I adore this country: it could be one of my favorite places in the whole world.
We fell for this country hard on our first visit in 2015. We came from Nepal, which we’d left swearing that was our favorite country. In many obvious ways, the two countries could not be more different. But they both possess a strong, spiritual magnetism born of their achingly beautiful landscapes.
On our first trip, we did a trek with some horse friends. We hired a local horseman and together we ranged over the steppe: enjoying the vast views and warm hospitality of staying with a new family every night. We also went hiking, searched for wild horses and checked out some imposing monuments. When we left, we swore we’d be back.
It took four years, but we kept our promise! In 2019, we had the opportunity to return for – you guessed it – a race. I was deliriously happy from the moment we landed in UB again, and wound up having one of my best races on the steppe I love so much!
