Follow me to Mongolia - Alisha

10/02/2025

This was one of the most special finds on my ride. At one of our rest breaks, we were given a moment to rest or explore. I chose to explore & I was rewarded with the findings of a Shaman's camp up in a stoney mountain cave. I dare not touch anything, but couldn't resist capturing all the ritualistic ornaments. Finding the Shaman's camp really felt like I'd stumbled into a hidden part of history and spirituality. It was truly amazing how much the atmosphere of a place like this evoked a deep sense of connection to something ancient and mysterious.

05/02/2025

The most perfect little horses. Constantly on my ride I'd whisper to myself..... My horses would need a vet, be lame, colic, have stomach ulcers, chuck a tantrum at the many of things these sturdy mongolian horses endured without complaint. Heck, I'd of doubted they'd even complete the first day 🤣 You'd be hard pressed to find a twisted leg or terrible hooves in a herd of horses out on the steppe.

05/02/2025

The first time you meet a Mongolian horse, it’s not what you expect. There’s a rugged, untamed beauty about it—shorter and stockier than the sleek horses of the West, with thick manes that ripple like wild grass in the wind. Its eyes hold a depth that suggests it has seen every twist of the steppe, weathered every storm, and carried countless riders across lands where maps mean little.

Mounting one is like stepping into history. These are the descendants of horses that carried Chinggis Khan’s warriors across continents, steadfast and fearless. At first, you might underestimate them—surely such a small horse can't cover great distances, right? But as the day unfolds, you realize just how wrong you were.

Mongolian horses are relentless. They don’t just endure the landscape; they own it. Whether galloping across endless plains, picking their way over rocky passes, or splashing through icy rivers, they move with an instinctive grace born of centuries in harmony with this unforgiving land. They seem to know the steppe better than any human could, finding paths where there are none and reading the wind as if it whispers secrets only they can hear.

03/02/2025

GLOVES!!! The photo of me jumping for joy was the last time I had 2 Gloves!! The steppe claimed my glove & I mourned the loss of my one lost glove for days after. So I've bought 2 pairs for this time round Julie Veloo !!!

No longer available in Australia this particular type in my size & affordable!! I found the last few pairs available in the UK. They need to feel like a 2nd skin, I'm super fussy.... I may buy more 🤔🤣 They're super comfortable, I even rode the rest of the day with only one glove on until someone pointed out I was missing a glove. Or maybe I was just overwhelmingly distracted by the sheer beauty of the place 😜

30/01/2025

The Gobi Gallop ride exists because of these children. Julie Veloo 's work with the Veloo Foundation is truly inspiring. By establishing the Children of the Peaks kindergarten in Ulaanbaatar's Ger district, she has been able to provide a safe and supportive environment for children who might otherwise face a life of poverty and hardship. The location near a garbage dump makes the need for such initiatives even more critical, as it offers these children a chance to escape dire circumstances and gain education and hope for a better future.

If you're wanting to help me help them, you can donate here in my personal charity page for the 2025 Gobi Gallop:

https://www.veloofoundation.com/alishas-gg-2025-fundraising-page.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawIHt7lleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVCRzz7P_kHA2VpIcWepG1nGpvS6mNqo4tu550OHMrrX367gmzjgoTl7Yg_aem_mv6zt6d4mkQ1oC9GEuMaog

14/01/2025

Well it's officially official once again, because once wasn't enough! I will be preparing over the next few months to embark on an epic journey to Mongolia in June 2025, where I'll be fundraising for the underprivileged children in Mongolia. Through the Veloo foundation, they are helping to improve the quality of their life by giving them a chance at a better future through education and other essential services.

My short but in no means easy task, will be travelling on the native Mongolian horses, over 700km in 10 days.

Please feel free to like & follow this page as I share my journey. Check out the link below of my fundraising page where you can make a donation great or small & read more on the great work they do!!

Join Alisha as she heads off to Mongolia to take part in the longest annual charity endurance ride on the planet. 700 kms in just 10 days of riding and all of it to raise money for some of the most disadvantaged children on the planet - Mongolian children

05/01/2025

02/01/2025

Friendship, support, and having fun are the key ingredients to completing a 700km horseback ride through the Mongolian wilderness.

It really is a case of team work making the dream work and without the whole collection of riders, crew, office team and folks up at the Children of the Peak Sanctuary Kindergarten Project..this would absolutely not be possible.

Come join and see for yourself what if feel like to work together to meet the challenge and help the children at the same time.

28/12/2024

When dad didn't understand the assignment, he was having too much fun 🤣🤣 after having a set back episode of vertigo, he was allowed back on the motorbike. I really wanted to get some video of him riding. But nothing was stopping or holding him back after being held back!

28/12/2024

What a lot of you didn't know, is that there is also a motorbike aspect called the Steel Horse Gallop that runs at the same time & inline with the Gobi Gallop. I was incredibly lucky with a little bit of persistent perseverance. I managed to convince my dad to join me on this epic adventure. He rode 1400km in 10 days on a royal Enfield motorbike. They went off on their own adventures/exploration each day on rubber treads while the horse riders punched out the kms on hooves. Both riders, horse & motorbikes camped, ate & celebrated together. All of us combined raised a huge life changing amount of money for the Veloo Foundation for the children in Mongolia. I can't speak for my dad, but I have observed that it was truly a life changing experience for him in the best way possible.

It's a trip that friends/family/sibling/strangers all have the opportunity to experience together, something others rarely get to see, all because they're holding themselves back.

21/12/2024

You gotta come see these guys in real life!!

18/12/2024

Riding horses across this pristine wilderness is an unparalleled experience. The sense of freedom in Mongolia is amplified by its expansive steppes stretching as far as the horizon, where herds of wild horses gallop across the land, unencumbered by fences or roads.

The freedom of riding through these endless plains and valleys, surrounded by wild horses, as well as yaks, goats, sheep & the odd terrifying camel herds offers a sense of deep connection with nature and the vastness of the land.

The Gobi Gallop gives you the opportunity to experience a lifestyle that has remained largely unchanged for generations, where the sight of wild horses running freely across the open plains is a living testament to Mongolia’s untamed spirit.

13/12/2024

A collection of photos from the 2024 Gobi Gallop, showcasing all the fun & beauty experienced out on the great Mongolian steppe with fellow intrepid adventures. It's only fear that holds you back & I'm so glad I pushed past my inner dialogue telling me 'what the hell am I doing!!' 'you can't do this!!' 'stay where it's comfortable' because, if I'd have listened to myself. I'd have never been greeted with such warmth & immediate friendship from Julie Veloo & the crew from horse trek Mongolia. It was truly the first time in a very long time that I experienced pure joy!! Don't hold yourself back...

12/12/2024

I'm so incredibly lucky to be able to do this ride again 💕

There really is nothing like the Gobi Gallop. 700 kms in 10 days of riding with only two horses per person. It is the longest annual charity endurance adventure and is not for the faint of heart.

It’s called the Gallop but honestly, there is a LOT of trotting as we manage the endurance of the horses who are logging 70 kms every day.

It is a serious challenge…seriously. Every day asks the question….Can I do it again today?

The answer is yes, yes you can. Because while it demands a whole ‘nother level of physical fitness, it also holds great reward.

In between miles and miles and miles of beauty and the laughter and new (and old!) friendships ringing out across the steppe.

You will get to meet some of the coolest folks on the planet and ride 700 kms of the Mongolian wilds in just 11 days to help the children in desperate need.

Looking very much forward to doing it again in June!

Who wants this ENDURANCE ride?

http://www.horsetrekmongolia.com/gobi-gallop.html

10/12/2024

Anyone out there wanna join me for 2025? The Gobi Gallop is truly one of the most rewarding equine adventures one can participate in 💕

The wild is a test, a proving ground where comfort is traded for challenge. In the face of biting winds or steep climbs, we confront our limits, and with each step, we learn. The distance that was our norm is discarded ..and endurance replaces it.

The muscles ache, the breath quickens, but the soul swells with triumph. These moments remind us of our strength and resilience, things often forgotten in the ease of urban life.

Join us on this journey, step into the wild, and rediscover the untapped power within you.

The ride of a lifetime begins here! http://www.horsetrekmongolia.com/gobi-gallop.html