Author shares his adventure with SW

Award-winning adventurer Tim Cope will return to Margaret River next week to share his journey on the trail of Ghengis Khan.

The celebrated explorer and author travelled the 9000km passage from Mongolia to Hungary on horseback, claiming to be the first person to successfully complete the expedition since the days of the Mongol Empire.

Cope, who is touring nationally to promote a book about his voyage, said there were people in Margaret River, including horseman Brent Watson and equine vet Sheila Greenwell, whose help was invaluable.

“The Watson family, who kindly gave me three days (horse handling) tuition before I left for Mongolia, were a lifeline to me on my trip, when I had questions about fitting saddles or horse behaviour,” he said.

Originally from Victoria, Cope has studied as a wilderness guide in the Finnish and Russian subarctic, ridden a bicycle across Russia to China, and rowed a boat along the Yenisey River through Siberia to the Arctic Ocean.

The adventurer grew up immersed in the natural environment, skiing in the Victorian Alps and surfing in summer, but it was a trek through Nepal at 16 that first widened his horizons.

“I realised there wasn’t just one way of living life, there were many, and I wanted to learn about them,” Cope said.

He said exploring wild places and understanding the people who lived in wild places made him feel “vividly alive”.

“Mongolia was a place without fences. They still live their very traditional lives as nomads moving with the seasons,” Cope said.

His book, On the Trail of Genghis Khan, documents his three-year journey, alone except for his trusted dog, into the heart of the Eurasian steppe.

Cope will speak at Margaret River Cultural Centre from 6pm on September 25 to raise funds for Margaret River’s Riding for Disabled Centre and the Margaret River and Districts Horseman’s Association and Pony Club.

The fundraiser includes a Mongolian supper and a glass of wine on arrival for $20.Bookings can be made through Margaret River Bookshop at amrbookshop@outlook.com or on 9757 3331.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog