The Call of the North
A flying eagle, the horizon fading into white. Our journey begins here: where silence is louder than the wind, where nature still sets the rhythm and humans follow its breath.
Across the frozen expanses of western Mongolia live the búrkitshy, the eagle hunters of Kazakh tradition, who for centuries have passed down the noble and untamed art of hunting with the golden eagle. Fathers and sons train their birds of prey with respect and devotion; an ancient bond built on gestures and mutual trust. During the winter, families live off pastoralism, moving with their herds in search of pastures that can sustain them, following patterns of seasonal migration.
This was the adventure we wanted to share during the event on November 8th at our Vicenza 75°06’S Store, together with the team from Eora Collective, a group that shares our philosophy: believing that travel is discovery, exchange, transformation. Together we aimed to create not just an exhibition, but a moment of connection, a space where stories could circulate and spark new insights.
Mongolia Diaries was not just a photo exhibition. It was an open window onto a world that endures, that breathes to the rhythm of the seasons, that reminds us what it truly means to depend on nature.
Photographer Massimo Bietti did more than document his journey; he fully lived it. He spent days and nights with a nomadic family during part of the Mongolian winter transhumance, when temperatures drop to minus forty and the wind sculpts the landscape into ever-changing forms.
His photographs reveal the intimacy of that primordial bond between man and eagle, the silent majesty of the snow-covered Altai Mountains, the dignity of a people who still choose to follow the ancient pastoral routes. In those images you can feel the short breath of biting cold, the warmth of the ger lit by the wood-burning stove, the penetrating gaze of the golden eagle perched on its human companion’s arm.
During the expedition, Massimo tested our technical garments in the field—pieces designed specifically to withstand the most extreme conditions. Through his photos, we wanted to draw attention to a crucial idea: cold-climate journeys are not just adrenaline-filled adventures; they are pilgrimages into ecosystems that are changing before our eyes.
Far from the beaten path, in the heart of authenticity, western Mongolia is not exactly a tourist destination. There are no resorts, no comforts. There is the steppe, the nomads, the silence. And for this very reason, it becomes one of the most intense journeys one can undertake.
The búrkitshy of Bayan-Ölgii province represent one of the last communities in the world to keep alive the tradition of hunting with the golden eagle. It is estimated that only around two hundred remain. The relationship between hunter and eagle is something that eludes our Western understanding. The eagle is captured young, raised as a member of the family, trained with endless patience. Their pact of mutual respect is rooted in a culture where humans and nature are not separate, but parts of a single living organism.
Equipment as an ally
Our goal is not only to sell technical garments. We want to give new travelers the ability to go further, to face environments that would normally push us back. Our apparel is designed to withstand extreme temperatures. Massimo Bietti experienced that firsthand, literally, during the long days of horseback transhumance.
In an era when mass tourism has reached even the most remote corners, we strongly believe in responsible travel, in journeys that leave light footprints. Western Mongolia, with its nomadic communities and fragile ecosystems, teaches us exactly this: respect for those who host us, attention to environmental balance, the awareness that we are temporary guests in places that have belonged to others for generations.
Retreating glaciers, shifting seasons, changing migratory patterns in wildlife, all remind us that we are part of a complex, interconnected, delicate system. And that every choice we make has consequences.
The journey continues
The photographs of Mongolia Diaries will continue to live on our walls for a few more weeks. If you couldn’t make it to the opening, come visit us. And if the idea of a cold-weather journey, among eagles and snow-covered steppes, has stirred something within you, come talk to us.
The real journey begins long before you leave. It begins with a photograph that stays with you, with a story that makes you feel alive, with the awareness that out there, beyond our comforts, there are still worlds waiting to be discovered.
The call of the North continues to echo.
Do you hear it?
