Altai Tavan Bogd National Park - Perfect Place for Trekkers

The Altai Mountains will bring out the adventurer in you; it’s a stunning place to start your Mongolian tour. The Altai Mountains are quite famous for trekking and glacier-fed rivers; you will love the snow-packed mountains, lakes, and incredible landscapes with high peaks. The Altai Tavan Bogd National Park as a whole withholds the true beauty of this location and you will often notice nomads who take their livestock for grazing along the line. The area of the national park is well-known due to trekkers taking the route to the mountains and they have expressed the place to be an amazing location for tourists.

Putting the beauty of this place in words is completely unjustified as the place is much beautiful than we can explain. Another thing you must remember on visiting this location is carrying your camera to capture the serene beauty of the place. It is completely worth it!

★ Where It Is Exactly Located

The Tavan Bogd Mountains are in Western Mongolia's Bayan-Ölgii Province, with borders running to the north with Russia's Altai Republic and China's Burqin County towards the west.

★ The Trail Description

The trails are unmarked and it is not very complicated, but you must be ready because the day is going to be long. In the first half of the walk, you will cover the average daily journey of 12 miles (20 kilometers) and it takes you across mostly flat and rolling hills, and you will get through a snow-capped pass by the end of the journey. The steep portion is the path to the Potanin Glacier, where the campground is located at around 10,170 feet.

People always end up over thinking about the trails, although, the trail is not too difficult. If the weather conditions are in favor, which also depends on the time you are visiting, then the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park may be one of the best experiences in all of Mongolia. You probably already have your gear as an experienced hiker, if that is the case, just hit the road and make sure you are following necessary details by the tour guide. It is better to carry 3-season gear, whether you need to buy or wait until you get to a quality shop, do not leave without the equipment.

Make sure you are well prepared for any change in the temperature because the temperatures will drop quickly even in summer. It is common that you are trekking in the summer season at the end of September, however, the tourists have reported witnessing sunny days at mild temperatures but they also experienced snow a few times at night, with temperatures below zero.

★ Hike along in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park

If you are a hike person, there are various walking and trekking opportunities available in the Altai region. Starting with the day hiking to a week long trek, and it can get even longer if you choose to explore more. Whatever path you like, the trail will be mindful of the two international boundaries of China and Russia that line the park, which means you will need to obtain your permit accordingly to how you are willing to travel.

The main trail crossing the park starts from one entrance to another. Trekking from the South Entrance (towards the Lake Region) to North Entrance (Tsagaan Gol) will help you explore the park better as the trail reduces the difficulty of the terrain and you can finish with the Pontanin Glacier at the farthest North Gate that is (Tsagaan Salaa).

No one can be too sure about some of the location names. For a single non-Mongolian person, it hard to get the maps and know the exact name which are in Cyrillic, either Mongolian or Kazakh, so make sure you are hiring a reliable guide to take you to right places. These details about the hiking are mentioned keeping the very basic timing in mind, remember you can alter the details according to preference and that will only happen when you communicate with the local people.

★ Important Tips

Mongolia's Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is renowned for its abundance of natural scenery but it can be difficult to tick off highlights on a self-led tour.

• Be careful about the wild animals, such as eagles, snow leopards, and bears
• Pack your stuff carefully and do not forget the essentials like mosquito repellent
• Must hire a professional guide as they are familiar with the landscape
• Make sure you are meeting some of the local herders and hunters to learn and experience regional cultural
• Do try the local food; it is very different from the capitals

★ Final Thoughts

There is so much to explore in this place and to make sure you are doing it right, you can number your days in the itinerary. In addition, getting ahead with your plan can be much easier if you have a local guide who can direct you to important locations in the Altai Tavan Bogd National Park. To give you a heads up, the initial going might be touch because the landscapes are steep. There are loose stones and sand that will make the hiking difficult, make sure you are wearing the right boots, carry all the essentials and camping items because this place also serves as great camping sites.