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Shohan's family about to set off on their annual spring migration, a five-day journey through the Altai mountains, that will take them to Tavan Bogd National Park near the border with China
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The Ternek Golden eagle used to hunt fox is also part of the migration. Wrapped in a blanket as a protection against the cold it will travel on a camel's back
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About 300 Kazakh families migrate in february/march mainly from Sagsai and Ulaan Hus. Kazakhs move three times a year, rotating between homes to where the land will sustain grazing
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Kazakh nomads do the migration on horseback using a few Bactrian camels as pack animals
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The flock of goats and sheep leaves the corral for an epic 130 km journey across frozen lakes and rivers and mountain passes
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Shohan's family opted to migrate early in the year to secure the best pastures, as the land belongs to all, but also to get settled before the lambing season in march
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Migrating herd approaching Ulaan Hus, the very last settlement before the border to China
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Dusty but trusty Russian-made UAZ vans used as logistical vehicules to follow the migration
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A sheep that went astray is picked up by Shohan on his horse before being returned to the herd
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Dressed in a thick sheepskin high-waist trouser and armed with a rifle Shohan gallops through the barren landscape
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Once pointed in the right direction, the Bactrian camels usually take the lead as they seem to remember the route from previous years
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The encampment consists of a semi-permanent wood and stone home, a corral for the animals and a few gers for the daring travellers
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Shohan and his family are travelling with about fifty mountain horses known to be very endurant
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The spring migration can be the toughest as the animals are very thin after a long winter with limited body fat reserves
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Migration is a family affair at least for men. Shohan's nephew with his fat rosy cheeks
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Most of the time, the two-year old golden eagle (called Ternek in Kazakh) wears a hood over its eyes to keep it calm.
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As the herd ascends the steep snowy slopes, the weaker animals which cannot follow end up on horseback
