ALTAI MOUNTAINS & THE GOBI DESERT: MONGOLIA TREK THE MOUNTAINS OF UVS AIMAG & HOVD AIMAG HIKES IN THE GOBI DESERT & TERELJ NATIONAL PARK WALT McCONNELL GROUP OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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- Land of Genghis Khan & the Mongol Empire. The last wilderness nation on earth.
- Country of superlatives & contrasts. Sparsely populated. Vast spaces. Steppe, snowy mountains & desert.
- Nomads living in gers (i.e., the traditional yurts) following age-old traditions of a horse-based culture.
- Takhi (Przewalski's horses), argali, ibex, snow leopard, yaks, bactrian camels, gazelles & cashmere goats.
- Exceptional two part trek in the Altai Mountains, one featuring the Siberian taiga, one featuring steppe.
- Eagles, falcons, kites, bustards, lamergeyer, vultures, ptarmigan, snowcock, grouse and myriad shorebirds.
- Hovd province, one of the most beautiful of Mongolia, craggy mountains, sandy plains & colorful deserts.
- Bubbling springs, tumultuous rivers, marshlands rich in birdlife, forests & crystalline lakes.
- Uvs province, least visited of Mongolia. Glaciated peaks, tarns, flowered vales & gigantic saltwater lakes.
- Gobi Desert, classic desert of sand, scrub, rock & wind. Awesome silence.
- Hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar on twin base occupancy
- Ger accommodation at ger (yurt) camps on twin base occupancy
- Tents, mats and sleeping bags for tent nights on trek
- All group camping equipment, full camp service with local leader/ coordinator/ interpreter, camp cook
- All meals from arrival Ulaan Baatar to departure from Ulaan Baatar
- All group transfers to/from flights within Mongolia
- All domestic airfares including roundtrip flights to Gobi Dessert, and Ulaanbaatar-Ulaangom, Hovd-Ulaanbaatar.
- Domestic airport taxes
- All land transportation in Mongolia.
- Sightseeing, museum and performance fees per itinerary
- English speaking guide service for entire trip
- Cook and assistant cook services
- Local guide service (plus USA guide where indicated)
- Horse rent for trekking portion
- Items of a personal nature including laundry, telephone charges, immunizations, etc.,
- International airfare to/from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
- Excess luggage fees
- Visa fees and airport taxes
- Any type of insurance including baggage, cancellation and medical insurance
- Evacuation expenses should they be necessary
- Food and bottled beverages not included in the package, including alcoholic beverages
- Photography and video fees (museums, cultural performances)
- Tips and gratuities
- Additional nights at beginning or end of trip, visa charges and international airport taxes.
- Non-group transfers
Trip description & itinerary
Sunday June 22 to Sunday July 13, 2008 (22-days Ulaan Baatar/ Ulaan Baatar)
Highlights
Background
The Lonely Planet Guide states "Mongolia is a large landlocked country, measuring 1,566,000 sq. km in area, about three times the size of France. Quite apart from the period of Mongol conquest under Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan, Mongolia was until the 20th century about twice its present size. A fairly large chunk of Siberia was once part of Mongolia but is now securely controlled by Russia. Mongolia's southern region, now called Inner Mongolia, is currently a province of China. Some Mongolian nationalists would like to reclaim this land which is traditionally
All flights in and out of the country - as well as within - funnel through Ulaan Baatar, the capital and Mongolia's largest city. Ulaan Baatar means "Red Hero" and, despite the somewhat sterile look inherent in Soviet-style architecture, there is large amount of open space in this sprawling city. The squares and parks are often occupied by wandering cows and, although the skyline is dominated by Soviet built concrete apartment blocks, much of the population lives in gers, known to us by the Russian word yurts. The city is located on the banks of the Tuul Gol (the Tuul River) at an altitude of 4400 ft. Beautiful forested rolling hills overlook the city and Soviet-built vehicles still frequent the streets. Thus, despite its size, Ulaan Baatar has a small-town, out-of-the-past atmosphere. Within Ulaan Baatar are ancient Buddhist monasteries and old palaces of the Manchu period that we can visit. You'll have time at both the beginning and end of your trip for sightseeing.
To the north of Ulaan Baatar is the vast central region along the Russian frontier - known as the Siberian taiga. The steppe is the east-west band immediately to the south of the taiga. It is the heart of Mongolia, a rolling grassland which is home to Mongolia's famed horses used successfully by Genghis Khan in his wars of conquest. Less than 10% of the land is forested, mostly in the north, and scattered locales of the west. Along the southern edge of Mongolia lies the great Gobi Desert. The Altai Mountains are oriented more or less north-south in the far western part of the country.
Mongolia is one of the highest countries in the world, averaging about a mile high. Politically the country is divided into aimags, sort of the equivalent of states or provinces. Two of Mongolia's most beautiful aimags are Hovd and Uvs, both located in the far west. The landscape of both aimags is one of remarkable contrasts. Enormous fresh-water and brackish lakes dot the terrain. Sandy plains, rolling grassy hills and lush marshes are juxtaposed.
Stark, colorful deserts where rain virtually never falls abut rocky, snowclad mountains. In this arid land, are Mongolia's highest mountains, the Altai Nuruu, the only peaks within Mongolia which are permanently ice-covered. The main portion of our visit will be a two-part trek through the incredibly beautiful landscape of Uvs-Hovd. In Hovd, glaciated Mt. Munkh Hairkhan (14,307 ft, 4362 mtr), one of Mongolia’s highest peaks, graces the skyline.
Because of the Altai's large glacier system, there is an abundance of water emanating from the melting snows of the higher peaks. While the rivers in Mongolia's northern tier flow north to Lake Baikal and the Arctic Ocean, the rivers of the Altai and central and southern Mongolia flow either into large placid lakes, all without an outlet to the sea, or into the open wastes of the Gobi. As a consequence there are many saltwater marshes and places where clear rivers disappear into the sands only to re-surface at a distant spot as a bubbling spring within a lush pasture surrounded by a sea of sand. The water and vegetation provide sustenance for a large amount of livestock as well as create habitat for an abundance of wildlife - such as argali sheep and ibex - and birdlife.
Adjacent to Hovd is the aimag of Uvs, another region of saltwater marshes, enormous lakes, and high peaks. A few scattered larch forests lie in some of the upper mountain valleys and, in June, wildflowers abound. Hovd is said to be the least visited of all the aimags in Mongolia. It is also exceptionally remote and, during our visit to Lake Uureg, we will be only 30km from the Russian border.
On your trip you'll also see the two largest lakes in Mongolia. The largest, Uvs Nuur, is an inland sea - it's five times saltier than the ocean and completely devoid of marine life - covering a surface area of 3423 sq. km. Situated in the middle of a desert, it is one of the most unexpected sights in Mongolia and supports an amazing variety of birdlife. Because of the marshy surrounding land we are unable to camp on Uvs Nuur, but it shimmers like a mirage in the distance as we cross one of the passes leaving Lake Uureg. The second largest lake in Mongolia, Har Us Nuur (Black Water lake), lies only a few miles from Hovd town. Created by the Hovd Gol, the lake and surrounding marshes pro
vides cover for gulls and grouse, ducks and geese, and many rare and endangered species. We'll spend a night here and you'll have opportunity for photography.
The Gobi Desert, covering the aimag of Omnogov, dominates the southern third of Mongolia. Omnogov is the least populous of all the aimags. It's a land of empty space filled with dunes and "dust-devils," mirages and a paucity of water. Most Mongolians prefer not to visit this remote and barren region, but it has profound attraction for travelers. Although appearing barren, the region has sufficient grass to support herds of sheep, goats and camels. Gazelles are not uncommon. Within the Gobi is also a rich treasure of dinosaur skeletons and fossilized wood. The Gobi is indeed a landscape of eerie, ghostly beauty.
| Itinerary | |
|---|---|
| Tue June 24: Wed June 25: | Sun June 22: Arrive Ulaan Baatar via Seoul Korea Begin Ibex Expeditions services, part 1. Transfer to hotel. Briefing & overnight in hotel. All meals included. Mon June 23: Day spent touring Ulaan Baatar and environs. Visit the impressive national and natural history museums. Opportunity for shopping. Overnight in hotel. Transfer to airport. Fly to Ulaangom. Jeeps to beginning of trek. Overnight in camp. Begin trek to Mt Turgen and Mt Tsagaan Degly. Overnight in camp. |
Thu June 26 to Sun June 29:Trek. Trekking in flower-filled valleys. Mild gradient. Grassy terrain. Overnights in
camp. Mon June 30: End trek. Meet jeeps and drive to Lake Uureg. Overnight in camp. Tue July 01: Drive from Lake Uureg to small lake. About 5-7 hours in jeep with frequent stops of your choice.
Overnight in camp. Wed July 02 Continue jeep ride to start of second trek to Mt Munkh Hairkhan. About 6-7 hours on the road.
Overnight in camp. Thu July 03: Begin trek to Mt Munkh Hairkhan. Trek wide valley with sparse vegetation. Overnights in camp. Fri July 04: Overnight in camp. Sat July 05 End trek. Overnight in camp. Sun July 06: Fly to Ulaan Baatar. Overnight in hotel.
Mon July 07: Transfer to airport. End part 1 and/or begin part 2. Fly to the edge of the Gobi. Overnight in gers
(yurts) at a camel breeder's camp. Possible afternoon visit to dinosaur archaeological sites.
Tue July 08: Day spent in Eagle Valley. Overnight in gers.
Wed July 09: Flight from Gobi to Ulaan Baatar. Overnight in hotel.
Thu July 10: Visit Gandan & Janraiseg monasteries. Visit Bogdo Museum. Evening cultural performance (folk concert). Overnight hotel
Fri July 11: Naadam National Day Festival. The first day of this 3-day festival has the most impressive displays, great costumes, elegant horse-riding and Mongolian-style wrestling. The marathon horse race is on the second or third day. Overnight hotel
Sat July 12: Day trip to Terelj-Gorkhi National Park. 3 to 4 hour hike. Late return to Ulaan Baatar. Overnight hotel. It’s also possible to leave immediately after the first day of Naadam or stay for the additional days of the festival. There is also the option to prolong your visit to the Lakes District.
Sun July 13: Transfer to airport. End of Ibex services.
LAND COST INCLUDES
LAND COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
A note about Mongolian cuisine
It is possible to eat reasonably well, and safely, in Ulaan Baatar. On the trail all measures are taken to provide nutritious meals under hygienic conditions. Unfortunately, since all fruits, vegetables and produce must be brought with us by air, this precludes a varied diet. The diet does include a fair bit of meat. If you are a vegan or full vegetarian, this may not be the trip for you.
A note about our hotel in Ulaan Baatar
Ibex uses a smaller hotel than the big Russian-built hotel in the center of town. Our hotel is located in a quieter district and is much more intimate. It is very European in character and very tidy. The staff is attentive, but it does not have all the amenities of a US type 5-star hotel.
2008 LAND COST
10 or more persons $3900 USD pp 9 persons $4000 USD pp 8 persons $4100 USD pp 7 persons $4250 USD pp 6 persons $4420 USD pp
Single supplement surcharge $500 Two bedded ger (yurt) supplement, Gobi Desert portion only $50 per person
Deposit $500 per person Closing date 60-days in advance of trip departure (April 22). Funds not returnable after this date.
Please read Ibex Terms & Conditions carefully
Further trek information, equipment list, reading list, and maps will be sent upon receipt of $500 per person deposit and completed trip application. You are not considered a trip member until the medical and liability forms are received in our office
Version 17 December 2007