Words by Epic founder, Chris Lininger. Photos by Chris and contributions by Scott Rolfson.
Nearly a year to the day after I laid the foundation for a brand new expedition to the mythical Altai region in Western Mongolia, the stage was set and the players finally assembled. It was suddenly go-time in the Steppes.
Running a new trip for the first time is always exciting for us. The hype for our Mongolia trip has been 12 months in the making and with that kind of build-up – expectations are high from everyone.
While building out the framework for this trip, the idea came to me that we craft trips a lot like how head chefs design fancy restaurant kitchens.
We assemble all of the ingredients, tools, and “kitchen” to make a fantastic adventure possible as they do to produce otherworldly meals.
How this metaphorical Mongolian meal turns out is up to our team members. They needed to show up and cook.
Like a skilled team of cooks can turn a mix of ordinary staples into something akin to magic, our team members set forth to experience their own unique adventure using the trip ingredients we so thoughtfully provide.
And man, did our first-ever Mongolia Expedition team turn out to cook!
Words can not quite do the last few weeks justice. Our diverse band of team members from 6 countries brought out the best in each other in a way that – as a trip leader – was a sight to behold.
Mongolia holds a rare magic that is not found in many places these days. It is quiet, stunningly beautiful, and contains vast lands open enough to completely escape the crowds. The last few weeks here has been a vivid reminder as to what these shared adventure experiences can do for people. The point was driven home just how important it is to disconnect in a wild space for a length of time, and how crucial it is for us all to embrace life’s basic essence every now and then, and simply make space to just laugh our asses off.
With our first Mongolia Expedition in the books, and coming from someone who put a year of thoughtful planning and crafting into this trip, I can honestly say that this was one of the most radical, fun, and meaningful adventures we have ever put together. If you know, you know.
So, in the esteemed words of one of our legendary team members, which most other members at some stage during this trip repeated:
If you don’t like this, F*** off.
To everyone who made our first round in Mongolia a smashing success, cheers to you all. Also, a massive wave of appreciation goes out to our incredible local staff, cooks, and assistants – without you guys, this train grinds to a halt.
Note: if you too want to come “cook” with us in Mongolia next year, the chefs are already stocking the kitchen with ingredients.
Check out the trip page to learn more.
To see how it all went down, check out some of our favorite photographs from our September 2024 trip below…
Stoked on Mongolia and want to experience the magic of these lands with your own two eyes? Say YES to our next Mongolia Expedition. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you’ll only be disappointed if you don’t come…
Cheers guys!
