Lost in the Desert with Nick Knowles — Season 1

Nick's first encounter in Mongolia is truly awe-inspiring. Thundering towards him, the riders of the Namnaa Horse Archery Academy, in traditional dress, effortlessly galloping with bows and arrows at their sides and clouds of desert dust billowing around them, they're reminiscent of the Mongolian army that swept across Asia 800 years ago.The lead female rider, Baaska, demonstrates her extraordinary archery skills at a gallop. Nick bravely accepts the challenge to master this ancient and highly skilled sport.A bus carrying a miniature mobile dinosaur museum isn't the first thing you expect to see in the desert but world-renowned palaeontologist, Prof. Bolortsetseg Minjin, drives it to a local school to educate children about Mongolia's dinosaur hunting history.Later, among the Gobi's Flaming Cliffs, one of the greatest fossil beds on earth, she brings a boyhood dream to life for Nick. Together they unearth dinosaur remains from 80 million years ago, an experience Nick finds profoundly moving.Travelling through the empty landscape with no people, houses or signposts for miles on end, Nick is surprised to find himself suddenly in the lap of luxury. At the Three Camels Lodge he discovers how sustainable 5-star decadence is achieved in no-man's land.The horse head fiddle, suppressed during the Soviet era, is Mongolia's most famous musical instrument. This two-stringed fiddle produces a mournful, highly melodic sound. Nick likes to try local sounds and can usually pick up a tune – but not this time!Nick journeys deeper into the barren desert to meet Australian author and adventurer, Tim Cope who spent two years travelling alone on horseback across Mongolia. They camp, nomad style, using fragrant dung as fuel for cooking as Tim gives Nick an insight into his journey through a land where hospitality is revered above all else.The Gobi Desert makes a huge impact on Nick in the first of his three part adventure to this wild and magical corner of the world.

In the second episode of Nick Knowles' remarkable Mongolian adventure, Nick heads to a Nadaam Festival, a vibrant celebration of the ancient skills required to become a warrior under the ruthless Genghis Khan.There, he takes on the team coach, a formidable fighter named ‘Ghana', in a wrestling match, channeling his rugby skills in a valiant attempt to bring down the expert, and puts up an impressive fight.Next Nick visits a Mongolian mastiff breeder and learns how these huge native dogs were bred to guard homes and herds against snow leopards and other predators, but were brought to the brinks of extinction during the Soviet era when many aspects of Mongolian culture were suppressed. The new breeding programme is underway to bring these native canines back.Before heading West to the immense Altai mountains Nick jumps on a motorbike to participate in some camel herding and is gifted a female camel in return for his efforts.From the Western town of Olgii Nick hits the road in his (not entirely reliable) Russian-built 1960s Furgon van. It's a bone-rattling ride, but he makes it to his destination, a fast-flowing river that carves through the mountains, providing the perfect playground for a novel Mongolian sport, white water rafting.Nick is welcomed in by a nomadic family in the process of migrating to a new location for autumn. He mucks in, helping to build one of their homes, a tent-like structure known as a ger. Nick watches the Kazakh Mongolian games which involve versions of kiss-chase and pick-up-sticks, all whilst on horseback, beautifully demonstrating the dexterity and skill of both horse and rider.Finally Nick comes nose to beak with one of the most magnificent creatures on earth as he joins an eagle hunter and participates in eagle training.It's yet another deeply moving experience for Nick that further demonstrates the deep and respectful connection the Mongolian people have with both the landscape and wildlife around them.

In the final episode of the series, Nick leaves the desert sands of the Gobi and the dramatic peaks of the West to travel to Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar, the coldest capital in the world. Facing his fear of heights head on, Nick takes to the skies in a tandem paraglider, gaining an eagle eye's view as he soars over the landscape. To his surprise, trepidation shifts to pure exhilaration.Nick meets one of the world's most famous Mongolian throat singers, Batzorig Vaanchig, and is blown away by the unusual haunting sounds he can produce from deep within. Batzorig is on his way to a party and invites Nick along. It's a hair cutting ceremony, an important milestone for every Mongolian toddler. This is an elaborate party for which Nick (and crew) must wear traditional long shirts or ‘deels'. There, he is introduced to fermented horse mare milk, which turns out to be an acquired taste.He delves into Mongolia's Soviet past before travelling into the Ger district of the city where he has an eye-opening - and painful - encounter with a shaman. Then, cleared of evil spirits, but with a sore tongue, he sets off to discover a surprising Mongolian musical genre.In the 1990s the Soviets departed, and Mongolia became a democracy, opening up all sorts of (previously banned) musical influences, and hip hop was a surprise hit. Nick meets Mongolian hip hop star, Big Gee, who declares Nick has a bright future as a rapper.As a fitting finale to his epic Mongolian travels, Nick climbs the largest equestrian statue in the world. This huge stainless-steel stature depicts the most famous person in Mongolia's history, the mighty Genghis Kahn.This unforgettable adventure has shown Nick how nomadic cultures have found a way to take modern amenities and use them to their advantage whilst still preserving their traditional way of life.From the endless vistas of the Gobi Desert to the lofty mountains of the West and the revelations of the capital city Ulaanbataar, Mongolia and its extraordinary people have proven to be remarkable.