Gantsara: Alone Across Mongolia

by Ian D. Robinson

In Mongolia 'gantsara' means alone, and New Zealander Ian Robinson was completely alone when he set out to cross that vast, little known country. Ignoring the concerns of friends, so-called experts and even the Mongolians themselves, the twenty-four-year-old backpacker went on to become the first Westerner to cross Mongolia alone on horseback.
Gantsara - Alone across Mongolia tells the fascinating, sometimes frightening and often hilarious story of his amazing journey. He tells of his battle to find guides, horses and safe places to sleep in some of the world's wildest and most inhospitable surroundings. From being chased by drunken bandits to falling in love, his story is never dull and is full of affection and respect for the people he meets along the way.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[The Frahorus]

Ian decide di attraversare la Mongolia da solo a cavallo. E ce la fa: percorrerà ben duemilasettecento chilometri. Conosce il vento sferzante, sa cosa significa sedersi vicino a un fuoco con un cielo nero come l'inchiostro che incombe su di te, conosce il freddo che ti morde come un cane rabbioso, conosce il sole che incendia il cielo sopra i deserti. Conosce il suono di mille zoccoli nella prateria, dei canti che animano i templi, l'odore di un cavallo dopo una lunga giornata di cammino, la stretta di mano di uno sconosciuto, la gioia del vedere una tenda circolare nella neve. Ian attraversa per ben quattro mesi questa terra che fu la leggendaria patria di Gengis Kahn. Un viaggio che resterà indelebile nella sua vita.
Nonostante lo stile di scrittura sia molto sintetico Ian è riuscito a farmi vivere tutto quello che ha provato in questo avventuroso viaggio. Anzi ad un certo punto ho pure temuto per la sua vita visto che ha rischiato tante volte di morire congelato! Che altro aggiungere: mi piacciono i racconti di viaggio, soprattutto quelli di viaggiatori solitari.

[Francesco Morettini]

2.5⭐️ an adventurous journey but the style is very plain and the story repetitive. The point of view is that of a white, English speaking man - the comments from his diary made me think that this guy was just a grown-up adolescent wanting a taste of adventure. Few details on the actual ways of living of the nomads and of the Mongolian culture. I still finished it - so not too bad overall.

[Diana]

Il viaggio descritto in questo libro è molto bello, lo stile forse non accattivante come potrebbe, ma la sensazione di solitudine e nello stesso tempo accoglienza che quella terra e quel popolo ha trasmesso all'autore sono ben raccontati e descritti.
Certo pur amando viaggiare faccio fatica a comprendere chi si cimenta in certe avventure così poco preparato sia in fatto di attrezzature che in ambito culturale, ma evidentemente funziona visto che non è il primo libro che leggo di questo genere e tutti finiscono in modo positivo e anzi raccontano di incontri (quasi sempre) meravigliosi con le popolazioni locali, quindi forse sono io quella troppo rigida! ;-)

[Rebecca]

Be forewarned: this 5-star rating does not endorse this book as an example of exceptional writing. The author's style is spare and immediate, composed mainly of the present tense (which I often feel is more a technical annoyance that fails to convey the sense of urgency that is intended). The storyline consists of recounting an unaccompanied 5-month sojourn by horseback through really rough and - frankly - dangerous country. There is no grand scheme here and the then-24-year-old protagonist sets out primarily to prove to himself and everyone else who tells him that he can't do it that, indeed, he can and he did. Not a very moving plot.

But somehow, for me, this reminiscence captures the hubris and freshness of youth and the wonder of hurling oneself out into the unknown with all the vigor of life. Robinson is able to convey to me a certain vivid sense of the landscape he traversed, the vastness of it, the merciless weather that encloses it and the grandeur of being alive to see and experience it all. The nomadic life that he undertakes during his travels is portrayed nicely in the details he notes about the people he meets and the usual generosity shown to fellow travelers as they feed him and house him for a night or two. Out in such inhospitable country everyone is in the same precarious relationship relative to the elements and Homeric hospitality to the stranger is an essential norm.

Robinson wrote this memoir 12 years after the fact and so finishes it with a short epilogue, which seals the adventure with a touch of intense and bittersweet nostalgia. This is a tale of youth and its marvelous recklessness and anyone who has similarly experienced a rash youthful adventure will surely relive some of that feeling while reading this book.