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WE ARE ALL PART OF TEAM EARTH.

Wolfe: MONGOLIA IS A RUGGED, UNTAMED EXPANSE OF GRASSLAND AND HIGH PLATEAU.

IT'S HOME TO FABLED WARRIORS, NOMADS, AND ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE CULTURES ON THE PLANET.

JOIN ME FOR A JOURNEY INTO THE HEART OF WILD MONGOLIA.

I'M ART WOLFE.

THIS IS "TRAVELS TO THE EDGE."

MONGOLIA IS A REMOTE LAND OF MOUNTAINS, DESERT, AND GRASSY PLAINS KNOWN AS STEPPES.

IT'S THE MOST SPARSELY POPULATED COUNTRY IN THE WORLD, AND ITS HARSH ENVIRONMENT IS HOME TO GENGHIS KHAN'S DESCENDANTS -- TOUGH AND DISTINCT NOMADIC PEOPLE.

LYING IN THE HEART OF CENTRAL ASIA AND BORDERED BY RUSSIA TO THE NORTH AND CHINA TO THE SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST, MONGOLIA IS A LANDLOCKED COUNTRY THE SIZE OF ALASKA.

AS DAWN BREAKS ON THE STEPPE, THE EARLY LIGHT REVEALS A PLACE OF OPEN LANDSCAPES, WILD HORSES, AND RESILIENT NOMADIC CULTURES.

THIS IS KAZAKH COUNTRY.

I'M JOINING MONGOLIAN GUIDE BYAMBADORJ FOR THE JOURNEY AHEAD.

Byambadorj: WE ARE IN THE WESTERN-MOST PROVINCE OF MONGOLIA CALLED BAYAN-OLGII.

THIS IS REALLY REMOTE, ISN'T IT?

OH, YEAH.

IN THIS COUNTRY, EVERYBODY'S INTERDEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER.

BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A HARSH LAND.

YEAH, IT IS.

SO THEY'VE GOT TO RELY ON EACH OTHER TO REALLY SURVIVE THE HARSHNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

WHEN EVERYBODY IS DEPENDENT ON EACH OTHER, YOU CAN'T BE, REALLY, AN INDIVIDUAL THAT LIVES WAY OUT THERE IN THE MOUNTAINS.

WHEN A STRANGER COMES IN OR JUST A PASSERBY THAT NEEDS SOME DRINK OR HAVE A BITE, YOU ALWAYS OFFER THAT, BECAUSE YOU CAN BE IN THE SAME POSITION AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE WOULD DO THE SAME FOR YOU.

[ SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE ] SALAAM.

Wolfe: HOSPITALITY IS REALLY A WAY OF LIFE IN MONGOLIA.

ALTHOUGH A STRANGER, I'M IMMEDIATELY INVITED INTO THIS COZY TENT THAT'S HOME TO THIS KAZAKH FAMILY.

DO THEY ALWAYS HAVE THIS FOOD ON HAND?

YEAH.

FOR GUESTS?

BECAUSE THEY NEVER KNOW WHEN A GUEST IS GOING TO COME IN.

THIS IS TRADITIONAL KAZAKH MILK TEA.

MMM, THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.

WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO PHOTOGRAPH THEM, MORE OF A PORTRAIT.

THEIR LIFE IS WRITTEN IN THEIR FACES.

YOU LIKE?

IS IT OKAY?

OH, THANK YOU.

WHAT MAKES THE KAZAKHS UNIQUE IS THAT THEY HUNT WITH GOLDEN EAGLES.

IT'S AN ART THAT CENTRAL ASIAN TRIBES HAVE BEEN PRACTICING FOR 6,000 YEARS.

Byambadorj: IN SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS, THE EAGLE IS KEPT WELL-FED, FAT, AND THE STRENGTHENING, BUT IN SEPTEMBER, THEY START TO REDUCE THE DIET BECAUSE HUNGER IS THE TOOL THAT THEY KEEP THE EAGLE.

WHEN THE HUNT STARTS, THEY SHOW HIM THE PREY AND THEN EAGLE GOES DOWN, CATCHES THE PREY, FIRST FROM THE THIGH, FLIP THE PREY OVER, AND THEN WHEN THE PREY ATTACKS AN EAGLE TO BITE, THE EAGLE GRABS THE SNOUT AND THEN LOCKS THE PREY INTO POSITION, AND THEN HUNTER APPROACHES AND GETS THE PREY AND THEN SKINS THE PREY AND GIVES THE MEAT TO THE EAGLE.

Wolfe: THIS EAGLE IS ONE OF THE PRIME PREDATORS WORLDWIDE.

AND THE FACT THAT IT WORKS WITH A HUMAN TO CATCH PREY IS REALLY ASTONISHING.

[ HORSE WHINNIES ] Wolfe: YOU WILL NOT FIND THIS ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN MONGOLIA, THESE KAZAKH MEN AND THEIR TRADITION OF HUNTING WITH A GOLDEN EAGLE.

[ HORSE WHINNIES ] WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS IS JUST THE GREAT LIGHT.

IT'S A GOLDEN LIGHT ON A GOLDEN EAGLE.

AND IT'S JUST PICKING UP THE EYE, THE STRENGTH OF THIS BIRD.

THE EAGLE IS CATCHING THE WIND AND IT'S LIFTING ITS FEATHERS.

IT'S MAGNIFICENT TO SEE THE STRENGTH OF THE TALONS.

IT'S THE TALONS THAT ACTUALLY DO THE KILLING OF ANIMALS.

THIS REALLY SAYS "KAZAKH COUNTRY."

RAHMET.

RAHMET.

RAHMET.

OH!

MAYBE NOT.

[ LAUGHTER ] ALTHOUGH THIS LANDSCAPE APPEARS EMPTY, IT IS, IN FACT, LITTERED WITH MYSTERIOUS MARKERS OF A VANISHED CULTURE.

THESE ROCKS, WITH THEIR MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS, ARE THOUGHT TO BE 3,000 YEARS OLD AND ARE KNOWN AS DEER STONES FOR THEIR DEPICTIONS OF FLYING REINDEER.

WHY THEY'RE HERE AND WHAT THEY MEANT TO AN ANCIENT CULTURE IS A MYSTERY.

WHAT REALLY FASCINATES ME ABOUT THESE MAGNIFICENT DEER STONES IS THE FACT THAT THEY ARE LEFT BEHIND BY A CULTURE THAT HAS NO OTHER ARTIFACTS.

THERE'S NO OTHER EVIDENCE THAT THEY EXISTED AT ALL, BUT IN THESE STONES, IN THESE VERY MAGNIFICENT, INTIMATE STONES, YOU HAVE AN ESSENCE OF A PEOPLE.

TO BETTER CAPTURE THIS ANCIENT AND MYSTERIOUS PLACE, I'VE RETURNED DURING THE TWILIGHT.

NOW I'M GOING TO PAINT WITH LIGHT THE STONE AS I TAKE LONG EXPOSURES.

AND I BELIEVE THIS WILL CAPTURE THIS REALLY POWERFUL STONE IN MORE MYSTERIOUS WAYS.

THIS IS THE FERRY WE'RE GOING TO BE CROSSING ON.

IT LOOKS PRETTY DICEY.

WHOA...

OKAY, WE'RE CROSSING.

WHY DON'T THEY BUILD BRIDGES IN THIS COUNTRY?

ONE OF THE MORE SPECTACULAR ASPECTS OF MONGOLIA IS THE BIG, DRAMATIC SKIES.

THIS IS A GREAT PLACE FOR MINIMALIST ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS.

THE TAKHI, MONGOLIA'S WILD HORSE, IS CENTRAL TO THE COUNTRY'S FABLED PAST.

GENGHIS KHAN BUILT THE LARGEST EMPIRE IN HISTORY WHEN HIS WARRIORS SWEPT ACROSS CHINA AND EUROPE ON TOUGH HORSES LIKE THESE.

ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION, THE TAKHI IS THE ONLY TRUE WILD HORSE LEFT IN THE WORLD.

SO-CALLED WILD HORSES IN THE AMERICAN WEST ARE ACTUALLY FERAL HORSES -- DOMESTIC STOCK THAT ESCAPED FROM RANCHES AND RETURNED TO THE WILD.

TAKHIS USED TO DWELL ON THE STEPPES AND THE SOUTHERN GOBI OF MONGOLIA.

HERE, IN HUSTAI NATIONAL PARK, THERE ARE ABOUT 250 OF THEM BEING PROTECTED AND LIVING FREE.

THIS PARK REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB OR REINTRODUCING THESE SPECIES BACK INTO THEIR NATURAL HABITAT AND THEN DOING SO WELL NOW.

OH, LOOK AT THE LITTLE FOAL RUNNING AROUND.

RUNNING BACK.

[ LAUGHS ] LOOK AT IT RUNNING, RUNNING, RUNNING... THAT'S NICE.

THESE ARE REALLY BEAUTIFUL HORSES.

YEAH, THEY ARE.

WE MONGOLIANS ARE VERY PROUD OF THEM.

OF ALL THINGS, WE'VE COME ACROSS A TOLL BRIDGE.

WE'RE WAITING FOR THE TOLL KEEPER TO UNLOCK THIS LITTLE SUCKER, WHICH IS REALLY IMPEDING OUR TRAVEL, AND HOPEFULLY HE'S GOING TO BE HERE IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES.

GOOD, I GUESS WE'RE FREE TO GO.

IN THE SUMMER, MONGOLIANS COMPETE IN THE SAME GAMES THEIR WARRIOR ANCESTORS ONCE PLAYED.

IT'S THE BIGGEST FESTIVAL OF THE YEAR -- THE NAADAM.

NAADAM IN MONGOLIAN MEANS "GAMES," AND THIS IS THE OLDEST TRADITION OF THE MONGOLS.

THE COMPETITIONS OF WRESTLING, ARCHERY, AND HORSE RACING USED TO BE PRACTICED FROM THE VERY CHILDHOOD AS A COMBAT TRAINING OF THE MONGOL WARRIORS.

Wolfe: TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WRESTLING.

WHAT'S THE OBJECTIVE?

IF YOU TOUCH THE GROUND WITH YOUR PALM, ELBOW, KNEE, THEN YOU'RE OUT.

OOH!

THAT'S GOTTA HURT.

PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE TO CELEBRATE THE NAADAM.

IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT PORTRAITS OF PEOPLE.

Byambadorj: THESE ARE THE HORSES THAT ARE GOING TO THE RACE.

THE SONG THAT THEY'RE DOING IS CALLED GINGO.

THAT'S TO INSPIRE THE HORSES.

Wolfe: TRUE TO THEIR ANCESTRY, MONGOLIANS ARE KNOWN AS THE BEST RIDERS IN THE WORLD.

KIDS LEARN TO RIDE BEFORE THEY CAN WALK, AND THEY'RE TOUGH COMPETITORS.

SO ALL THE JOCKEYS ARE CHILDREN, RIGHT?

YEAH, THE JOCKEYS CAN BE AS YOUNG AS FIVE YEAR OLD.

THIS IS THE TEST OF THE HORSE'S STAMINA.

SO THE WEIGHT MUST BE AS LESS AS POSSIBLE.

[ Laughing ] LOOK AT THAT!

HERE THEY COME!

ALL RIGHT.

[ CHILDREN YELLING ] OH, I LOVE THE DUST.

THE DUST REALLY MAKES THE SHOT NICE.

[ HOOF BEATS ] LISTEN TO THE SOUND OF THE PONIES.

[ PONIES WHINNYING ] AND THERE THEY GO, RIGHT BY US.

WOW, LOOK AT THAT!

THAT'S GREAT!

LEAVING THE GAMES BEHIND, WE'RE HEADING NORTH TOWARDS SIBERIA, ON THE FIRST LEG OF OUR LONG JOURNEY TO FIND MONGOLIA'S MOST REMOTE NOMADIC CULTURE.

[ THUNDER CRACKS ] A STORM HAS JUST MOVED OVER THE TOP OF OUR HEADS, LIGHTNING AND THUNDER, VIOLENT RAIN, AND NOW AS IT'S MOVING NORTH, THERE'S BANDS OF YAKS THAT ARE STARTLED BY THE LIGHTNING STRIKES, ALL SET IN A BEAUTIFUL OPEN LANDSCAPE WHERE THE RICH GREENS OF THE STEPPE IS CONTRASTING AGAINST THIS BROODING, STORMY SKY.

THE LINGERING SHOWERS THAT ARE DESCENDING FROM THE SKY REALLY DELIVER A BEAUTIFUL BACKDROP TO THE PATTERNS OF FLOATING VEGETATION AND DISRUPTED WATER.

THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY SCENE.

IT'S ONE OF MANY THAT I'VE ENCOUNTERED JUST IN ONE DAY'S JOURNEY ACROSS THE NORTHERN STEPPE OF MONGOLIA.

AS OFTEN HAPPENS IN MY TRAVELS, AN UNEXPECTED MOMENT CAN DELIVER THE MOST SUBLIME BEAUTY.

THE LAST LEG OF OUR JOURNEY WILL TAKE US TOWARD SIBERIA WHERE WE HOPE TO FIND ONE OF THE MOST ISOLATED NOMADIC CULTURES ON THE PLANET.

IT'S AN EARLY START.

AHEAD IS A NINE-HOUR HORSE RIDE TO VISIT A TRULY REMOTE AND TRADITIONAL CULTURE.

NEXT STOP -- THE TSAATAN PEOPLE.

OKAY.

WELL, IT'S A LONG WAYS OUT HERE TO THE TSAATAN PEOPLE, AND WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

A LONG WAYS TO GO.

CLOUDS ARE BUILDING AGAIN.

I THINK IT'S OUR AFTERNOON SHOWER.

WELL, THE RAINS HAVE ARRIVED AS PREDICTED.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE TSAATAN PEOPLE.

THEY ARE NOMADS.

I HAD NO IDEA HOW HARD IT IS TO FIND A NOMAD.

ENTERING YET ANOTHER VALLEY, WE FINALLY GET A GLIMPSE OF A TSAATAN ORTZ, OR TIPI.

THE SMALL CAMP BEYOND SEEMS A FRAGILE FOOTPRINT IN A BIG LANDSCAPE.

[ SPEAKING TUVAN ] HELLO.

I'M ART.

AND HE'S ASKING, "HOW WAS YOUR JOURNEY?"

OH, SORE.

EVERYTHING SORE.

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, THESE NOMADIC HERDERS HAVE ROAMED THE TAIGA FOREST OF NORTHERN MONGOLIA.

THE TSAATANS' CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REINDEER IS AN ANCIENT ONE.

THEY'RE BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO HAVE DOMESTICATED ANIMALS.

THEY DEPEND ON THEIR REINDEER FOR TRANSPORTATION, MILK, AND SPIRITUAL SUSTENANCE.

HOWEVER, DISEASE AND OTHER PRESSURES ARE DRASTICALLY REDUCING THE HERDS.

WITHOUT THEIR REINDEER, THE TSAATAN WILL CEASE TO EXIST.

WE'RE GOING TO PHOTOGRAPH YOU AMONGST THE HOMES, OKAY?

SO LET'S WALK OVER THIS WAY.

YOU, COME WITH ME.

I JUST LOVE USING THE REINDEER AS ELEMENTS TO FRAME THIS CULTURE.

IT'S MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY TRAVELING AND PHOTOGRAPHING CULTURES.

OH, WOW.

LET ME SHOW YOU.

[ SPEAKING TUVAN ] THIS WOMAN HAS HAD A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE IN A VERY REMOTE PART OF THE WORLD.

AND LOOK AT THE WISDOM SHE HAS.

IT'S A GREAT MOMENT.

THANK YOU.

TAKE A PICTURE OF ME.

AH.

OKAY, AND JUST, "TOOKA."

[ SPEAKING TUVAN ] OH, OH!

[ LAUGHS ] HEY, I'M IN REMOTE MOUNTAINS.

I DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH CLICKS.

NO MORE WITH YOU!

[ LAUGHTER ] NO MORE PICTURES.

[ LAUGHS ] LITTLE REINDEER JOCKEYS.

SO WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES FACING THE TSAATAN PEOPLE TODAY?

THERE ARE TWO.

FIRST IS ECONOMIC CHALLENGES, AND THE SECOND ONE IS CLIMATE CHANGE.

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THEM?

AS IT GETS WARMER, THEN IT MEANS MORE BUGS AND MORE MOSQUITOES WOULD COME INTO THEIR SUMMER GRAZING GROUNDS.

REINDEER ITSELF IS A VERY SENSITIVE ANIMAL.

FLIES ACTUALLY GO INTO THEIR NOSE AND THEN LAY EGGS THERE.

THOSE EGGS, WHEN THEY DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, IT CREATES THIS VERY, VERY NASTY THING IN THEIR BRAIN.

COLDER IT GETS, BETTER IT GETS FOR THE REINDEER.

THESE PEOPLE'S CULTURE IS ENTIRELY BASED ON THE REINDEER, ISN'T IT?

YES, AND THEN, IN FACT, TSAA MEANS "REINDEER," AND TSAATAN MEANS "THE REINDEER HERDER."

Wolfe: WHAT A SIGHT!

JUST THE BEAUTY OF THESE REINDEER AND THEN TO SEE THESE TSAATAN RIDERS, SO GRACEFUL AS THEY MOVE ACROSS THIS REALLY WILD LANDSCAPE.

WOW, LOOK AT THIS GUY.

CROSSING RIGHT NOW... WATER SPLASHING... WHAT A BACKDROP.

THAT IS SO COOL.

THIS IS A GLIMPSE INTO A CULTURE THAT'S EXISTED FOR CENTURIES BUT VERY LITTLE-SEEN BY THE OUTSIDE WORLD.

I'M ALWAYS DEEPLY TOUCHED BY THE WARM HOSPITALITY EXTENDED TO ME BY PEOPLE WITH SO LITTLE.

BEFORE THE LONG JOURNEY HOME, I'VE BEEN INVITED TO SHARE A LAST CUP OF TEA AND REINDEER MILK.

I LIKE THIS FLAVOR.

CAN I SHOW THEM SOME OF THE PICTURES THAT I'VE TAKEN ON MY LAPTOP?

OKAY.

THIS IS ALWAYS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF A TRIP IS TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY PHOTOS WITH THE PEOPLE.

LIKE?

[ MAN LAUGHS ] AH.

[ SPEAKING TUVAN ] [ MAN SINGING IN TUVAN ] THE MONGOLIAN PEOPLE AND THE REINDEER HAVE MANAGED TO COEXIST IN THE HARSHEST OF CONDITIONS FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

THEY SYMBOLIZE BOTH THE FRAGILITY AND THE TENACITY OF A CULTURE ON THE EDGE OF SURVIVAL.

I'M ART WOLFE.

JOIN ME NEXT TIME ON "TRAVELS TO THE EDGE."

THIS PROGRAM AND OTHER EPISODES FROM THIS SEASON ARE AVAILABLE ON THREE-EPISODE DISCS FOR $17.95 EACH, PLUS SHIPPING AND HANDLING.

AN AWARD-WINNING BOOK OF ART WOLFE'S LANDSCAPES FEATURED IN THIS SERIES AND BEYOND, "EDGE OF THE EARTH, CORNER OF THE SKY," TO ORDER THE BOOK OR DVDs,S SHIPPING A A A A A A A A A PLEASE CALL 1-800-440-2651.

Wolfe: HERE ARE THREE OF MY FAVORITE IMAGES FROM THIS EPISODE.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EPISODE, AND HOW THESE IMAGES WERE PRODUCED, PLEASE VISIT artwolfe.com.

FUNDING FOR "ART WOLFE'S TRAVELS TO THE EDGE" IS PROVIDED BY... CANON.

DEDICATED TO INSPIRING PHOTOGRAPHERS TO PRESERVE AND TO PROTECT THE BEAUTY, DIVERSITY, AND GRANDEUR OF THE NATURAL WORLD.

FROM CAPTURE TO DISPLAY, CANON CAMERAS, HIGH-DEFINITION VIDEO, PRINTERS, AND PROJECTORS HELP TO FUEL THE PASSION AND THE CREATIVITY THAT BRING THIS INCREDIBLE WORLD INTO FOCUS.

AND BY... MICROSOFT.

WORKING TO PROVIDE PHOTOGRAPHERS LIKE YOU WITH SOFTWARE THAT HELPS PRESERVE AND SHARE THE IMAGES THAT YOU WORK SO HARD TO CAPTURE... WITH TOOLS DESIGNED TO MANAGE YOUR FILES INSIDE SO THAT YOU CAN CAPTURE IMAGES OUTSIDE.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED BY... AT CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, OUR MISSION IS TO CONSERVE AND PROTECT THE WORLD'S MOST PRECIOUS NATURAL RESOURCES.

BUT EQUALLY, IT IS TO CHAMPION A CAUSE LARGER THAN OURSELVES.