MONGOLIA : THE STEPPE’S DIEHARDS | France 5 | Les Routes de l'Impossible

The bite of the cold is relentless. At -35°C, with no shelter for dozens of kilometers around, Mongolian drivers have to be ready for any ordeal. Bataar’aa,whose 4×4 is falling apart, lights a fire under the engine to prevent it from freezing. In the absence of roads, he drives over icy rivers to supply the steppe workers. Harvesting pine nuts in extreme conditions enables them to support their families. The “dzud”, a long period of drought followed by polar temperatures, has decimated their herds.

In the Gobi desert, the tracks stretch for hundreds of kilometers. The country’s economic “miracle” lies at the end of these tracks: here lie the world’s largest coal reserves. The ore is essential for the millions of nomads who have no other means of heating than coal. For the drivers responsible for transporting the “black gold”, the journey is interminable. Baktu struggles against the cold and dust. His greatest fear is breaking down in the middle of the desert. The others dread getting lost when they have to leave the main road to supply camps and remote villages. Violent, sand-laden winds often cover up the last traces.

Camels have no trouble finding their bearings in this lunar landscape. Although the caravans that once carried most of the goods have all but disappeared, the animal still enables thousands of breeders to make a living from its wool. Camel races are still very popular in the region. Every year, the youngest camel racers take up the challenge.