The next step was to head to Renchinlhumbe, a village in the North of Mongolia and this started with an overnight train journey to Erdenet. Once there, they encountered their Russian built "Forgon" 4x4 minibuses. Once out of Erdenet, the constructed roads ended and the purgatory of very bouncy tracks began. There were many stops, both scheduled and unscheduled. Everyone had different stories of the repairs that the local drivers had undertaken to their "Washing Machines" as some of the cadets had named them. Easy to break, easy to fix!

Two campsites, one ferry, four rivers crossed, many miles and two and a half days later they finally arrived at Renchinlhumbe. They went to see the local Kindergarten, their project for the next two days. It was a shock to see how run down it was, a leaky roof, broken windows and peeling wallpaper, but the potential for improvement was huge. So the next morning an enthusiastic group met the teachers and got to work. Jobs were allocated and many hours of sanding, brushing, painting, glazing, wallpapering and floor laying took place, working well past sunset on both days.

After two days of hard work, it was the horse trek, something that every visitor to Mongolia should undertake. Everyone woke to the sight of horses and wranglers arriving from all points of the compass. Each flight spent time matching riders to horses and adjusting saddles, before heading out of town, into the hills. On a break from riding, each flight sampled the renowned Mongolian hospitality. Each flight were taken into a Ger, a Mongolian tent, or a house and fed bread, curds, jam and tea. Suitably refreshed everyone headed on to the campsite. Then the rain came down, so the tents were put up, dinner was cooked and everyone retreated to exchange stories of horsemanship and birthday parties.

Rain welcomed everyone the next morning; so another visit to a Ger half way through the morning was very welcome. All the flights returned to Renchinlhumbe, some of A and B flights at the gallop and a display of disciplined trotting, line abreast, from C Flight! Then it was back to the kindergarten to finish off the remaining work. People took breaks and visited the Village festival and saw examples of Mongolian sports such as wrestling, archery and horse riding.

The following day the expedition handed back the finished kindergarten, which was officially opened by the British Ambassador to Mongolia and Renchinlhumbe’s Director of Schooling officially, following a wonderful display of singing and dancing from the Children of the Kindergarten. After such an emotional experience, the Expedition spent the afternoon, stocking up and packing ready for the foot trek to Lake Khovsgol.

The next day it was time to say farewell to Renchinlhumbe and head out onto the trail. The luggage was placed on the packhorses and the flights headed towards Lake Khovsgol. It took two and a half days to traverse the mountain pass and reach the shores of the Lake, then a further two and a half days walking alongside the lake to reach Toilgot, their final destination. The flights walked separately, passing through wonderful scenery and crossing many rivers, getting very wet each time. This was the most remote part of the expedition, walking in an area, around 2,000m above sea level, that was impassable to any kind of vehicle, unpolluted by exhaust fumes and noise (apart from the cadets singing). Everyone took the chance to soak up the calm and peaceful vistas on offer.

At the end of the trek it was time to say good-bye to the wranglers who had been their companions, helpers and experts throughout both treks. Presents were given and some tears were shed as they headed off, back to Renchinlhumbe.

After all the excitement it was back to civilisation!  First it was Forgons to Moron Airport, via Khatgal, and then a Fokker Airliner, filling it up with people and luggage, back to Ulaan Baatar.

After two days sightseeing and shopping, it was time to leave Mongolia. The last night was a celebration, with a final meal in a restaurant located on the main square. There was lots of singing, both in English and Mongolian, and presents were given out to our guides and interpreters. All the expedition vowed that this would not be their only visit to such a wonderful country.