Traveling to Mongolia is an adventure in itself. Some are more ambitious, like Baigalmaa Norjmaa. This 30-year-old Mongolian woman embarked in 2017 on a bold, unique, and historic journey: she wants to reach the United Kingdom from Mongolia's capital… with her camels. She will cover more than 12,000 kilometers in total. It's a beautiful testament to her love of culture and animals, to physical and inner strength, to feminism and dreams.

Baigalmaa Norjmaa left Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, in late 2017, with nine camels as her companions. Dressed in traditional Mongolian clothing and furs to withstand winter, she crossed the Mongolian desert in extreme temperatures of -50°C. Her dream? To meet the royal family in England and retrace the Silk Road by camel in an age of engines, the web, and smartphones.

Holding On to Dreams

"My goal is to promote the culture and way of life of Mongolian nomads around the world, and to share my knowledge about camels in the countries I visit," she writes on her project's Facebook page, "Steppes to the West." "In our world where we are imprisoned by technology, I believe it's truly important to preserve our traditions and customs for the future of our world, and to show the capacity of humanity and women in particular," she continues.

Baigalmaa was born into a nomadic family and knows how to adapt to change and rise to challenges. Despite very difficult climatic conditions and numerous obstacles, Baigalmaa does not give up. And that's actually her goal: "I want to show young children that you must always follow your dreams. I've been told so many times that I was going to fail, that it wasn't possible to travel like this, and that I shouldn't do it because I'm a woman. You mustn't let this negativity extinguish your spirit; instead, feed on it to overcome life's obstacles," she shares.

Over 5,000 km Already Covered

Camels were used from the beginning of the Silk Road by merchants to carry goods over very long distances. They can carry up to 250 kg of cargo each, and walk approximately 50 km per day.

In two years, Baigalmaa has covered 5,400 km, from Ulaanbaatar to the Turkmen border. She has crossed Mongolia, China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. She is now in Iran, awaiting further funding to continue her journey. She is counting on a crowdfunding campaign to equip herself and to feed and care for her camels throughout the trip. To achieve her goal, Baigalmaa will still need to cross Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom: a still gigantic route, but one she is eager to undertake.

Photos: Steppes to the West

Marion Biremon