Third summary – The first adventurous 400 kilometers of riding
N 49°01'801'' E 104°03'566''
Day: 434
Sunrise:
07:02
Sunset:
18:45
Total kilometers:
2522
Soil condition:
Asphalt
Temperature – Day (maximum):
0 °C
Temperature – day (minimum):
minus 2 °C
Temperature – Night:
minus 3 °C
Latitude:
49°01’801”
Longitude:
104°03’566”
Maximum height:
1422 m above sea level
As soon as we had left the bilge camp behind us, Tenger shied away. Ulzii got scared and let him go, whereupon Tenger fled with his entire load. Bilgee took up the chase and was fortunately able to catch him again. Thus began the adventurous journey through a strange land. Our dog Mogi enjoyed his new freedom, at least until he discovered his hunting instinct and began to snatch sheep and goats. From then on, we tied him to the horse-drawn cart.
The autumn colors surprised us with their beauty. We crossed fairytale forests, worked our way over passes and mountains. The draught horses had a hard time pulling the heavily laden wagon up the steeply ascending paths and tracks. Bilgee’s inventiveness was particularly in demand on the other side of the valley. We used sticks and logs to slow the vehicle down and prevent it from crashing into rocks or falling into a ravine. Due to the difficult, sometimes stony terrain, Bor and Sharga lost one or two horseshoes. For the first time in my life I was forced to re-shoe horses.
The first snowstorm taught us the hard way back on September 12. At this early time of year, the thermometer dropped to minus 8 °C at night. We began to doubt whether we would ever reach the far north of Mongolia without freezing to death. Ulzii suffered more and more from the cold. His mood fluctuated. We weren’t sure whether he would hold out. On some days, the sun warmed us again. We had a happy and harmonious time, especially on the Selenge River. Hunger, eternally cold feet, fingers and face characterized the days until we reached our camp shortly before the coldest town in Mongolia, Mörön. Ultzii left us that very evening. “I’m getting too cold,” he said and had a relative pick him up by car. The thought of whether Bilgee would now also leave and our expedition was already at an end after the first 400 kilometers frightened us. The next morning, however, he showed his true strength by simply taking over Ultzii’s work. We reached the village and were welcomed by Saraa, with whom I had only had email contact until that day.
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