Adventure Alternative

Mongolian Solar Eclipse Adventure

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The Next Solar Eclipse in Mongolia 2008

One of the Worlds most amazing experiences is that of a Solar Eclipse, especially in a remote land such as Mongolia! You’ll find yourself standing expectantly awaiting the Eclipse, wary, excited and often a little nervous as a blanket of darkness quickly approaches

you travelling from the horizon in the middle of the day. Your senses tell you something is wrong; the birds go quiet, the temperature drops and then all of a sudden the darkness engulfs you! Some people refer to it as re-birth, some as an astrological wonder others as a scary yet fascinating delight. This really is a rare and unique life experience. Our jourmey explores the natural beauty of Mongolia in vehicles and on foot, with something for everyone from walking to fishing, from horse riding to history, architecture and a wealth of cultural insights. This is a trip you will never forget!

We will be flying into Byrnaul in Russia (Altai region) and driving overland in minibuses to enter the northwest corner of Mongolia. At the border we transfer to jeeps and travel overland in this amazing wilderness for a total of 8 days, visiting lakes and mountains and ancient sites of petroglyphs and stone monuments dating back to the time of Genghis Khan.

The North-West of Mongolia is a misinterpreted region as there are no West Mongolians here. The basic population is Abak-Kereys (Kazakh and Muslem) and there are not many Tuvenians (lamast) people.

Our route takes us through an amazing mountain-landscape, which is not very far from the highest point of Mongolia. We'll venture through these amazing vistas in 4x4’s and spend wonderful nights either in tents or traditional yurts being hosted by the local people. The evenings promise to be full of entertainment and a very sociable occasion.

Our journey is designed so that we can visit all the popular and interesting sights before the next solar eclipse. This will include the Petroglyphs on Shivet-Khairkhan Mount, the amazing 10 stone statues all of which have been built by different cultures and many of the ancient Barrows.

We'll have several relaxing stops at the lakes in the national park, which offer fantastic fishing and a host of animals and birdlife.

At the site of the eclipse next to one of the lakes there will be entertainment such as an eagle hunting festival, traditional archery, Mongolian music and celebrations. We will be at the eclipse site on the 31st July.

We will be trekking for some of the days, fishing in the crystal clear lakes, horse riding and sleeping in both tents and traditional yurts. This trip explores the natural beauty of Mongolia in vehicles and on foot, and will look specifically at the local history and culture.

Our guide Sasha Lebedev is an expert in both the Altai region and the north western region of Mongolia. He has written five books on the area and speaks good English.

Adventure Alternative already runs trips to Mongolia and we have built a strong relationship with trusted local operators to provide some of the services. We have carried out a recce of the area, the route and already made the bookings.

Eclipse Trip Programme:

24/7 Depart home
25/7 Arrive Barnaul Airport at 6.00 am (local time). Transfer 450-500 km by microbus (all day). Overnight in tents.
26/7 Early breakfast. Transfer to the border by microbus (3.5 hours). Crossing border. Lunch at the lake.
27/7 Transfer to Tsygan-Gol valley. Stop near town of Shivet-Hairkhan.
28/7 Trekking all day around Mt Shivet-Hairkhan to see thousands of hieroglyphs and monuments of the Tuvanians.
29/7 Transfer to Mogojtyn-Gol to see stone sculptures.
30/7 Transfer to Lake Khoton-Nur. Fishing in Syrgal river and horse riding.
31/7 Exploring the petroglyphs. Fishing on Dayan Lake and transfer to Khara-Nur lake.
1/8 Kazakhstanian festival. Evening - Solar eclipse.
2/8 Transfer to Sagsay.
3/8 Early breakfast. Travel to the border and transfer to Russian territory.
4/8 Transfer to Barnaul. Accomodation in Barnaul hotel in the evening.
5/8 Early Transfer to airport (20 min). Departure to Moscow.
6/8 Arrive home

Flights
All flights are with Aeroflot via Moscow. Below are the details for London return. We are waiting for the Dublin routing details at present but they will marry in with the Moscow to Barnaul flight:

London Heathrow to Moscow to Barnaul
Flight Number:SU 242V Date:24JUL Airport:LHR-SVO depart:1330 arrive:2010
Flight Number:SU 715V Date:24JUL Airport:SVO-BAX depart:2230 arrive:0550

Barnaul to Moscow to London Heathrow
Flight Number:SU 716V Date:05AUG Airport:BAX-SVO depart:0715 arrive:0840
Flight Number:SU 241V Date:05AUG Airport:SVO-LHR depart:1105 arrive:1210

Weather
The trip in North-West Mongolia will take place at an altitude of 2000m. During their summer the weather is not likely to be very hot however it can change from warm to chilly quite quickly due to the windchill. The coolest time of day will be in the evenings. We can expect occasional rain but not downpours. The water in the lakes is cold, but not icy and they offer up excellent meals with an abundance of fish.




Equipment
Soap, toothpaste, toothbrush, towel
Individual medicine
Insect repellent
Sunglasses
Knife
Torch
Notebook & pen
Passport
Money for souvenirs
Camera, batteries, charger
Sun and cold weather hat
Fleece
Underwear
Wind-proofs top and bottom
Trousers and shorts
2 t-shirts with long or short arm
Socks - 3-4 pairs
Warm mid layer
Trainers for camp
Small / medium rucsac for trekking
Sleeping bag – 3 season
Sleeping mat
Travel bag – duffle or rucsac

Adventure Alternative will provide:
All transport (minibuses in Russia and Land Rover jeeps in Mongolia)
All meals, cooking staff and equipment on the basis of mostly camping
All yurts and tents
Russian visa invitation letters
Russian guide Sasha Lebedev and Adventure Alternative guide Gavin Bate
All programme and events as in itinerary

Not included:
Flights to Byrnaul in Russia (via Moscow)
Russian and Mongolian visa
Personal expenses

If you are interesed in this trip please book your place now with us because we expect a lot of interest in this trip and places are limited or contact us with any questions you may have.