MR. BOYA.L

A WORD FROM BOYA.L, FOUNDER, EXPEDITION LEADER & MEDITATION PARTNER 

Just like many western Mongolian boys, I was raised on horseback and started to ride by myself from the age of 5. Since I was 8, my uncle brought me for days on journeys to find our herd in this vast and beautiful land around the Tarvagatai mountain range. The word Tarvagatai means the marmot country. 


On those days, I became a confident rider, finding strength and braveness on my own, and soon after I was trusted and left alone to go gather the horses myself. Nomadism means only one option is given to us: to be a nomad is to easily adapt and learn to live among the mountains and nature without any fear, and to trust yourself to live successfully. Also, it gives us an amazing opportunity to feel and be at home everywhere we are in this beautiful country. So, I loved to ride my horses at any time of the day. I used to ride up the mountains to a high vantage point to spot the surroundings, and while in search of my horses, to explore and learn about other animals, landscapes, etc... I often saw packs of wolves, deers, other families of horses, and thousands of marmots with giant birds flying around you, and accompany your whole trip. When I went out, my sister always gave me a leather bag containing some dried aaruul (curd), and pieces of boortsog (deep-fried bakeries), in case the horses were to be far away, and that it would take days to come back. My family never worried about what could happen to me, because they believed in their land and in the support of the other nomads that their boy can take a nap and will be fed by any family on his way.

For nomads, it is believed that the love of the mountains and their spirits will keep you safe on your way, and bless you with incredible and rich possibilities. There is not a concept of survival in the nomadic life, but instead a life in harmony with the land. My uncle was diligently trying to pass on me the nomadic unwritten knowledge and traditions, which we as nomads were supposed to follow. This would keep us close to the environment and respectful to our homeland. On a typical example of oral teachings, he always told me to never stop abruptly our horses after a fast ride: this would make your horse suffer, hurting its wild spirit and bring issues to the natural blood flow of the animal. Here I started to learn the be one with my horse on this long journey in this vast country and bring love to it, to cross and succeed only thanks to him. Mongols from an early age learn about love and respect from their animals.

Traditionally, Mongols never urinated or washed themselves or their clothes in the rivers or lakes. The same applied to the animals to keep the land as clean and pure as possible for a long time. The nomads always pushed their animals to avoid polluting the running water, pushing them to walk up to safer land. Also, we never put any blood, milk, and curd, or dairies in the rivers. My uncle told me to pay respect to the mountains and the rivers, paying respect to its spirit, the nomads, and the animals. That was the only way to live and preserve our traditions for countless generations to come, and pass on our respect especially towards the mountains, to our children.

Luckily, I had that beautiful opportunity and destiny to live in other countries for a while and get inspired by so many amazing cultures. And I realized the differences with the people of the modern world who are working really hard and living in a civilized environment. Being disconnected from this beautiful and virgin nature, they might have the need to spend time among the spiritual mountains, and to the endless deserts. I believe, virgin nature will give us some good rest and satisfaction after a hard-working period, some feelings we tend to forget due to our active life in modern society. It also contributes to realizing back ourselves within Nature. When you ride and venture through remote natural beauty, you definitely get back the lost power and adrenaline you normally feel like a human being. As a man who grew up in one of the world's last true natural and authentic environments, I sincerely welcome you to join our beautifully designed West Mongolian adventures, to be in this authenticity, and this feeling of being yourself, as part of the nomads in their original country.

"Travel is one of our strongest beliefs, like a religion.
We cannot imagine ourselves without it. If you get bored in this life, go out to travel “