the dramatic contrasts of such unique landscapes.

The tradition of eagle hunting thrives in the heart of Mongolia’s wild west. Historically, nomadic Kazakhs have depended on golden eagles for hunting, catching the eaglets when they are young and training them to capture small prey. In 1999, the Golden Eagle Festival was founded to preserve this proud tradition. We enjoyed two days watching this amazing spectacle alongside Kazakh locals.

A person on horseback, accompanied by a majestic Golden Eagle, rides past a crowd of spectators in the open, mountainous landscape of Mongolia.
This annual Mongolian festival, which celebrates the Golden Eagle as well as the hunters’ traditional culture, is arranged by the local Kazakh community and members of the Berkut Association, a community-based conservation organization.

The main attraction of this festival are the golden eagles, known as berkut. The hunters, dressed in full regalia and mounted on horseback with their eagles, compete in catching decoys that resemble foxes and hares. Prizes are awarded for accuracy, agility, and speed. The main prizes are: Best Turned Out Eagle and Owner, Best Eagle at Hunting Prey, and Best Eagle at Locating its Owner from a Distance.

Two individuals in traditional attire on horseback, one of them holding a large golden eagle with its wings spread. A yurt and the vast expanse of Mongolia's mountainous landscape are visible in the background.
A person rides a horse in a rocky landscape, holding a large golden eagle on their arm. Another rider on horseback is in the background, further emphasizing the remote, mountainous environment of Mongolia.
A proud contestant and his female eagle. Female eagles are captured and trained by the hunters. They are heavier and more aggressive than males and better suited for taking larger prey.

Aisholpan, star of The Eagle Huntress movie, became the first female eagle hunter in 12 generations of her Kazakh family. At 15 years old, she competed against 70 grown men and placed first in this year’s festival.

Two people in traditional attire hold large eagles on their gloved hands, standing outdoors against a rocky background in the Gobi Desert. One of the majestic Golden Eagles is hooded.
Aisholpan, the 15-year-old girl who took the title of Golden Eagle Festival in 2016, holding her golden eagle.

It’s remarkable the amount of time and level of commitment each eagle hunter pours into their prized eagles. On our way to the festival one day, our driver stopped to chat with a contestant, and let me pose with his golden eagle—a definite highlight for me!

A man in a green jacket holds a leather-gloved arm out with a perched Golden Eagle, surrounded by a group of people with a mountainous Mongolian backdrop.

Our ger camp, set along the Khovd River, was 30-40 minutes from the grounds of the Golden Eagle Festival. The diversity of landscapes across Mongolia astounded us, from the steppes and plains to the rivers, and later into the Gobi Desert.

A person with a backpack stands on a rocky riverbank, looking at a large rock formation across the water under a clear sky, reminiscent of the rugged landscapes found in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.
Sunset along the Khovd River, near our Wilderness Travel Ger Camp

During our time in the Gobi, we enjoyed a lovely hike to the Khavtsgait petroglyphs, with its rock art on the hilltops.

Two hikers, one in a red jacket and one in a blue jacket, stand on a rocky hillside with trekking poles, reminiscent of adventurers exploring the vast landscapes of Mongolia. Behind them, a majestic mountainous expanse stretches under a blue sky dotted with scattered clouds.

Our overnights were at the Three Camel Lodge, which is located in the southernmost province in Mongolia bordering northern China. It is a great home base for exploring the surrounding area by 4WD vehicle and on foot. And it was especially nice to see the camp painted in early morning light.

A group of white, circular yurts sits on a grassy plain at sunset in Mongolia, with a stone path leading through the area. In the distance, Golden Eagles soar above this tranquil scene reminiscent of the vast Gobi Desert.
Sunrise at Three Camel Lodge, Gobi Desert. This is a wonderful place for exploring by 4WD vehicle or hiking and relaxing near the camp.

We also got to explore one of the few regions of the Gobi with sand dunes by camel. This was at Moltsog Els.

A person wearing a blue jacket and helmet sits on a camel in the Gobi Desert while another individual in traditional attire, reminiscent of the rich cultural heritage of Mongolia, holds the camel's reins.

One of our day hikes brought us to the Yol Valley. The valley is named after the lammergeier, an Old World vulture, and is often called “Valley of the Vultures” or “Valley of the Eagles”.

We hiked past an ovoo, a type of shrine, usually made from rocks or wood. When traveling, it is custom to stop and circle an ovoo three times in clockwise direction, in order to have a safer journey.

Snow-covered mountainous landscape with people hiking in the distance. A cairn is in the foreground, topped with blue and yellow fabric, reminiscent of tradition found in Mongolia. Clouds are scattered across the bright sky, perhaps offering a glimpse into a terrain where Golden Eagles might soar.

-Photos and text by 15-time WT adventurers Dan & Sandy Ciske, Wild Mongolia

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