WESTERNMOST DESTINATIONS
 
ADVENTURES TO DIFFERENT TERRAIN, CULTURES, AND WILDERNESS

If you venture to the extreme West of the country, you will be amazed at the beauty of those various places we selected for you. The Mongolian Far West is in itself a very attractive region, hosting some of the highest peaks and mountains you can climb, with a view of immense landscapes that are very often a ground for atypical wildlife, some of the most dramatic sunrises and sunsets you could ever get, and a place sitting right in between two worlds, at the gates of the Bayan-Ulgii Province the home to totally different ethnicity and cultural in-heritage in Mongolia where the Kazakhs live.

Those are a great selection of the very finest lands of the adventure of the West, to find not only exciting and challenging multi-active trips but also some inner peace when the next first inhabitants are located kilometers away. Those places are wild, beautiful, and convey a sense of Nature that few other locations can.

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OVERVIEW

Located in Uvs province, Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountain Massif, Khyargas Lake National Park, and Uureg Lake feature approximately 1550 square miles. It is home to an incomparable combination of natural beauty, rugged wilderness, majestic peaks, and abundant wildlife

From Ulaanbaatar city / 1500km, north-west
From Ulaangom town 3 hours drive / 100 km

WESTERNMOST DESTINATIONS
  
ADVENTURES TO DIFFERENT TERRAIN, CULTURES, AND WILDERNESS

If you venture to the extreme West of the country, you will be amazed at the beauty of those various places we selected for you. The Mongolian Far West is in itself a very attractive region, hosting some of the highest peaks and mountains you can climb, with a view of immense landscapes that are very often a ground for atypical wildlife, some of the most dramatic sunrises and sunsets you could ever get, and a place sitting right in between two worlds, at the gates of the Bayan-Ulgii Province the home to totally different ethnicity and cultural in-heritage in Mongolia where the Kazakhs live.

Those are a great selection of the very finest lands of the adventure of the West, to find not only exciting and challenging multi-active trips but also some inner peace when the next first inhabitants are located kilometers away. Those places are wild, beautiful, and convey a sense of Nature that few other locations can.
_________
OVERVIEW

Located in Uvs province, Kharkhiraa & Turgen Mountain Massif, Khyargas Lake National Park, and Uureg Lake feature approximately 1550 square miles. It is home to an incomparable combination of natural beauty, rugged wilderness, majestic peaks, and abundant wildlife

From Ulaanbaatar city / 1500km, north-west
From Ulaangom town 3 hours drive / 100 km

1st landing place: KHARKHIRAA MOUNTAIN
Local name: Kharkhiraa Mountain

1st landing place: KHARKHIRAA MOUNTAIN
Local name: Kharkhiraa Mountain

The Kharkhiraa Turgen mountain region offers a combination of unspoiled paths that are ideal for some of the most adventurous and exciting treks, with a view over the traditional local nomadic life. The highlights of this trek are the paradise of various types of flowers surrounding, the landscape of more than 100 lakes in the valley facing the highest summit (Mount Kharkhiraa), eternal snow-capped mountains, and the Western lifestyle, that is different than Central Mongolia. 
The highest vantage point of the region is the Kharkhiraa mount (4040m), the 8th highest summit of all Mongolia, and his second one the Turgen (3966m), which are both located in Uvs province, in the Khovd soum. They are facing the Kharkhiraa Valley, which hosts the Uvs Lake Strictly Protected Area, a very beautiful landscape. Here the Kharkhiraa and Turgen mountains have eternal snow at their peaks, glaciers on their sides, display an ancient archaeological site, and unique nomadic customs of the local nomad communities that are the Dorvod, Khoton, Kazakh, and Tuvan ethnic groups. This place is therefore very rich in local stories and legends that will be undoubtedly fascinating to hear about. The two mountains are part of the Altai mountain range, the highest places in the country, with eternal snow, glaciers, and remainings of ancient ice covers have well preserved due to the climate here: with constant wind and cold temperatures on average. The area is inhabited by some of the most iconic endangered species of animals that are the Argali sheep, Ibex, Snow leopard, and Altai snowcock bird), and alpine flora with the Dwarf Siberian Pine, Edelweisses flowers, or the White Gentians. One thing to note: here the local timezone is 1 hour different from the capital city of Mongolia, named "Asia / Hovd" with a UTC offset of 7 hours (UTC+7).

2nd landing place: BLUE PEARL OF THE WEST
Local name: Khyargas Lake

2nd landing place: BLUE PEARL OF THE WEST
Local name: Khyargas Lake

Another amazing sight entering our list is the Khyargas lake, the blue pearl of the West. This beautiful lake is located in the very western province of Uvs, at a relatively low altitude of 1025m. Not so distinctive by its size - rather small compared to the bigger one found in the same Province named also Uvs lake, or the Khuvsgul lake at the very North of the country, Khyargas lake is however of interest both for its location and its qualities: its water is heavily salty and also getting some of its source from another smaller lake - not salty - the Airag lake. Due to its location in a lower part of Mongolia, and the source of lots of nutrients the lake is attracting a large amount of wildlife, migratory birds, and fish. It became the center of a new National Park, with protection that started from the year 2000. It is 75km long and 31km wide, making it a perfect place to venture around for hikers and horse lovers alike. The terrain is quite flat around the edges of the lake, making it a prime location to start training for the treks on lower grounds. The high concentration of salt in the water makes the shores look like a scene of a different world, with white rocks covered in salt. It somehow resembles the cliffs of Etretat or Dover in Western Europe, for its color. The Khan Khukhii Mountain Dominates the scene at the Northern shore, and the view will be dearly appreciated in this rather quiet place.

3d landing place: THE BEAUTY OF THE WEST
Local name: Uureg Lake

3d landing place: THE BEAUTY OF THE WEST
Local name: Uureg Lake

The Uureg lake is a beautiful freshwater lake located between the typical Mongolian steppe and the high mountains of the west. With a view at the snowcapped peaks and glaciers and the other alpine lakes, Uureg lake is sitting by itself at a relative altitude for Mongolia: 1425m. There, the Tsagaan Shuvuut mountain dominates the scene, culminating at 3496m. It is right there, in the middle of the Uvs strictly protected area, that live still to this day magnificent species of wild animals, such as the snow leopards, and many other mammals. The tranquil lake is by itself a little heaven for having a replenishing rest right there in the middle of a large open space, being the center of two distinct terrains. There, we usually rest along with the Ger camps near the shore for a very comfortable stay, warmth, and joy with great food served.

4th landing place: THE LAND OF WATERFALLS
Local name: Goojuur Waterfall

4th landing place: THE LAND OF WATERFALLS
Local name: Goojuur Waterfalls

If you venture to the South-West side of the Kharkhiraa and Turgen mountains, you will come across a terrain filled with stormy waters, and the beautiful waterfall Goojuur. The lovely falls are 17m tall, sandwiched between the rocky formations of Olon Nuur mountains displaying eternal snow, with an altitude of about 3000m. Here, the quiet surroundings mark the territory of many rare species such as the snow leopard, the largest argali sheep, ibex, and other mammals. This place is a small dream for hikers in a land filled with 108 lakes in the region, and the waterfalls are indubitably one challenging and beautiful experience to have. The Goojuur river that flows at this portion is very pure and fresh, and the view is also a little gem for photographers around avid of landscapes and long exposure shots.

Anyone in an average physical condition can make these stunning sand mountain expeditions.
Multiple activities for everyone!