BIG SKY COUNTRY
Mongolia is the land of vast open spaces and endless skies, stretching from horizon to horizon. It is the homeland of Genghis Khan and the center of a vibrant and unique culture. Perhaps less known is that Mongolia is also incredibly wild and beautiful, with a distinctive wildlife that is often surprisingly unafraid of humans. In the autumn of 2024, we conducted a test expedition led by some of the country’s best wildlife trackers and experts. Their expertise ensured we returned with a wealth of rare and remarkable photographs.

LAND OF THE MONGOLS
Mongolia is situated in the heart of Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. The country is three times the size of Sweden but has only 3 million inhabitants, half of whom live in the capital, Ulaanbaatar. This leaves ample space for untouched wilderness and vast, nearly uninhabited areas, where most of the few residents are nomadic livestock herders. These herders manage large herds of sheep, goats, cattle, horses, and two-humped camels. During our reconnaissance expedition in the autumn of 2024, we traveled for two weeks without encountering a single non-Mongolian person.

Mongolia is a land of boundless grasslands, majestic mountain ranges, and arid deserts, where the inland climate offers extreme temperature variations—from minus 30°C in winter to plus 30–40°C in summer. It is the world’s second-largest landlocked country, consisting primarily of steppe landscapes. It is also one of the highest-altitude nations, with its highest point at 4,374 meters above sea level in the snow-capped Altai Mountains. Rainfall is sparse in the summer and very low during winter. The areas we explore enjoy about 300 sunny days per year.

PHENOMENAL NATURE AND CULTURE
Our focus is on finding, approaching, and photographing wildlife such as snow leopards, Pallas’s cats, Przewalski’s horses, Siberian/Mongolian ibex, argali sheep, corsac foxes, Mongolian pikas, domestic two-humped camels, and bird species like saker falcons, bearded vultures, cinereous vultures, and upland buzzards. Many of these animals can be photographed at close range.

Przewalski’s horse is worth special mention, being the world’s only truly wild horse species. These animals are neither afraid of nor particularly interested in humans. They simply go about their lives as other wild creatures do. We have the privilege of observing them up close, living as nature intended.

Snow leopards thrive in Mongolia, particularly in the Altai Mountains and the region of Santmargats. Their diet includes ibex, argali sheep, and a significant amount of livestock such as sheep and goats. When conditions allow, local guides have developed a method of setting up temporary hides near the snow leopards’ fresh kills, which these legendary cats often revisit. This setup can offer extraordinary photographic opportunities if we’re lucky.

Pallas’s cats are present in several of the areas we visit, and it is sometimes possible to approach them slowly using vehicles. Our trackers set out before dawn to help locate these elusive animals for us.

We travel during the winter months, specifically in November, when the prey animals of predators like snow leopards, wolves, and Pallas’s cats stay at lower altitudes. This also means that all mammals are sporting their thick winter coats. At the same time, we avoid the harshest winter cold. Unlike many other snow leopard habitats, the ones here are at significantly lower altitudes. We will stay at approximately xxxx-yyyy meters and never sleep higher than cccc meters above sea level, minimizing the risk of altitude-related health issues.

SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES
Our destinations offer dramatic landscapes, including snow-covered peaks, weathered red granite hills, rolling steppes, sand dunes, and breathtaking night skies. We will use the beautiful light of dawn and dusk for landscape photography, sometimes while waiting for our trackers to locate wildlife. Additionally, we will have opportunities to photograph herders in their traditional attire, riding horses or motorcycles, among camels in the sand dunes, or at their yurts.

GENGHIS KHAN COWBOY COUNTRY
Most people living on the steppes and in the mountains are engaged in livestock herding (goats, sheep, cattle, camels, and horses). This remains a cornerstone of the country’s economy. Mongolia holds the world record for the number of livestock per capita, with herding accounting for over two-thirds of the nation’s economy.

In the 13th century, the legendary Genghis Khan united the Mongolian nomadic tribes and, in an incredibly short time, founded the largest empire in world history, stretching from Eastern Europe to the Pacific Ocean and southward to India and China. The empire collapsed in 1368, and Mongolia fell under Chinese rule. In 1924, Mongolia declared itself a republic under Soviet influence. Today, the country is striving to establish democratic governance despite its authoritarian neighbors.