Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tsambagarav Uul National Park
The permanently snow-capped Tsambagarav Uul straddles the border between Khovd
and Bayan-Ölgii aimags and the park (admission T3000) is accessible from either side.
Despite its altitude of 4208m, the mountain's summit is relatively accessible and easy to
climb compared with Tavan Bogd, but you'll need crampons and ropes. A neighbouring
peak, Tsast Uul , is slightly lower at 4193m and is also good for climbing.
The southern side of the mountain (near the main Khovd-Ölgii road) contains the
Namarjin valley , where there are outstanding views of Tsambagarav. From here you can
head west and then south to rejoin the main Khovd-Ölgii road, via several Kazakh set-
tlements and a beautiful turquoise lake .
An alternative route from the Khovd side leads from the town of Erdeneburen (where
you can see a deer stone dating back to the pre-Mongol era) and up the mountainside to
the Bayangol Valley. The valley itself is nothing special but there are fine views south-
east to Khar Us Nuur and you might be able to rent a horse for the hour-long ride to the
Kazakh-populated Marra valley .
The Bayan-Ölgii (northern) side of the mountain is even more impressive. To reach
the massif, a steep pass runs between Tavan Belchiriin Uul and Tsast Uul. Between the
mountains is a 7m-high waterfall (GPS: N 48°44.741', E 090°42.378') that flows down a nar-
row gorge. A couple of kilometres to the east of the waterfall is a glacier and a small gla-
cial lake.
From the glacier, the road dips through some spectacular rocky gorges before finally
tumbling down to Bayan Nuur , a small, slightly salty lake.
The best time to visit the massif is late June to late August, when it's populated by
Kazakh nomad camps. You can rent horses from the nomads to explore the area. Outside
of these months it's a cold, empty and forbidding place.
From Bayan Nuur, a desert road travels east through a Martian landscape of red
boulders and rocky mountains. Near the town of Bayannuur and close to the Khovd Gol
is an interesting white-stone balbal (Turkic Stone Statue; GPS: N 48°50.533', E 091°16.525') .
KHOVD
POP 78,300 / AREA 76,000 SQ KM
Khovd aimag has long been a centre for trade, business and administration in western
Mongolia, a status that began during the Qing dynasty when the Manchus built a military
garrison here. The aimag still does robust trade with China through the border at Bulgan
and its agricultural university is the largest of its kind outside Ulaanbaatar.
 
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