Google Street View’s portable trekker reaches Mongolia
Google Trekker, the shoulder mounted camera used to record scenes from remote off-road locales, has finally made it to Mongolia to record the annual Naadam Festival.
To achieve the feat intrepid trekker Ariantuul faced the arduous task of clambering up the 1,600m tall Khar Zurkh Uul mountain with 18kg of equipment strapped to her back.
Thanks to her doggedness Street View now has a record of the hilltop horsemanship festival which features a mix of archery, wrestling and racing, a sporting mix that was granted UNESCO Intangible World Heritage status in 2010.
Alex Starns, head of Google's Asia Pacific Street View operation, said: "I think Naadam is a perfect example of something that's truly unique to Mongolia and it's a showcase of Mongolian culture and heritage. We use the Google Street View as a way for people around the world to understand that."
Google Street View has become increasingly ambitious since its road bound days, with trekkers having been dispatched underwater, over mountains and atop trains.