Autumn Migration Near Ölgii: Why Kazakh Herders Move Before Winter, and How to Join Them
3 days ago
3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Short answer: every autumn, Kazakh herding families in the Altai Mountains of Bayan-Ölgii, western Mongolia, take down their gers and move their animals from the high summer pastures to autumn camps lower in the valleys, before the first heavy snow. Travellers can join one of these moves. Our 7-day Nomads Autumn Migration tour runs in September and October and includes four nights living in a Kazakh family's ger.
Why do herders move before winter arrives in the Altai?
Herders move to keep their animals on fresh grass and close to water, and to get them off the high pastures before the snow comes.
Fresh grazing. By late summer the grass around the summer camp is grazed down. Families move on so the animals keep feeding well and the pasture is not overgrazed.
Early snow on high ground. Snow can arrive early in the Altai, and a storm on the high pastures is dangerous for animals that are still up there.
A step towards the winter camp. The autumn camp is not the last move of the year. Usually in late November or December, families move again into sheltered winter camps in lower valleys, near rivers or forest edges, where hills break the wind.
Getting the herd ready for winter. Autumn is when animals are rounded up, some are sold, and the household prepares food and fuel for the cold months.
What happens during the autumn migration?
A move starts with the ger coming down. The family takes apart the wooden lattice walls, rolls up the felt layers and packs the stove, carpets and embroidered wall hangings onto camels, yaks and horses. Many families now carry part of the load by truck or motorcycle as well.
The elders choose the route from their memory of the pastures, the weather and where water is. Neighbouring families often travel together. The herd moves at the animals' pace, and at the new camp everyone helps put the ger back up the same day.
On our tour the group covers about 10–20 km a day, on foot, on horseback or walking with the camels, and helps herd horses, yaks and sheep along the way.
Can travellers experience the autumn migration near Ölgii?
Yes. Our Nomads Autumn Migration tour is built around a Kazakh family's own move:
Length: 7 days / 6 nights.
When: September and October. Exact dates follow each family's move and depend on weather and pasture.
Where you sleep: four nights in the family's ger, plus hotel nights in Ölgii and Ulaanbaatar.
Difficulty: easy to moderate, with about 10–20 km a day on migration days.
Group size: up to 8 travellers.
Price: from $1,160 per person for 7–8 travellers, $1,900 per person for two and $2,900 for a solo traveller.
Included: return flights Ulaanbaatar ⇄ Ölgii (about 2 hours each way), meals, an English-speaking guide, a cook and camel support.
Can I stay with a Kazakh nomadic family in Western Mongolia?
Yes. On the migration tour you live with the family for four nights: you eat with them, help with milking, cooking and collecting fuel, and sleep in a felt ger. Outside the migration season, shorter homestays of two or three nights can be arranged.
A few customs help you feel at home: enter the ger and move around it to the left, and never step on the threshold.
What is the autumn landscape like around Ölgii and the Altai Mountains?
Autumn turns the Altai gold. The larch forests on the north-facing slopes turn yellow, the steppe grass dries to gold and brown, and the first snow settles on the high peaks and passes. Days are often clear and bright. Nights drop below freezing, and October is noticeably colder than September.
Bring warm layers and a 3-season sleeping bag (sleeping bags are not included). There is little or no phone signal at the nomad camps.
When does the autumn migration happen?
Families move to their autumn camps in September and October, and each family picks its own days based on the weather and the state of the grass. The Golden Eagle Festival is held near Ölgii in early October, so some travellers combine the two.
The migration is one part of the herding year:
Spring: late April to early June, from winter camps to fresh spring pastures.
Summer: families live on the high summer pastures.
Autumn: September to October, down to the autumn camps.
Winter: late November to December, into sheltered winter camps.
Comments