Trip Reports

Mongolian Climber - 23 Jul to 7 Aug '16

2016 team making their way up the Potaniin Glacier

Written by Leader Becky Coles, August 2016

We were alone, not even a cloud shared our uninterrupted views across the Altai. Stood at the top of Nairamdal, a summit shared by Mongolia, Russia and China, hence its name, Friendship Peak, there were no other climbing teams, no villages or roads could been seen and even aeroplane vapour trails were absent in the flawless blue sky. Alone. Or so we thought.

The previous day we had waited for the wind to drop in our high camp which clung to a rocky outcrop on the Potanin Glacier. We watched the summit of Khuiten, Mongolia's highest peak, go in and out of cloud. Myself and the local guides umm-ed and ahh-ed about what to do. Then the wind dropped and the summit cleared and suddenly it was all go. Crampons and harnesses were donned rapidly, rope teams assembled, and off we headed across the glacier.

The climb steepened, but was short lived, and we emerged onto the broad summit ridge which arced gently to the top. Slopes dropped away steeply to either side, clouds drifted and swirled, glimpses of impressive peaks to the south, across China, and expansive steppe to the north across Russia.

This corner of Mongolia which makes up the far west tip of the country and is unique not only for it's mountains but also for the culture of the people who live here. Ethnic Kazakhs make up the majority of the population. On the trek into base camp and during the bone jarring drive to the road head we met local people who had moved to summer pastures with their animals and ger encampments; horses, yaks, fat-tailed sheep and goats filled the hillslopes.

We stopped several times at gers and were introduced to the family by our local guides. Invited in to share a bowl of kumis (fermented milk) and shown the family's hunting eagle. These powerful birds are used for hunting in the winter months, an ancient partnership between man and bird. At one stop a man brought the eagle into the ger. It's great wingspan unfurled, the man struggled to handle the bird in the small space and it's yellow talons flashed through the air. Everyone cowered. £For God's sake take the bird out of the house!£ I felt like a mother scolding a son.

A train of shaggy, two-humped, Bactrian camels took our kit bags into base camp led by Kazakhs from local gers on horseback. We followed on foot through stunning alpine meadows. The white velvet leaves of edelweiss were scattered like out-of-season snow flakes in the cropped grass. This flower more abundant in a one small meadow than I'd ever seen in Switzerland! The camels sank their heavy heads to the ground and munched the meadow flowers whenever they were allowed a lull in their progress. It was an unusual sight; camels with the backdrop of snowy peaks and glaciers.

Base camp nestled at the side of the Potanin Glacier, protected by a lateral moraine. Small groups of brightly coloured tents popped up during our stay as other teams came and went, mainly to climb Malchin, a peak requiring no technical equipment.

Crampon clad and ice axes in hand we returned from the summit of Mt Khuiten via the same route in increasingly softening snow, reaching our high camp as the clouds filled the sky and obscured the summits. By the evening it was pouring with rain putting into doubt whether an ascent of Nairamdal would be possible the following day. Rain turned to sleet and then snow overnight as temperatures dropped. Aware that poor weather was not uncommon in this part fo the world I wondered whether we'd have to simply descend the next day. Worries melted away as the morning dawned cold and completely clear.

The ascent of Nairamdal was more straightforward than Khuiten the previous day and our three ropes teams made the summit without difficulty. Returning across the glacier we contemplated the remoteness of this place. We'd been the only team in high camp and hadn't seen another soul since leaving base camp. So the front rope team was surprised when the local guide spotted a lone, shadowy figure moving across the glacier near our high camp. It padded silently across the snow and melted into the moraines. It's thick tail was as long as it's body with an elegant feline head. We probably shouldn't have been surprised, the area was teaming with potential prey. We'd seen a large herd of ibex and marmots whistled their alarm calls with every turn. The animal vanished like a mirage, but we were left in the the knowledge that we'd been in the presence of a snow leopard who had had granted us the privilege of a fleeting sighting.

Back at base camp we had another visitor. We were still in awe of the wilderness of the area so this visitor was equally as unexpected as the snow leopard. Just when we thought we were in the middle of nowhere, in terrain only negotiated by Bactrian camels, Kazakh horsemen and intrepid climbers, a 4x4 entered camp. Cameras bristled out from every angle of the vehicle as it bumped through the meadows. The logos revealed it's mission: Google Street View!

We trekked a different valley on our return, following the river that flowed from the glacier. Herds of horses filled the valley and homely gers became more frequent as we descended and the river swelled. It was idyllic. The remainder of our journey home was a little more fraught. Our internal flights proved to be reliably unreliable, meaning in a mad dash across western Mongolia to catch a flight in a different town. The bonus overland journey took us past lakes and by wooded valleys, the only trees we'd seen during our time in Mongolia. It resulted in a frantic race to connect with our international flights in Ulan Baataar. With only minutes to spare to made the flight. Mongolia stayed interesting to the very end.

The team consisted of:

British Representatives:
Sandy, Jessica, Steve, Sue and Simon

Australian representative:
Maleka

The Belgium team:
Geert and Erika

Ecuadorian extraordinaire:
Gustavo

German £ I forgot to mentioned I've climbed Everest on my experience form £ team member:
Mike

Team America:
Rachael and Debbie

Local team:
Aldra £ Head guide
Usuhuu £ Guide (first Mongolian to climb Everest)
Tugsuu £ Expedition chief extraordinaire and general miracle maker
Bayanaa £ Kitchen assistant and deliverer of fantastic food.

Expedition Leader:
Becky Coles

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