Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
area but once you scramble up the loose rock path, you realise how big it is and how it
must have afforded considerable shelter to the prehistoric humans who once lived here.
Unfortunately, this ancient art (c 13,000 BC) has inspired others and recent graffiti (c
AD 2001) has seen much of it destroyed. In 2005 the area was incorporated into the Khar
Us National Park and some of the paintings 'restored'.
To explore the cave you will need a strong torch (flashlight) and whatever kind of
footwear you feel copes well with the dusty bird shit that blankets parts of the cave floor.
The paintings are very difficult to spot. There seem to be far fewer than the tourism
spiel promotes - and we couldn't find the famed whooly mammoth paintings. The easiest
to find are some antelope and bird paintings in the first cavern to your left as you des-
cend the path into the main cave. Most of them are found within a small conical recess
here. Beside this, through a hole in the wall which you can squeeze through, are more an-
imal figures.
Exiting the main cave, you can turn left and climb slightly higher to find the entrance
to another, deeper cave, although this does not contain paintings.
Burial Mounds
HISTORIC SITE
Only a few hundred metres further up the valley are some burial mounds that to the un-
initiated would be just piles of rocks.
Petroglyphs
HISTORIC SITE
More interesting than the nearby burial mounds are these petroglyphs on the rise just be-
hind the rock mounds. You'll find dozens of etched figures here, including antelopes and
even tigers. Walk around the back of the stone hill that's just beyond the burial mound
and you should be able to spot them.
Sleeping
The ranger has a handful of
gers
( 9826 6607; per person with/without meals T55,000/
25,000)
set up for visiting travellers. There are hot showers (T2000), a bar-restaurant
(meals around T5000) and you can camp for free and pay to use the facilities separately
if you wish. Be warned, though, the mosquitos here are indescribably bad during sum-
mer.
The main cave is a 1.5km walk from the ger camp - keep the river to your right, and
you'll soon see it up to your left. The valley and surrounding hills make for excellent
camping and hiking.
