This September saw us heading back to the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan for the third time in twelve months, this time with a group of private clients. Our plan was to start in the local village of Ghazza, explore the region around Big Alo Lake, and then cross the 'Porcupine Pass' to descend towards the fabulous Lake of Alexander. The name of the pass is perplexing, with not a porcupine in sight! We did however spot eagles, bearded vultures and evidence of bears, while the fresh snowfall and dramatic early morning weather made it another classic expedition day!

Our DNA at Whistling Arrow is firmly rooted in a long history of delivering exploratory, and often unique expeditions.  Over the years, these have typically involved exploring the more remote, and largely 'undiscovered' corners of Asia. But pioneering adventures can take many forms; they do not always have to be driven by the search for new geographies alone, but rather by coming up with new and singular experiences in some of our tried-and-tested destinations such as the Fann Mountains of Tajikistan. So, when a group of clients declared that they were keen to travel to, and trek in, Central Asia - but ONLY if we could make it as comfortable as possible - Whistling Arrow went glamping; with large, spacious bell tents, comfortable beds, and daily showers! Don't tell any of my rugged explorer friends, but I could get used to this!

Time is precious. We get it. So when asked to design trekking trips that safely deliver spectacular views of Himalayan giants, close up, and off-the-beaten track - well, in all honesty, it is a real challenge when clients often only have a handful of days to work with. Helicopters are obviously an option to shorten the number of days required, but particularly when flying straight into higher altitudes they can present issues with acclimatization. On our most recent private client adventure to Nepal however, I think we may have found a strong candidate for the best short (5 nights in tents) camping trek in Nepal, if not the entire Himalayas. It was an absolute cracker!

Happiness is not necessarily a place as the marketing slogan would have you believe. But we all instinctively know that of course. Bhutan has it's problems like every other country on the planet. Living costs are rising fast, young people are leaving en masse, and there is little doubt that the government mishandled the introduction of the new SDF (which by the way is still not transparent) post-Covid. But it is absolutely a place of pristine natural beauty, as well as deep-seated and well-preserved Vajrayana traditions. While comparitively expensive (especially for longer, expeditionary treks), it does just simply work better than most of it's scruffier (although no less compelling) neighbours like Nepal; a kind of Switzerland of the Himalayas if you like (you can even buy home-made Swiss cheese in Bumthang)!

We have recently returned from a trip to the Fann Mountains of northwestern Tajikistan.  The area is spectacular, and can easily be combined with a visit to one or two ancient locations of lore, such as Samarkand; a place that to me at least still evokes the same kind of archival wanderlust as Timbuktu! Like many ranges though, these mountains have already been 'discovered', and while  trekking numbers remain relatively light (particularly given it's magnificent scenery), it still pays to do things a little differently and venture off the more well-trodden trails. I am always amazed how so many operators just settle for the 'usual' (and to be fair logistically easier) route templates, when more often than not, a more enterprising and exploratory approach can still be immensely rewarding!

Over the years we have embedded clients with a number of nomadic families that we have come to know well during our explorations of western Mongolia. Initially these were mainly photographic enthusiasts keen to immerse themselves in an authentic nomadic experience, as the eagle-hunters of the Altai moved migrated their livestock to and from their summer pastures. Eventually, we also began to custom-design 'soft adventure' trips for intrepid families based around the same concept, and these 'unique' holidays were universally lauded to the point that we began to look further afield, to other parts of Mongolia, in search of similar nomadic, and migratory journeys. The good news is that we found two, and they are both extra special; one in northern Mongolia (near Lake Khuvsgul), and the other in Arkhangai, in the centre of the country. Both families embark on extraordinary (and rapidly disappearing) migrations with their oxen, and for those of you potentially interested, we would be happy to design a wonderfully immersive trip, either as a stand-alone visit to one of the families, or perhaps in combination with one or two others.

I have been traveling to the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia (home to the fabled eagle hunters) for over 10 years now, leading expeditions, hosting private client trips, and researching various photographic adventures. In all that time, I have yet to see clients better capture 'action' shots of the hunters and their eagles than on our most recent custom-designed trip.

Thanks to Henry for sharing.

We recently designed a private client journey through the lower Khumbu region of Nepal. The brief had been to create a custom adventure that combined great hiking, spectacular mountain views, and most importantly, some authentic cultural and spiritual immersion. I had spent a great deal of time with the clients discussing this last request, and we finally settled on a two night monastery-stay at one of the most genuinely welcoming gompas that I know, run by a Rinpoche of such compassion that the whole place just immediately feels like the 'real deal'. Upon arriving the guests had expressed their surprise at finding their way to such a secluded spot, to which the Rinpoche replied 'of course you did, it is karma'.

In April 2023, I led some private clients on an expedition-first since the re-opening of the Kingdom of Bhutan. In fact, there is a good chance that we may have been the first ever group to set off on this historical route, since the Governor of Daga used to head this way on his way to Thimphu in days of yonder. Over 5 days, we ventured up through old-age forest and traversed mountains carpeted with rhododendrons, to cross the wild 4,400m Lawa Gu Pass, and descend into a high-altitude plateau, dotted with spectacular mountain lakes. It was an amazing adventure, but in truth, perhaps with a little too much forest for this particular mountain man.

On paper (and indeed on Google maps), plans for this expedition had seemed challenging, but no more so than many of our previous expeditions. Setting out to explore, and traverse, the remote knot of mountains that divide the mythical valleys of Pangi, Dharlang and Zanskar, I knew that we would have to cross two high, and seldom used, passes - but I had not anticipated just how much of an impact the region's receding glaciers would have on our provisional route.

In short, the reality on the ground is alarming. The glaciers are melting fast, and in their wake they are leaving huge boulder fields, and precipitous rock faces, that from the limited perspective of an expedition leader, present a serious challenge to all but the most experienced trekker. Of far more importance of course, is the harsh reality that if the global community fails to act now, then in all likelihood there will be no more glaciers left in 30 years time, and disappearing with them of course, will be the water supply upon which a great many people depend. It's time to act!

It's been close to two years now, with many a false start, but we are finally dusting off some of our expedition plans with a view to running a few scheduled trips later this year. In doing so, I was once again reminded of the joy of mountain maps; their mysteries hidden away in shaded and yet-to-be discovered contours. I remember as a child, flying over the himalayas (with my dad puffing away in the adjacent seat), being fascinated by the glossy cartography at the back of the in-flight magazines. That enchantment with jagged peaks on the page has never left me, and it is a delight to be pouring over the possibilities for adventure once again. Here are two of my favourite examples from recent days. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Despite being one of the least affected countries globally, and essentially Covid-free, the summer months will sadly see no international travel to Mongolia in 2020. Typically, at this time of year, we would be running a couple of trekking expeditions, as well as custom-designing a handful of adventures for families and private groups. However, (fingers crossed) all is not lost. Deep winter in the Altai is brutal, but these age-old mountains shelter the far west of the country from the worst of the cold, and so this year (as and when the borders hopefully re-open to non-restrictive travel), we are planning to invite a few select clients to join us on two immersive small-group trips during the 'shoulder' months of November (2020) and March (2021).

The first will see us embedding with a family of eagle hunters, and journeying with the lead hunter as he convenes the annual community eagle hunt, while the second will involve migrating with a renowned family of horse breeders, as they move their livestock from their winter dwelling, across frozen rivers and snowy passes, to their spring camp, and pastures new. Availability will be limited, so please do get in touch today to register your potential interest, and review more trip details.

The opportunity to explore, and re-connect with nature, from the privacy of your own remote custom-built camp has always been a powerful impulse for many of our clients, whether it be with their families, or with a group of close-knit friends. Over the years, we have designed several such adventures, most notably in western Mongolia, where spectacularly wild locations abound, and the large Kazakh gers found locally, provide the perfect building blocks for assembling one-off, private camps. Last year, we also rolled out our private 'basecamp' adventures to Bhutan, where we purchased several large, canvas bell tents specifically for the purpose, and designed a remote family adventure in the wilds of Eastern Bhutan over Chinese New Year. Amazingly, on that particular trip, a group of rare Black Necked Cranes, also set up their temporary home a little further down the valley!

If, like us, you feel a deep connection to wild places, then the current Covid-19 restrictions on our access to them, hit particularly hard.  Perhaps there will be a silver lining though.  For one, many of them will have time to regenerate, and while they do, I hope what will emerge over the coming weeks, is a collective and rekindled realization that we are all interconnected with nature, whether we like it or not. Indeed, surely disconnection with ourselves, and disconnection with nature are one and the same thing, and if we don't take care of nature, then we can't take care of ourselves. Right now, she is calling us to reconnect, but will we still hear her when this is all over?

I know, that's a lot of travel buzzwords to squeeze into one blog title! Joking aside though, in our humble opinion, exploratory trekking expeditions are, all at once, genuinely experiential, relatively sustainable (after all we do tend to walk all day and sleep in tents), and oftentimes - truly transformational. The latter is a big call, but over the years, we have led many private expeditions (sometimes even one-on-one with clients), where the stripped-down reality of being completely off-the-grid, of dealing directly with unscripted challenges as they come, inspires many of us to explore not just beyond the next spectacular horizon, but deep within ourselves. And then there is the time to think; lots of time to think, and reflect, with an extraordinary philosophical clarity that is mirrored only by the crisp mountain air. You should try it sometime!

As an adventure travel designer, there are very few projects that give us more pleasure, than leveraging our knowledge and expertise to design a unique, and immersive adventure for a familiy that truly wants to explore off the beaten track (like the Felgates here). And while several of our core destinations provide a suitably captivating backdrop for such trips (not least Bhutan, Nepal and Tibet), in our humble opinion, the spectacular Altai mountains of western Mongolia, with their heady combination of remote custom-built ger camps, pristine wilderness, and rich nomadic culture (including the region's fabled eagle hunters) are very difficult to beat.

In November 2019, we set off for western Hunan province to explore the local Huayao culture, and recce a new 7 day hiking trail through the smoky (at least at this time of year) Xuefeng Mountains. We found a beautiful region of ancient rice terraces (clasically green and lush in summer), warm-hearted people, and rolling peaks covered in pine and bamboo forest. While perhaps not best suited to our typical expeditionary-style treks, the region does have potential, particularly for more adventurous families, who are looking for a glimpse into the 'real' China. Best of all, it is only four hours away from Hong Kong by high speed train.

2019 was our busiest yet in the Altai Mountains of western Mongolia - where we successfully designed our second winter migration expedition for an intrepid group of photographers, and led our fourth trekking adventure into the wilds of Altai Tavan Bogd.  One of the highlights of this year though, were the handful of private adventures that we custom-built for both families and friends this summer; to enjoy precious time together, reconnected with nature, completely off grid, and all the while experiencing the joys of living (in comfortable, private gers), exploring, riding and having fun alongside nomadic host families of horse breeders  - and, of course, eagle hunters.

In September 2019, I hosted an individual client on a private adventure through the Tibetan borderlands of western Sichuan, which, along with southern Yushu, is probably our favourite part of western China. For the most part, we based ourselves in the beautiful Dzongsar Valley and stayed with with some longstanding friends of ours; a Tibetan family of artisans. From there, we explored age-old monasteries, spectacular mountain hermitages, panoramic pilgrimage routes and sacred lakes as clear as glass.

In August 2019, we embarked on our fourth expedition into the wilds of western Mongolia, this time, to explore  previously untrekked valleys and peaks along the border with China (Xinjiang). It was a fabulous trip, and as usual, our most recent discoveries, have opened up even more possibilities for a new trekking route for next year. Once again, many thanks to Heinz, Puay Eng, Maggy, Erhard, Erich, Jurgen, Sereina and Hans for making it such a wonderful adventure.