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Golden Eagle FestivalMongolian CultureJust as the travel season winds down each fall, a fascinating event is taking flight in the rugged wilds of northwestern Mongolia. It’s the Golden Eagle Festival, a celebration of the heritage and traditions of the native Kazakhs who still use Golden Eagles to hunt small prey. With the exotic and spectacular hunting practice verging on extinction, it’s a rare event to witness especially on an active adventure tour from Nomadic Expeditions, the pioneer of authentic Mongolian adventure travel.. The Golden Eagle Festival unfurls each October in the vast and forbidding foothills of the Altai Mountains. The pageantry takes flight right from the start as more than five-dozen Kazakhs in traditional hunting regalia parade on horseback with birds of prey on their arms. Three days of competition follow, with sleek Golden Eagles evaluated for speed and agility as they plunge from cliffs to the arms of their trainers or chase dragged fox skins across the plain. And get ready to watch a thundering game of kukbar, a time-honored equestrian competition which tests the skill and courage of Kazakh riders. The Golden Eagle Festival was established in 2000 by Jalsa Urubshurow, founder and CEO of Nomadic Expeditions, to revive the time-honored avian hunting technique and promote it among younger generations of Kazakhs. All proceeds go to the Berkut Association, a community-based group committed to conserving the birds and preserving the traditions of Mongolia’s largest ethnic minority. The 8-day Golden Eagle Festival tour runs October 1-8, 2003. Cost from $737 per person. For reservations or more information, contact Nomadic Expeditions at 800-998-6634, or visit on-line at www.nomadicexpeditions.com. The Golden Eagle Festival tour, which includes sightseeing through the Mongolian countryside and around the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, is just one of several off-season event-centric Mongolian adventures offered by Nomadic Expeditions. Also, consider: • Mongolia’s Lunar New Year: Spend seven days ushering in the Lunar New Year during Mongolia’s Tsagaan Sar Festival, then enjoy six days exploring celebrated sites in Beijing and Xian. Late February departure; cost to be determined. • Thousand Camel Festival: This joyous Mongolian celebration is yours to behold on an 8-day tour into the Gobi. Cheer traditional camel races and learn first-hand about the fascinating lifestyle of desert camel herders. Jan. 26-Feb. 2, 2004; cost from $1,020/pp. The pioneer of exceptional adventures in Mongolia, Nomadic Expeditions offers more than two-dozen authentic cultural and adventure experiences throughout the country, and operates the new Three Camel Lodge luxury ger camp in the heart of the Gobi Desert. Edited by Dave Shultz |
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