This summer, I was invited to spend 10 days at the 'Genghis Khan Retreat' and Polo Club located in the Orkhon Valley, a national park in the Övörkhangai Region of Central Mongolia, 25km west of the historic capital of the Mongol Empire, Kharkhorin. It was the summer place for Genghis Khan and his army, and is now regarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The camp was originally created as a private family summer retreat in the wilderness of Mongolia and later combined adventure and equestrian sports. Christopher Giercke, his wife Enkhe (who grew up in the Orkhon Valley), their friend Jim Edwards (the founder of Tiger Tops, Nepal), his son Kristjan Edwards, Dr. Celia Temple, Deirdre Livingston, and Col. Raj Kalaan began the camp together. It is now run and managed by my dear childhood friend D'Artagnan Francis-Petrus Giercke.
The Genghis Khan Retreat's over 30 gers are packed and stored in late September, literally disappearing to leave no hard footprint on the fragile landscape. In winter, the campsite is not utilized, and this is as light a footprint as eco-tourist models can get. It is here one minute and gone the next, with zero use of concrete or hard foundations.
The Retreat supports the cleanup efforts of the trails and tracks in the Orkhon National Park and supplies funds and physical help covering a distance of approximately 50 km East-West along the Orkhon River. The Retreat originally started as a social initiative to maintain and help preserve the local nomadic culture of the area. Sustainability within the community has been the focal point of this scheme. Local nomads who are employed at the Retreat continue to live a traditional nomadic lifestyle, emphasizing the use of horses and yaks to transport firewood and water, sustainable consumption of their own livestock, and participation and support of local events. Most employees are local nomads who share their nomadic lifestyles with the guests.