In one of the deadliest Mongolian winters on record, a young herder named Batbold leads a vast herd of horses across the frozen steppe in search of grass hidden beneath the ice.

In this episode of The Summitborn Review, we explore Iron Winter, Kasimir Burgess's award-winning documentary about survival, inheritance, climate change, and the uncertain future of traditional ways of life. What begins as a story about horses and winter becomes a meditation on a deeper question: What do we owe a way of life the world may no longer allow to continue?

Along the way, we examine the Mongolian dzud, the collision between tradition and modernity, and the quiet courage required to care for something whose future is no longer guaranteed.

Topics:
• Iron Winter and Kasimir Burgess
• Mongolia's devastating dzud winters
• Climate change and cultural survival
• Nomadic horse herding traditions
• Inheritance, identity, and belonging
• Why landscapes only seem permanent

The Summitborn Review takes a single book, film, song, place, or idea and stays with it long enough to discover what it knows about us.

Credits

Written by Brian Hamilton

Narrated by Rachel, the voice of The Summitborn Review

Produced by Summitborn

Learn more about Summit Pass: https://summitborn.com/summit-pass