In 2004, 25 year old Australian Tim Cope set out to experience life on the great Eurasian steppes, his idea: to ride a horse 10,000km from Mongolia to Hungary among on the trail of Genghis Khan. Beginning as a novice who could not even ride a horse, this journey eventually took him beyond his dreams, through three and a half years that changed his life. Along the way he was challenged by horse stealing, wolves, extreme conditions that ranged from -50 degrees to +50 degrees, corrupt bureaucracy, and near the end the unfortunate death of his father in Australia in a car accident. Tim's aim was to understand the life of the Eurasian nomads- whose ancestors were the first in history to domesticate the horse and under Genghis Khan formed the largest empire in history. After having his horses stolen on just the fifth day of the journey, Tim realised that the only way to achieve his aim was to leave his baggage behind as a westerner and look at the world through the eyes of a nomad. More than 150 families took him into their homes, teaching him the way of the steppe and the value of friendship. Tim travelled through Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Crimea, Ukraine, and Hungary. By the time he arrived on the Danube in the end of 2007, he had become a folk hero, honoured by locals who saw him as celebrating their cultural heritage.
Tim Cope is an author (Off the Rails Published by Penguin) and film-maker, who first came to Mongolia via Russia in 2000 by bicycle. Since then he has developed a close friendship with Tseren and Rik from Cafe Amsterdam/Tseren Tours. Tim has was also part of a row boat journey along theYenisey river from lake Baikal to the Arctic Ocean in 2001. He was the Australian Adventurer of the year 2006 and is currently in Mongolia running a trek with Tseren.
