The Great Nomad Expedition

16/08/2026

Would you ride with the Eagle Hunters in western Mongolia? We go every October and think it’s magical.

15/08/2026

Mongolia’s incredible Deer Stones date back to the Bronze Age, roughly 1200–600 BCE. These human-sized stone pillars can stand anywhere from one to four metres tall and are carved with weapons, belts, celestial symbols and, most famously, beautiful flying “spirit deer” with enormous sweeping antlers.

It’s believed these deer may have represented a connection between this world and the next — perhaps carrying the souls of the dead towards the heavens. Many Deer Stones were erected as part of much larger sacred landscapes, alongside enormous burial mounds known as khirigsuurs, ritual sites and places where horses and other animals were sacrificed.

Around 1,600 Deer Stones are known worldwide, and the overwhelming majority are found in Mongolia and the surrounding region. Some of Mongolia’s most significant Deer Stone landscapes are now recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

But what makes seeing them on our expeditions so special isn’t simply their age.

It’s where you find them.

There are no glass cabinets. No museum walls. Often no fences or ticket booths. You can be travelling through an enormous valley, surrounded by horses, mountains and seemingly endless steppe, and suddenly find yourself standing beside something carved by people who lived here thousands of years ago.

And perhaps the most extraordinary part is how familiar that landscape might still have felt to them.

They too lived alongside horses and livestock. They moved through these valleys and mountains. They looked up at the same enormous Mongolian sky.

That is one of the things I love most about travelling through Mongolia. History isn’t always something locked away in a museum.

Sometimes you simply ride straight into it. 🐎

And on our Great Nomad Expeditions, these unexpected encounters with Mongolia’s ancient past are often just as memorable as the riding itself.

13/08/2026

This is so important to us and we are beyond excited to hear The Great Nomad Expedition Film has been selected for another film festival internationally!

10/08/2026

“The Derby opened the door and Mongolia changed my life”

It’s been 13 years since I rode the Mongol Derby, a crazy amount of time for something that feels like only a year or two has passed. While the race has changed a lot since I rode it in 2013, I hope quite a bit remains the same. I have some thoughts for those watching the race this year.

Firstly, the Mongol Derby was the best thing that ever happened to me. It changed my life for the better, not overnight but over time. Doing that race rerouted my career with horses to where it is today. It also gave me an incredible sense of self-belief that I have carried with me ever since.

I think this was because I rode my own race; I left nothing on the table, I gave it everything I had and more. But in all honesty, it was more a battle to see what I had inside me than anything else. I barely saw other riders. It was just me on a horse pushing myself through every challenge and hardship that came my way, and I loved it.

The challenges were hard, though, they are nothing to be sneered at. The horses, weather, exhaustion, the mental stamina of being in race mode that long, not to mention the sheer physical endurance.

So slightly controversial opinion - I love seeing tons of coverage of the race these days, but for the riders’ sake I wish there wasn’t so much. I really appreciate that I had that space to do the race, and never had to think of what was being posted online. Sometimes I wonder with anything like this if everything the competitors are going through needs to be on social media… Because believe me, some of those riders today are going through some stuff.

I think the race is more a test of adaptability than traditional riding ability. Can you adapt your horsemanship to be able to saddle these things? Can you figure out how to get on quickly and safely? Can you change your riding style when muscles start hurting? Can you sit quietly on the unruliest horses and gently persuade them to go in the correct direction? Can you feel when a horse needs a break, when it can keep going, and whether it is better at a trot or a canter?

I came away with a new respect for horses and their abilities. Aslo feeling that the place my soul feels most at home is on a galloping Mongolian horse heading for a horizon I can’t catch under a never-ending blue sky. Funnily enough, I don’t remember their wildness, which is what everyone asks me about, but I do remember their incredible stamina, speed and heart.

If you came to that race with a game plan, I think your best to rip it up and throw away the script and just ride the horses, wild weather and everything else that comes your way as it happens. From crewing and being on the other side of the race for many years the people with the most rigid ideas about how they were “going to do the Derby” seemed to struggle the most.

Anyone who finishes it is a legend; no matter what’s changed, it’s still the toughest horse race on earth, and it’s an incredible achievement to cross the finish line.

I actually didn’t learn that much about Mongolian culture from the race. I learned their horses were amazing and a few passing things about Mongolian life. But really I was racing, and if I wasn’t racing I was sleeping or saddling a horse. There is just not time to learn that much when you're going that fast; all the nuance, beauty and the parts of Mongolian culture I value most today, I’ve learnt from spending so much time there with my amazing Mongolian friends after the race. What the derby did was leave me wanting more

If I had to sum it up, I would say “ The Derby opened the door and Mongolia changed my life”, but I will be forever grateful that door was opened.

10/08/2026

Think yaks are just hairy cows? Think again.

Yaks have been living alongside people for thousands of years, with archaeological evidence suggesting they were first domesticated around 4,500–7,000 years ago on the Tibetan Plateau. Today they remain one of the most important animals for people living in the high mountains of Mongolia, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan and parts of Central Asia.

There are two types of yak: wild yaks (Bos mutus) and domestic yaks (Bos grunniens). Domestic yaks also come in a huge range of colours and can be either horned or naturally hornless (known as polled).

Unlike cattle, yaks are perfectly adapted to life above 3,000 metres. They have enormous lungs and hearts, can thrive in freezing temperatures down to around -40°C, and their dense double coat keeps them warm through some of the harshest winters on Earth. They also have fewer sweat glands than cattle, meaning they cope far better in cold climates but struggle in hot weather.

For high-altitude nomads, yaks are quite literally the backbone of life. They provide milk, butter, cheese, meat, fibre, hides, fuel (from dried dung), and transport. In many remote mountain communities, life simply wouldn't be possible without them.

They're also phenomenal pack animals. A healthy yak can comfortably carry 80–120 kg over steep, rocky mountain trails where horses, donkeys and vehicles often can't go. Their broad cloven hooves grip loose rocks and uneven ground, making them incredibly sure-footed, while their strength and endurance allow them to travel long distances in thin mountain air.

And yes… they're surprisingly comfortable to ride too.

It's no wonder they've been the trusted companions of mountain nomads for thousands of years.

09/08/2026

Everyone's been asking... and the answer is YES! 🎉
Bookings for our 2028 Mongolia expeditions are now officially open.

At this stage, our expedition schedule will remain the same as our 2027 & 2026 season, and if this year is anything to go by, it's never too early to secure your place. In fact, two of our 2027 expeditions are already fully booked, and several 2028 departures are already beginning to fill.

Whether you've always dreamed of:

🦅 Riding with the legendary eagle hunters of the Altai Mountains
🤍 Embarking on a spiritual journey with Mongolia's sacred white horses in the breathtaking Darkhad Valley
🐫 Crossing the frozen Gobi on the world's coldest camel expedition
🏇 Or pushing yourself to your limits on the 1,200 km Great Nomad Challenge, one of the longest and most demanding horseback adventures on the planet.....we have an expedition to suit every kind of adventurer.

From riding with reindeer herders in the northern taiga to exploring ancient landscapes, living with nomadic families and experiencing Mongolia in a way few people ever will, these are journeys that stay with you long after you've returned home.
If 2028 is the year you finally say yes to adventure, we'd love to have you join us
Visit our website to explore the expeditions, or get in touch—we're always happy to help you find the adventure that's right for you.

06/08/2026

We still have one place left! Who wants to join last minute?

06/08/2026

Who is coming camel snowboarding with us?

05/08/2026

Would you ride to this magical place with us? Come visit the Duhka people of northern Mongolia and their reindeer with us

03/08/2026