The Altai Mountains, with eternal snowcapped peaks and glaciers, are the highest of the three major mountain ranges in Mongolia, straddling the Russian and Chinese frontiers in the Far West. In this remote region nomads of various ethnic minorities have found their home. The Kazakhs are Muslims and speak the ancient Kazakh language. The Tuvans are Buddhist and shamanistic. This dramatic journey will bring us to Mongolia’s most facinating mountain region. We trek from the lakes region, through Altai Tavanbogd National Park, to the Potanin glacier supported by pack camels and local herders. In order to get into the glaciers area we will cross the high Altai where local Kazakh herdsmen keep their priceless Golden Eagles next to their yurts.

Countries visited

• Mongolia

Places visited

• Ulaanbaatar
• Altai Mountains

Transportation

Local flight and local transport

Included In Price

Guide and all meals outside Ulaanbaatar. All overnights in hotel (2n.), Ger camp (2n.) and tents (12n.), camping equipment and all local transport. Border permits. Local Medevac coverage is also included.

Meals Included

This tour includes 41 meals; 14 breakfasts 13 lunches 14 dinners

Not Included In Price

Internal flights approx. Flight UB - Ölgii rtn: AU$ 420, imported drinks, laundry, rent of riding horse, transfers in Ulaanbaatar. Please bring your own sleeping bag.

Important Information

Please note the last trip for the 2011 season will be modified in such a way to spend less days in the lakes area at the beginning of the trek in order to include the Eagle Festival in Sagsay at the end of the journey.

Day 1: Ulaanbaatar

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Arrive in Ulaanbaatar, overnight in comfortable hotel. Whilst in Ulaanbaatar, be sure to visit the National History Museum and the Natural History Museum. It has displays from the rich history of Mongolia from the Huns, to Genghis Khan, to our present days. Ulaanbaatar city centre is compact and you can walk to reach most places of interest.

Accommodation

Tourist class hotel

Meals Included

none

Day 2: Fly to Ölgii, overnight in Kazakh yurt

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Meet your local Kazakh guide upon arriving at Ölgii airport or report to the bar of the Blue Wolf Restaurant in Ölgii, 17h00 at the latest. You will meet your local guide there. Drive half an hour west to Sagsay village and check in at the ger camp. Dinner in the big Kazakh yurt (ger).

Domestic flight not included. 4 hr Flight to Ölgii, 30min drive to Ger camp.

Accommodation

Kazakh yurt

Meals Included

1 x Dinners

Day 3: Drive to Dayan Lake, near the frontier with China

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We start our journey by a drive through the Hargant Valley to Altai Tavanbogd National Park passing below snow-capped Tsengel Hairhan Uul (3043m). Tuvans live here. They are Buddhists, but of a Turkic speaking ethnic group. Their gers (yurts) are more like Mongol gers as opposed to the larger Kazakh ones.

After picnic lunch, continue our drive and reach Dayan Lake, near the frontier with China. Many Kazakh nomadic families use this area in the summer months for their summer grazing. There is good fishing and stunning sunsets. Dayan Lake is also home of many birds as duck, geese, swans and many others. Meet horses and camels. 7 hours drive to get to start of trek.

Accommodation

Overnight in tent.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 4: Hike to Hurgan Lake

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We will load our equipment onto pack-camels and/or pack-horses and start hiking across to Hurgan Lake and its western shore. Full day trek through the dramatic steppe valley where the Hovd River that drains from the a series of glacial lakes from the Tavanbogd glacial massif. Our impressive camel caravan comes out to the steppe valleys. The Kazakh families yurts are a bonanza of handicraft. To the west we see the snowcapped forested mountains with forest which divides China and Mongolia.

Accommodation

Overnight in tent.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 5 & 6: Trek to Hoton Lake, below the snow capped Ikh Turgen Uul

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Continued trek passing the elongated Hoton Lake, just below the snow-capped Ikh Turgen Uul. We are now only 10km from the China border. A fishing rod comes in handy here. The largest subspecies of Mongolian Grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is easily fished here. The numerous Great Cormorants in the vicinity are a good indicator that there are plentiful fish in the lakes.

Accommodation

Overnight in tents

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts
2 x Lunches
2 x Dinners

Day 7 & 8: Trek to Bear Valley

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Trek up a valley with patches of Larch forests and have a picnic lunch near the so-called Green Lake. Small streams that develop into rivers originate here. They are fed by melting glaciers which flow down broad steppe valleys. Surrounding the valley are mountains and forested hills of larch. Along the rivers there are wooded and alluvial meadows with broad leaf forests. After few hours trekking come the scenic valley, which the locals call Bear Valley. Pitch camp next to a small waterfall. The next day an opportunity to day hike in this scenic area of the Altais.

Accommodation

Overnight in tents

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts
2 x Lunches
2 x Dinners

Day 9 & 10: Altai Mountains crossing

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We have allocated two full days for the crossing of the Altai Mountain range, the total distance being 32km. We will pitch camp before the snowy area. Certainly big game such as Snow Leopards and its prey species live here, but they are extremely difficult to see. Perhaps you may see Altai Snowcock, the highest altitude living bird of Mongolia. We will cross the Altai at the highest elevation of some 3600m and have broad views across the Altais. We will be near the peak of Tsagaan Hairhan Uul (3662m).

Accommodation

Overnight in tents

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts
2 x Lunches
2 x Dinners

Day 11: To Shiveet Hairhan Mountain

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Trek down to Shiveet Hairhan Mountain, where the Tuva people live. Here we will now be able to view the largest petroglyphs from the period of the Xiongnu (approx 200 B.C.) which dates from the time when the Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huangdi started building the Great Wall of China.

Accommodation

Overnight in tents

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 12 to 14: Hike to Malchin Uul

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Trek for 6km toward the base camp of the snow-capped Tavanbogd massif. Pitch camp next to the 20km long Potanina glacier – the biggest of the twenty glaciers in Mongolian Altai. We will be staying here for two nights. Tavanbogd means “The Holy Five”, referring to the five highest peaks, of which Huiten Uul is the highest in Mongolia, 4374 meters above sea level. Quite a considerable height at this latitude. It is a stunning setting with the awe-inspiring massif of high snow-capped peaks.

Day 13 can be used as a rest day or you can enjoy a day hike to the Malchin Uul. This is a non-technical climb. On the last day trek back on the far side of the Tsagaan River and pitch camp, and the pick up vehicles will arrive this camp site tonight. We may have a chance to view Siberian Ibex (Capra sibirica) here.

Accommodation

Overnight in tents

Meals Included

3 x Breakfasts
3 x Lunches
3 x Dinners

Day 15: Drive to ger camp at Sagsay village.

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Drive via Ulaanhuis over desert mountain landscapes, with the snow-capped Tsambagarav Mountain ahead. We will find numerous petroglyphs and Turkic stones along the Sogoog River basin. Bayan-Ölgii is rich in archaeological remains, as a reminder of the time of the Turkic invasions. Arrive back to the ger camp at Sagsay village.

Accommodation

Ger camp at Sagsay village

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts
1 x Lunches
1 x Dinners

Day 16: Short drive to Ölgii, afternoon flight to Ulaanbaatar.

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After breakfast, drive a short way (30 minutes) to Ölgii. The bazaar in Ölgii is interesting, as well as the mosque, which has been renovated in recent times. We usually have the whole morning to visit Ölgii. There are some very interesting back street handicraft shops and a well-stocked local museum. In the afternoon, flights leave for Ulaanbaatar.

Domestic flight not included. 4 hour flight to Ulaanbaatar, 30 min drive to Ölgii.

Accommodation

Overnight hotel in Ulaanbaatar

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 17: Tour ends in Ulaanbaatar

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Departure day. Please let us know if you wish us to arrange a transfer to the airport.

Meals Included

none