MONGOLIA - Trekking in the Altai

Easy-paced trekking in Mongolia's wild west ~ The twin peaks of Kharkhiraa and Turgen ~ Nomadic people of the steppe ~ The complete Mongolia walking experience

3 nights hotels, 11 nights camping, 10 days MODERATE trekking. Max. altitude 3220m / 10,564ft. All meals included.

moderate

An adventurous trekking adventure holiday, walking and climbing in the wild Altai region of Mongolia. This unique trekking adventure in Mongolia takes place in the remote and rarely-visited province of Uvs, amongst a group of mountains which is dominated by the twin peaks of Mount Kharkhiraa (4037m / 13,245ft) and Mount Turgen (3978m / 13,051ft). From the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, we fly westwards to Ulaangom and make the short transfer to the start of our trekking route at stunning Lake Uureg, which lies close to the border with Russia. With the support of pack-camels and their handlers, we approach the Altai through the forested Bural Valley, where gold panning encampments are reminiscent of the North American Gold Rush days. We'll be walking through U-shaped glacial valleys and across alpine pastures, home to nomadic herders and their livestock. Fording rivers, trekking across low, grassy passes and camping beside sparkling blue lakes, we reach the moraines of the Kharkhiraa and Turgen glaciers and will continue walking up above the Kharkhiraa Pass (2974m / 9757ft) to a high viewpoint which provides fantastic views of this isolated range.
Mongolia – just the name conjures up images of mystique – whether from the empire created by the warriors of Genghis Khan or the fact that so little is known about this country which was hidden from the world by the cloak of communism for so many years. Mongolia is the 6th largest country in Asia, and one of the largest land-locked countries in the world. With just 2.3 million people, Mongolia also has one of the lowest population densities on earth and yet, the open steppes are far from soulless, as the hospitality of the nomadic herdsmen will show.
For an off-the-beaten path trekking holiday adventure, walking in the Altai of Mongolia is hard to beat!

This is a relatively low-level trek and no-one should have a problem with the altitude. During this 10-day exploration of the foothills and valleys of the Kharkhiraa and Turgen mountains, we will generally be following good trails used by the local nomads and their livestock and used by tiny numbers of outside visitors. This is excellent trekking country, combining open steppe, riverside walks, forested areas and more rugged terrain on the climb to the Kharkhiraa Pass. We will be trekking for around 6 hours per day and some of the days will involve a reasonable amount of ascent (500 metres (1600 feet) or so). This trek is given the MODERATE grade and is well within the capabilities of anyone who is a regular hillwalker.

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The trip pages are only a brief summary of the details available within our trip dossiers. It is important that you read the full day to day description and further information for this trip before making your booking.
Download a dossier for MONGOLIA - Trekking in the Altai