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Mongolia, anyone?

Inhabitant

Inhabitant

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Apr 22, 2002
Messages
158
Right - I've decided. My job is boring. I want to save enough cash to go to Mongolia and prove once and for all that relict populations of Neanderthal still exist there. Anyone want to join me?

I'm open to alternative suggestions along a similar line.

PS Not sure how serious I am at the moment. Has anyone ever thought about something like this, and if so, how far did they get before realising it was far too expensive/dangerous/ludicrous etc?
 
Inhabitant said:
Has anyone ever thought about something like this, and if so, how far did they get before realising it was far too expensive/dangerous/ludicrous etc?
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I mean has anyone on the FT board ever thought about doing anything like this...
 
How about south-west China and the possible remnant Gigantopithecus that may be living there?
 
Yeah, that would be cool. To be honest, I have thought about that and decided that discovering Gigantopithecus was still alive would be less exciting then the discovering the survival of hominids that were more closely related to us.
 
Inhabitant said:
PS Not sure how serious I am at the moment. Has anyone ever thought about something like this, and if so, how far did they get before realising it was far too expensive/dangerous/ludicrous etc?
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How about a spot of worm-charming while you're at it? I have to admit that neither 'dangerous' nor 'ludicrous' have ever put meoff, but 'expensive' has made it impossible so far.
 
Re: Re: Mongolia, anyone?

I'll go. I am a journalist and maybe I can get the company to pay for my expenses. Besides, I need to do something adveturous again, just to feel the adrenaline rushing again.
 
OK - might as well do both. Is there anyone who'll start doing some costings? Then we can get down to the nuts and bolts of fund raising and PR etc.

I have a contact at the British Embassy in Ulan Bator that should I should be able to call in.
 
Are you serious serious about this? I mean, Mongolia's the size of Western Europe with huge variations in climate and terrain, a still fairly closed political system and rudimentary infrastructure. I'm not talking this idea down, by the way. I've got a bit of money to spare, nothing to tie me down and a willingness to keep going in one direction until I drop. Could you tell me;

1. How much do you know about Mongolia? (Not being abrupt, just interested.)

2. Do you/anybody you know have any expeditionary experience?

3. How far along are you in the planning/research stage?

4. What sort of fundraising/sponsorship ideas are you thinking about?

5. What sort of time frame are you thinking about?

Keep me posted. Very interested.
 
Count me in. Have some experience in the outdoor survival side of things and have a small chain of contacts in Ulan Bator which may be able to assist in the initial stages. What part of Mongolia will you be focusing on?
 
Wastrel said:
Are you serious serious about this? I mean, Mongolia's the size of Western Europe with huge variations in climate and terrain, a still fairly closed political system and rudimentary infrastructure. I'm not talking this idea down, by the way. I've got a bit of money to spare, nothing to tie me down and a willingness to keep going in one direction until I drop. Could you tell me;

1. How much do you know about Mongolia? (Not being abrupt, just interested.)

2. Do you/anybody you know have any expeditionary experience?

3. How far along are you in the planning/research stage?

4. What sort of fundraising/sponsorship ideas are you thinking about?

5. What sort of time frame are you thinking about?

Keep me posted. Very interested.
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Well it wouldn't be any fun if it was easy. In answer to your questions:

1. About as much as the next person - what I've seen on TV and read in books.

2. No.

3. I've got as far as starting this thread.

3. Don't know. Maybe trying to get a newspaper interested. try and get sponsorship.

5. No idea.

Sorry - I'm not being glib. I wanted to see what sort of reaction there would be from armchair forteans to this sort of idea.

On the serious side, this is something I've always dreamt of doing and I would really be interested to hear people's thoughts on how feasable such a project would be to get off the ground.
 
Bosbaba said:
Count me in. Have some experience in the outdoor survival side of things and have a small chain of contacts in Ulan Bator which may be able to assist in the initial stages. What part of Mongolia will you be focusing on?
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Welcome aboard!

I'd guess we'd head to the foothills of the Altai Mountains. I'd want to consult the anthropologist Dr Myra Shackley first (or get her involved in the expedition). She's done similar research in the area in the early 80s.
 
When and for how long will be a major factor in recruiting...especially as I might be starting at RNC Brittannia next September. After that, I doubt I'll get enough leave to go.:(
 
I was thinking maybe summer 2004. Or winter?...When's the most suitable time of year re: climate?
 
...and we would have to be talking a couple of months at the very least.
 
You might have read it already, but if not check out The Last Disco in Outer Mongolia__ by Nick Middleton

It's a real funny read and paints a picture of a country of true eccentrics. Not a place to go if you're in any way fond of vegetables though!
 
Your dream employee is here, know bugger all about neanderthals still being alive but I am a student photographer soon to be post graduate know a little survival and I am willing to follow you any where to record your daring expedition, how much how soon, count me in. My dream is to be an Indiana Jones/ Lara Croft/ Qautermain explorer. Count me in.very genuine . p.s need more info on living neanderthals
 
Funnily enough I was going to go to Mongolia later this year! However, I wasn't planning to stop - I want to do the Trans-Siberian railway, one route of which goes via Mongolia to Beijing.
For your information, a good time to go would be September, when the average temperature is 18C. Mongolia is a country of extreme temperatures - an average of minus 28C in February, through to 40C average in August. Heavy meat diet (usually mutton) and almost no vegetables, as Alastair has mentioned.
I'm not an expert on relict Neanderthals but wouldn't they have been found by now? Mongolia is very open (no forests) and the traditional herders live in yurts (animal skin tents) on the Styep, which is bitterly cold in winter. Aren't there supposed to be undiscovered wild men in China as opposed to Mongolia? But that would be in the forests much further south.
Your idea is very interesting and I hope this bit of info is useful. Good luck! :)

Bill Robinson
 
Inhabitant said:
I was thinking maybe summer 2004. Or winter?...When's the most suitable time of year re: climate?
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If it's summer, I'm in.
 
Big Bill Robins said:
Aren't there supposed to be undiscovered wild men in China as opposed to Mongolia?
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There are meant to be undiscovered great apes in China (Yeren). In Mongolia there is evidence that a population of relict hominids survive that are far more similar to homo sapiens:

http://www.science-frontiers.com/sf022/sf022p01.htm

I've been obsessed with this idea since reading Myra Shackley's book "Wildmen: Yeti, Sasquatch and the Neanderthal Enigma" - THE best book on the subject (and I've read a fair few). A professional anthropologist, she argues that there could be a surviving population of Neanderthal in Mongolia and the eastern former USSR.
 
Bloody good idea! Well, if you need someone with absolutely no experience/qualifications, then count me in! (Although I can withstand extremes of temperature well.)
I'm stuck in a job I don't enjoy, and I was just thinking what in the hell I could do other than office work. It must be destiny. I don't have anything to keep me here, so I'm game. Plus, I've just been reading the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I could see myself as the Quartermain type. Yes, it's clear to me that this is more than coincidence. It's fate. Honest.
Ah, no, but seriously. I'd go on any kind of expedition like this given the opportunity.
 
Welcome aboard, Slayer. Looking at the above advice so far, I think September 2004 would be the plan. Good climate and Inverurie Jones should be able to make it as well.

I'll do a bit of research on travel expenses. Maybe Bosbaba
could give us some advice on cost of living when we're out their and what sort of gear we'll need. Personally, I'm hoping that camels will be involved.

Maybe Onix could test the water with his company to see if they'd be interested in stumping some cash for the venture (in return for the exclusive, obviously).

I might also approach Professor Myra Shackley of Nottingham Trent University to see if she could give us some sort of briefing.
 
PS Flights all seem to be around the £1000 mark (BA and then Aeroflot)
 
pfft we can do better than that just fly to outside mongolia and find alternative travel inside surely.
 
Inhabitant said:
Welcome aboard, Slayer. Looking at the above advice so far, I think September 2004 would be the plan.
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Umm...could we make that August? Of course, it depends on how long it'll last...

If we go by Aeroflot, I demand a parachute.
 
Inhabitant said:
Maybe Onix could test the water with his company to see if they'd be interested in stumping some cash for the venture (in return for the exclusive, obviously).
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I can try, but if we mention anything about neanderthals or that sort of stuff, I may as well get another job. We would have to use a profile of archaelogical research instead. Like, trying to determine if Chinese and Mongolians actually went to America, and we can look for those wildmen on the side. What do you think guys?

Oh! And I don't have a lot of experience camping, besides hiking and spending a nigth in the woods.
 
Onix said:
Oh! And I don't have a lot of experience camping, besides hiking and spending a nigth in the woods.
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I'll make you some worm omelettes; you'll love them. No Deathworms, mind.
 
Well, I'm used to a rubberised sheet and two lengths of elasticated string, so they look pretty good to me.
 
Inhabitant said:
PS Flights all seem to be around the £1000 mark (BA and then Aeroflot)
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I tried Flightbookers in London, and was surprised when it came up as 723 quid return including tax, changing in Frankfurt and Moscow. The bad news is, you would definitely have to fly Aeroflot.

Bill.
 
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