{"id":22528,"date":"2020-12-15T20:30:53","date_gmt":"2020-12-15T20:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/?p=22528"},"modified":"2021-04-19T13:56:36","modified_gmt":"2021-04-19T13:56:36","slug":"my-favorite-moments-from-mongolias-golden-eagle-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mircorp.com\/my-favorite-moments-from-mongolias-golden-eagle-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"My Favorite Moments From Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival. Photo: Michel Behar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Michel Behar<\/a>, with his plethora of languages and profusion of colorful neckties, is one of MIR\u2019s most popular tour managers. He\u2019s led multiple tours to each of the countries in MIR\u2019s portfolio, and has a loyal following of travelers who appreciate his wit and wisdom. Here he takes a moment from his busy tour schedule to share some of the reasons he loves traveling to Mongolia and attending its one-of-a-kind Golden Eagle Festival.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A photograph of MIR Tour Manager Michel Behar in the South Gobi Desert while on the recent departure of Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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I was delighted to have had an opportunity to lead MIR\u2019s Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival small group tour<\/a> and to attend the country\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival \u2013 an annual gathering in the far west of Mongolia where a group of ethnic Kazakhs have kept alive a 6,000-year-old tradition<\/strong>, hunting with magnificent golden eagles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I love to travel to Mongolia because, even though parts of it are changing, nomads and pastoralists still roam the wide-open spaces, living in the temporary gers<\/em> that dot the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival small group tour, we go way beyond even these remote places to experience an amazing event that few travelers have seen. My time on this tour was the highlight of my travels last year.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Here\u2019s why I love Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1. The Eagle Aristocracy on Parade<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A parade of eagle hunters, kicking off Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival. Photo: Michel Behar\n<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The festival started with a parade of proud men, a few women, and children of all ages on horses and camels with hooded eagles; some 120 eagle hunters participated this year. Back in the 1990s there were only 40 eagle families left worldwide, but growing awareness of the festival has sparked a renaissance of the traditional art<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hunters are resplendent in their hand-crafted fur jackets, embroidered robes, and traditional hats, with their eagles balancing on their arms \u2013 also decked out in hand-made hoods and braided rawhide leashes. A prize is usually given to the hunter and bird with the finest attire and gear. Travelers and local spectators, standing in a horseshoe shape around the eagle landing field, cheer and applaud for the hunters, the birds, and their regalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another snapshot of a parade of eagle hunters, marking the start of Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival. Photo: Michel Behar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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2. The Main Event: Eagles at Work<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A birds\u2019s eye view of the grand Golden Eagle Festival. Photo: Michel Behar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Dozens of eagle hunters gathered on the jagged 400-foot cliff overlooking the festival grounds, and released their birds. The eagles have been trained to catch a fox pelt that is being dragged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We could choose whether to observe from up on the cliff or from down below. A few hardy hikers and I climbed to the top and sat on jagged rocks to get photos of the eagle hunters as they waited their turns to perform, but most of our travelers stayed below. Both were prime viewing areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Meeting and chatting with eagle hunters and their families at Mongolia\u2019s Golden Eagle Festival. Photo: Michel Behar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From up there we saw the eagles launching from the arms of their handlers and heard the swish of their enormous wings as they took off, then dove for the ground. From the ground, travelers could see the birds hitting their targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the first day, anxious eagle hunters gathered at the jury to see the judges\u2019 list and find out whether they qualified for the second round.<\/p>\n\n\n

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