Borneo Expedition: Mount Kinabalu, the World’s Highest Via Ferrata & Orangutans
Summit Kinabalu, clip into the world's highest via ferrata, then find wild orangutans.
From £2,500
£500 deposit to reserve, payment plans available
- Duration
- 15 days, 14 nights
- Difficulty
- HardLong days, real terrain and often some altitude.
- Maximum altitude
- 2,900m
- Price
- From £2,795 per person
Trip highlights
- Glaciers to desert in one journey — Glacier fed rivers, alpine lakes, rapids, nomadic plains and a desert canyon, all on a single continuous expedition.
- Khoton and Khurgan lakes — Two remote high altitude lakes in the Altai Tavan Bogd, paddled beneath snow capped peaks, with a camp on a small island.
- Ancient petroglyphs — Landing on a remote peninsula to find rock carvings thousands of years old, left by the nomads who came before.
- The Khovd River — Where the expedition finds its rhythm. Friendly rapids, shared decisions, lining the committing sections as a team.
- Nomadic Mongolia from the water — Drifting past Kazakh yurts, horses at the water's edge and herds moving across the valley floor, at their pace rather than yours.
- A UK training day before you fly — A white water training day in the UK is included, so you arrive knowing the skills, the systems and the people.
About this adventure
This is expedition travel done properly. A small, supportive group. Big, wild landscapes. Real teamwork. And leadership you can trust.
Western Mongolia is about as far from anywhere as it is possible to get. The Altai mountains sit where Mongolia, Russia, China and Kazakhstan almost meet, and the journey we make through them is one of the wildest available anywhere: glacier fed water, high alpine lakes ringed by snow capped peaks, ancient rock carvings on a remote peninsula, a river that quickens into rapids, grasslands scattered with Kazakh yurts and grazing yaks, and finally a deep desert gorge of red and brown rock. All of it from a canoe.
For a week in the middle of this there are no roads, no power, no phone signal and no background noise beyond wind and water. That is the point.
You are led throughout by Joe Alexander, founder of Alexander Adventures, with decades of experience leading teams in remote and high risk environments. Not subcontracted, not handed off. The trip is timed for the end of the season, when river levels and stability are at their best, and it includes a white water training day in the UK before you fly, so everybody arrives confident rather than nervous.
This is not about ticking a box. It is about earning every mile, together, and loving the journey.
Day by day
Day 1Arrival in Ulaanbaatar
You are met at the airport and driven into central Ulaanbaatar, where we check into a comfortable city centre hotel with time to shower and recover from the flight.
After lunch we head out on a guided cultural tour that brings Mongolia's story to life. We visit important Buddhist landmarks and learn about the country's deep spiritual traditions, trace the lasting influence of the Soviet era, and look at modern Mongolia too, with its rapid development and evolving identity. It is a rounded introduction before we head into the landscape.
In the evening we attend a traditional performance of throat singing, music and world class contortion, which is a genuinely remarkable way to spend an hour and unlike anything you will have seen.
Afterwards there is a relaxed welcome dinner where the group comes together properly. Over the meal Joe runs the expedition briefing, covering the journey ahead, expectations, the safety culture and the team based approach that underpins the whole trip. A calm, social start, and the foundation for everything that follows.
Day 2Fly west to Ölgii
A morning flight west across the whole width of Mongolia to Ölgii, capital of Bayan-Ölgii province and the most westerly town in the country. Look out of the window: two hours of grassland, gobi and mountain with almost nothing on it.
Bayan-Ölgii is different from the rest of Mongolia. The population is largely ethnic Kazakh and Muslim, the language on the street is Kazakh, and this is the home of the golden eagle hunters.
We explore the local bazaar, where you will find traditional Kazakh clothing, handcrafted goods and the everyday items nomadic families actually use, then visit the regional museum to learn about nomadic traditions, eagle hunting and the history of the Altai. It builds a real understanding of the people and the country we are about to travel through.
Dinner is provided and then it is an early night, because tomorrow we leave the roads behind. Please note that lunch is not provided today.
Day 3Into the Altai and the first camp
A long day in the vehicles, around seven hours, climbing into the Altai on rough tracks with the mountains getting bigger the whole way. This is where the roads run out.
We arrive at the Tsagaan Us Gol, the White Water River, and set up our first expedition camp on the bank beneath the towering peaks of the Altai. There is plenty of space and plenty of time to settle in, sort kit and take in the scale of where you have ended up.
As the evening comes in we run a relaxed but important session: a skills refresh, river safety reminders, a clear briefing on the days ahead and thorough gear checks so that everybody is comfortable and prepared. Nothing is rushed and no question is a silly one.
Dinner is shared around camp, and the light goes slowly over the mountains while the group eases into expedition rhythm.
Day 4First paddle to Khoton Lake
We launch the canoes and ease into the journey gently. This first paddling day is deliberately about confidence rather than distance: boat handling, balance, trim, clear communication and finding a steady rhythm together. There is plenty of guidance and encouragement and no pressure at all.
Glacier fed water slips beneath the hulls, snow capped peaks rise on every side, and the silence of the Altai is broken only by paddle strokes and the river itself. It is an extraordinary way to spend a first day.
Gradually the valley opens out and we arrive at Khoton Lake, a remote high altitude lake framed by mountains and enormous skies. Camp is pitched beside turquoise water and the sense of scale is difficult to convey. All meals are provided today.
Day 5Khoton Lake and the petroglyphs
We set out on a longer paddle across Khoton Lake, making the most of calm morning conditions. The lake is big enough to give a real sense of journey, and open water paddling brings its own rhythm: steady strokes, good coordination and a horizon that takes a long time to arrive.
We land on a remote peninsula and walk up to find ancient rock carvings etched into the stone, some of them thousands of years old. Animals, hunters, symbols. These petroglyphs are a rare and direct glimpse into the lives and beliefs of the early nomadic peoples of the Altai, and standing among them in complete silence connects the landscape, the journey and a very deep human history in a way that is hard to shake off.
The afternoon is deliberately unhurried. Some people take a bracing swim in the cold clear water, others walk the shoreline, explore the headlands, or simply sit and absorb the quiet. As evening comes we regroup at camp to share food and stories. All meals are provided today.
Day 6Crossing to Khurgan Lake
We paddle on to Khurgan Lake, continuing deeper into an increasingly remote and dramatic landscape. The route mixes sheltered water with open crossings, which rewards steady teamwork and an efficient, relaxed rhythm. By now the group is moving well together and the boats have stopped feeling unfamiliar.
As Khurgan Lake opens up, its broad water and the peaks around it reinforce the scale and the isolation of where you are.
Camp tonight is on a small island, surrounded by deep wilderness. No roads, no power, no background noise beyond wind and water. The stillness here is striking, and it tends to be the point at which conversations around camp become more reflective as the scale of the journey and the remoteness properly sink in.
Day 7Rest and contingency day
This is a planned rest and flexibility day, built deliberately into the expedition. It exists for three reasons: physical recovery, mental reset, and room to adapt to weather or river conditions without wrecking the schedule. Expeditions that have no slack in them make bad decisions, and this is our slack.
With nothing to move on for, there is time to look after bodies, dry kit, eat properly and let the pace drop.
During the day Joe runs additional river safety refreshers, covering lining techniques, group systems, communication and decision making. These are practical, supportive and paced so that everybody feels prepared and aligned before we commit to the moving water phase of the journey. It is the last quiet day before the river starts to push.
Day 8Onto the Khovd River
An early start to take advantage of calm conditions and get off the lake before the wind gets up, setting out while the water is still and the mountains are quiet.
By late morning the character of the journey changes completely. We leave the open lake behind and enter the Khovd River, and the water begins to move with purpose. Rapids start to appear, bringing variety, challenge and real momentum to the day.
Easier sections are paddled confidently. More technical or committing rapids are carefully lined, with clear communication and full group support throughout. Lining a loaded canoe down a rapid is proper expedition work and it is enormously satisfying to do well.
This is where the expedition truly comes together. Decisions are shared, roles are clear, and the teamwork built over the last week starts to show. All meals are provided today.
Day 9River confidence day
Another full and rewarding day travelling down the Khovd River. The rapids remain mostly friendly, but they demand attention, good communication and clear group systems. Reading the water, choosing lines and supporting each other becomes second nature as the day goes on.
By now confidence is growing quickly. The group moves efficiently and calmly through obstacles, with smooth transitions between paddling and lining where the water calls for it. There is a real pleasure in a team that has learned to work without needing to be told what to do.
The river gives a good balance of flow and challenge, and it reinforces trust and shared decision making as we push further into the wilderness. All meals are provided today.
Day 10Nomadic Mongolia
The river slows its pace and the valley opens wide around us. The landscape softens and the day becomes something quite different.
Drifting down the Khovd, we pass through a living pastoral scene. Kazakh yurts scattered across the grasslands, horses grazing at the water's edge, herds of yaks, sheep, goats and cattle moving slowly across the valley floor. Everyday nomadic life unfolds quietly alongside the journey, and because we are on the water rather than in a vehicle, we pass through it rather than arriving into it. It is a rare and genuinely unforced glimpse of a way of life that has changed very little across generations.
This is a slower, more contemplative day that invites reflection as much as movement. Gentle paddling, vast open space and human connection make it one of the most photogenic and emotionally rich days of the whole expedition, and a powerful contrast to the wilder water upstream. All meals are provided today.
Day 11Meandering plains
Calmer paddling today as the river winds gently through a wide fertile plain, the landscape opening into broad grassland with distant hills beyond. The pace is relaxed and unhurried, with time to take in the scale of the valley, watch herds moving across it and enjoy the quiet rhythm of steady travel on water.
Near Tsengel we make a short vehicle transfer to bypass a more challenging rapid section, before putting back in downstream. Portaging around what does not need to be run is not a compromise, it is how expeditions get everybody home, and it is worth saying that plainly.
Back on the water the journey resumes in a peaceful, flowing stretch that invites reflection rather than concentration. This is gentle, immersive travel: simple, beautiful and deeply memorable, and it tends to be the day people find themselves thinking about long after they get home. All meals are provided today.
Day 12Desert gorge finale and celebration
The journey culminates with a stunning final paddle through a deep desert gorge, where the river cuts between towering walls of red and brown rock. The landscape is raw and dramatic, sheer canyon sides rising above the boats and the colours shifting as the light moves across the stone.
The paddling here is calm and absorbing and it gives a powerful sense of closure. After days of open valleys, nomadic life and wide skies, this narrow sculpted gorge feels intimate and timeless. From glaciers to desert in a single continuous journey, under your own paddle.
We arrive back in Ölgii by early afternoon and the simple comforts land hard: hot showers, clean clothes, a proper bed.
In the evening we come together for a traditional Kazakh celebration dinner with hearty local food and live music. Stories, laughter and a genuine sense of achievement across the group. It is a fitting way to honour the landscape, the culture and the teamwork that carried everybody through. All meals are provided today.
Day 13Return to Ulaanbaatar
A morning flight back east across Mongolia to Ulaanbaatar, and the strange experience of watching a fortnight of landscape scroll past underneath you in two hours.
We transfer to our city centre hotel with time to rest, repack and start reacquainting yourself with the world you left behind.
In the evening we gather for the farewell dinner, a relaxed and celebratory evening full of laughter, shared stories and the unmistakable bond that only a real expedition creates. It is a chance to reflect on the whole journey, from remote rivers and mountain camps to the moments of challenge, teamwork and quiet reflection along the way, over one last meal together.
Please note that only breakfast and dinner are provided today.
Day 14Leisure day in Ulaanbaatar
A relaxed spare day to enjoy Ulaanbaatar however you like. There is no fixed schedule. Shop for cashmere and local crafts, which is what most people end up doing and with good reason, linger in cafes, visit the museums, or simply wander and let the expedition settle in your head.
Joe and the team are on hand with recommendations for anyone who would like ideas, whether that is cultural sites, short walks, galleries or somewhere good to eat.
This day exists for two reasons. It lets the journey wind down gently rather than ending with a jolt, and it gives a buffer against the domestic flight delays that are a normal part of travel in Mongolia. No meals are provided today, so budget for it and carry cash.
Day 15Departure
Transfers to the airport for your flight home, timed around your departure.
You leave having paddled from glacier fed water in the Altai, across two remote alpine lakes, down a river that ran from still to rapid to slow again, past ancient carvings and nomadic camps, and out through a desert gorge. Fifteen days, one continuous journey, entirely under your own paddle, with a group of people who were strangers a fortnight ago.
That is what an expedition is supposed to feel like.
What's included
- Led personally throughout by Joe Alexander, not subcontracted
- Experienced local guides and expedition support crew
- Pre departure white water training day in the UK
- Return domestic flights between Ulaanbaatar and Ölgii
- Airport transfers on arrival and departure
- All internal transport, including the drive into the Altai
- Two nights hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar
- Two nights hotel accommodation in Ölgii
- Nine nights camping on the expedition, in shared tents
- All tents and group camping equipment
- All canoes, paddles, buoyancy aids and group safety equipment
- All meals during the canoeing and camping phase of the expedition
- Welcome dinner and expedition briefing in Ulaanbaatar
- Guided cultural tour of Ulaanbaatar
- Traditional performance of throat singing, music and contortion
- Bazaar and regional museum visit in Ölgii
- Traditional Kazakh celebration dinner in Ölgii
- Farewell dinner in Ulaanbaatar
- Altai Tavan Bogd national park and border zone permits
- Access to trade discounts with partner outdoor brands for personal kit
- Full pre departure support and preparation information
What's not included
- International flights to and from Ulaanbaatar
- Travel insurance, which is mandatory and must cover white water canoeing
- Mongolian visa or entry fees, where applicable
- Travel to and from the UK training day
- Lunch on the Ölgii arrival day and on the Ulaanbaatar return day
- All meals on the Ulaanbaatar leisure day
- Alcoholic drinks and soft drinks
- Personal outdoor equipment, clothing and sleeping bag
- Tips for the local guides, drivers and support crew
- Personal spending, souvenirs and laundry
- Vaccinations and any travel clinic fees
- Single supplement in hotels, where requested and available
Difficulty and preparation
It is graded Hard, the third of our four grades. That is 15 days of it, so being ready matters more than being fast. The highest point is about 2,900m, so altitude is part of what makes it hard. If you are unsure whether it suits you, talk to us before you book rather than after: we would far rather move you to the right adventure than watch you struggle on the wrong one.
Safety and support
Every trip runs with qualified leaders, a risk assessment written for the route, emergency procedures and communications planned before departure, and local support on the ground. Travel insurance covering your chosen activities is a condition of booking.
Questions about this trip
Getting there and flights
The expedition begins and ends in Ulaanbaatar. International flights are not included. From the UK most routings connect through Istanbul, Seoul, Beijing or a European hub, and journey times are long. Book to arrive on the morning of Day 1 where possible and to depart on Day 15, and check your booking against those days before paying. The domestic flights between Ulaanbaatar and Ölgii are part of the expedition and we book those for the group.
Visas and entry
Entry requirements for Mongolia vary by nationality and have changed several times in recent years, with some nationalities currently able to visit visa free for short tourist stays and others needing to apply in advance. Your passport should have at least six months validity beyond your travel dates. Confirm the current position for your own nationality against official guidance well before departure and again shortly before you fly.
Permits and the border zone
The Altai Tavan Bogd national park lies on the border with Russia and China, so both national park permits and border zone permits are required. We arrange these, but they are issued in advance in the names of everyone travelling and need your passport details early. They cannot be obtained on arrival. Carry your passport throughout the western leg and expect checks.
Insurance, and what it must cover
Travel insurance is mandatory and needs to be more comprehensive than usual. It must cover canoeing on white water, wilderness expedition travel and medical evacuation from a remote region. Western Mongolia is days from definitive medical care and an evacuation is complex and expensive. Read the activity list in your policy rather than assuming, and send us the policy number and the insurer's emergency line before departure.
Difficulty and fitness
This is rated Hard, and the rating is about endurance, cold and remoteness rather than technical difficulty. There are no expert paddling skills required and the included UK training day teaches everything we use. What you need is the fitness to paddle, camp, carry and be cold for nine consecutive days without a hot shower or a rest, and the temperament to do it as part of a team. Guests should be able to swim and be comfortable in and around cold water.
The UK training day
A white water training day in the UK is included before departure and it matters. It covers canoe handling, reading moving water, the group systems and signals we use on the river, lining a loaded boat, capsize drill and self rescue, and throw line work. It also covers kit in detail and gives you access to our trade discounts with partner outdoor brands. Just as valuably, you meet Joe and the team and start the expedition already knowing each other.
What the remoteness actually means
For roughly nine days there are no roads, no power, no phone signal and no shops. There is no way to charge anything and no way for anyone at home to contact you except through our satellite communications in a genuine emergency. Rescue or evacuation would be measured in days rather than hours. This is the reason for the safety systems, the rest day and the honest briefings, and it is also exactly why the place feels the way it does.
Camping and facilities
You camp for nine nights in shared expedition tents, on riverbanks, beside lakes and on a small island. Tents, group camping equipment and all cooking are provided and the crew pitch camp and cook. There are no showers, no toilets beyond what we dig and pack out, and no charging. You will be washing in glacier fed water or not at all. Hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Ölgii are comfortable and en suite, and bookend the wild phase.
Weather and cold
The expedition is deliberately timed for the end of the season, when river levels and stability are at their best. That also means cold. Days in the Altai can be pleasant, but nights regularly drop to or below freezing and snow is possible at any time. The water is glacier fed and cold all year. Lower down the valley and in the desert gorge it is considerably warmer. A four season sleeping bag and genuinely waterproof outer layers are essential rather than advisable.
Meals and water
All meals are provided throughout the canoeing and camping phase, cooked by the expedition crew. There are three exceptions in the towns: lunch is not included on the Ölgii arrival day or on the Ulaanbaatar return day, and no meals are provided on the leisure day. Budget for those. All water on the expedition is drawn from rivers and lakes and purified before drinking. dietary requirements catered for when added to your guest portal.
Money
The currency is the Mongolian tögrög. Cards work in Ulaanbaatar and to a lesser extent in Ölgii, but there is nowhere at all to spend or withdraw money during the expedition itself. Draw what you need before heading west and keep it dry. Tips for the local guides, drivers and support crew are not included and are customary, and your leader will advise sensible amounts. Change any remaining tögrög before you leave the country.
Bayan-Ölgii and Kazakh culture
Western Mongolia is not like the rest of the country. Bayan-Ölgii province is largely ethnic Kazakh and Muslim, Kazakh is widely spoken alongside Mongolian, and this is the home of the golden eagle hunters. Dress modestly in town, ask before photographing people, and follow the local guide's lead when meeting nomadic families. If you are invited into a yurt, accept, take the tea and follow their lead on etiquette. Never approach a yurt on foot without the guide, as herding dogs are working animals.
Health
See a travel clinic or your GP well before departure and discuss remote wilderness travel in Mongolia specifically. Routine vaccinations plus hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended, and your clinic may raise rabies given the distance from treatment. Bring personal medication in your hand luggage in original packaging and tell us about any condition or regular medication in advance. Minor problems become significant when help is days away, so report cuts, blisters and stomach upsets early rather than pushing on.
Connectivity and power
Wi Fi is available in the hotels in Ulaanbaatar and Ölgii. On the expedition there is none, along with no mobile signal and no power. Bring a power bank and ration it. The team carries satellite communications for safety and daily check ins with the UK office, which are for operational and emergency use rather than personal messages. Tell people at home before you go that you will be uncontactable for around nine days.
Group size and who this suits
The group is capped at ten and led personally by Joe Alexander rather than subcontracted. This suits people who want a real expedition rather than a guided holiday: those who are up for teamwork, shared decisions, discomfort at times and a genuine sense of earning the journey. Previous paddling experience is welcome but not required. Solo travellers are common and very welcome, and the small group and shared camps mean nobody stays a stranger for long.
Book your place
£2,795
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Talk it through with someone who has been there. Call 0191 903 9936 or send us a question.
Dates and prices
| Dates | Availability | Price | Book |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - 15 September 2030 | Places available10 places left | £2,795 | Book this date |
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