DOING THE EAGLE ROCK

Our resident gains guru takes her guns off grid to spend time with the Eagle hunters of Mongolia and here's why this immersive experience could be the bucket list item you never knew you needed...

- ALEXA TOWERSEY

THE WHERE

Located in eastern Asia bordering China and Russia, Mongolia may be the 19th largest country in the world, but it is one of the least densely populated. It’s also fairly challenging to explore. Roads don’t always exist. Neither do traffic rules. Flight times move without warning. Cell phone service is often non-existent. English is rarely spoken. And in certain parts of the country, a blizzard in the middle of summer isn’t out of the question. However, it’s because of exactly these reasons that nomadic cultures can continue to exist here, the Kazakh Eagle hunters of the Bayan-Ulgii province in the Altai Mountains of Western Mongolia, being no exception.

THE HOW

The legendary custom of eagle hunting is more than a thousand years old. Cave paintings depict falconry practices dating back to the Bronze Age, Genghis Khan was heralded as a huge fan, and Marco Polo described with reverence, his own eagle hunting experience with Khan’s grandson in the 1100s. But outside of the history books, this ancient practice transcends mere survival – it is not a sport, it is an art – a celebration of the dynamic relationship between hunter, eagle and nature, a dance of skill and intuition that exemplifies the mastery of a timeless tradition. Eagle hunters commandeer their fierce and sure-footed mounts across some of the most harsh and unforgiving landscapes on earth searching for rabbits, marmots, foxes or even wolves, in the hope of adding the pelts to their ensemble to signify their success and status.

BIRDS OF PREY