Border Zone

Two weeks ago, we left the aimag capitol of Olgii, headed for Tavan Bogd. Excited, anxious, and relieved to be traveling into the mountains, it felt great to finally set out for skiing and climbing in the Altai. We were not to be disappointed- our time in the border zone delivered the full spectrum of experience and emotion. Challenge rewarded with exhilaration, mystique and magic countered by frustrations, our bodies and minds were taxed and tested by the many moods of the Altai.

First view of the mountains, nearing the end of the road

(photo CJ Carter)

The drive from Olgii to the entrance of Tavan Bogd took about six hours, covering 200km of relatively passable dirt roads interspersed with slow, rocky travel through the largest glacial moraines any of as had ever seen. We were luckily traveling in a Russian built Furgon van, a simple and burly vehicle perfect for this type of overland travel. The Furgon was a welcome change from the piddly Kia Frontiers we had rode in from Gov Altai to Olgii, as it could easily travel twice as fast over the rough terrain without the risk of breaking down.

Our trusty Furgon in the Valley of the Tsagaan Gol, Mongolia

(photo R. Minton)

Mosque en-route to Tavan Bogd, Bayan-Olgii, Mongolia

(photo R. Minton)

The final stretch into Tavan Bogd carries one through the valley of the Tsagaan Gol, or White River. It is a beautiful, fertile valley, with the river idyllically snaking its way eastward out of the mountains. The river’s name is apt, as finely ground glacial sediment has mixed with the water to give it a milky appearance. Even 40km from the glacial headwaters, the river carries the sediment, vividly contrasting the greening valley.

Valley of the Tsagaan Gol, Bayan-Olgii, Mongolia

(photo R. Minton)

Tuvan settlement, Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia

(photo CJ Carter)

Our first view of the mountains, atop a rocky rise, came very close to the end of the road. Through low, rolling clouds and a slight mist we glimpsed a couloir laden face through a gap in the canyon, choked with snow. We excitedly relished our arrival to the real mountains of Western Mongolia, arriving not long after at the end of the road and our staging zone for the trek to base camp the next day. The trailhead was occupied by a permanent settlement and a number of gers, home to a large Tuvan family. Tuvans are of Turkic descent, and their presence in Western Mongolia occupies a very small percentage of the total population. They commonly lead a life of goat and sheep herding, and practice a form of Shamanism, very much separated from the Muslim leanings of Bayaan-Olgii’s predominantly Kazakh population. The people were very kind to us, and were mostly curious of our belongings and, I’d imagine, our purpose for being in Tavan Bogd. We treated the children to some hard candies, and after a small meal turned in early for some much needed rest, anxious to leave for base camp in the morning.

When duty calls...

(photo CJ Carter)

Ger, tent, what's the difference?

(photo CJ Carter)

Tuvan camel man and son, kind and curious

(photo R. Minton)

The next day dawned blue and sunny, and the camel man (as he came to be known) arrived with his animals around 10 AM. We marveled at a single camel’s ability to carry excessive amounts of weight as the camel man and some local goat herders helped to load our bags onto a simple frame system structured around the camel’s humps. While the camels were being tended to, a weathered old man wearing camo pants and a threadbare jacket adorned with a number of official looking patches approached me. He produced a government ID, and motioned to view our border permits, and then requested payment for entrance to the park. The entrance fee to the park was T3,000 each, or about US$2.50. The whole interaction took roughly five minutes, at which point he thanked me and went about his business. A stark contrast to the management and cost of a national park in the United States, the structure and access to Tavan Bogd National Park was a good reminder that we were indeed far from home.

Loaded and ready to hit the trail

(photo CJ Carter)

We're not in Yellowstone anymore...

Altai Tavan Bogd National Park entrance

(photo R. Minton)

Keeping pace with the camels

(photo A. Rains)

This was not a place where one could come on a whim- without being part of a touristy, fully guided trip (most of which only spend a couple nights in the park), the advanced planning of a border permit and the logistics of getting a ride to the park entrance were the basic requirements, with self sufficiency (gear and food) and prior knowledge of the land also standing as prerequisites. There were absolutely zero amenities to speak of within the park, the entrance itself only delineated by a couple basic signs and a rusty old gate operating on a makeshift counterweight. Simply the process of being granted legal access to the park and getting oneself to its borders made Tavan Bogd seem more protected than any of our national parks in America.

Soaring among the high peaks of the Altai

(photo CJ Carter)

Plenty to explore, Tavan Bogd National Park, Mongolia

(photo A. Rains)

Almost there...

(photo CJ Carter)

Within an hour, the two camels were loaded up and we set off towards base camp, roughly 15km and 2500 vertical feet away. Our route followed the Tsagaan Gol for a few kilometers, passing some other goat herding settlements. We then veered north up a long, gradual hillside, following marshy, higher elevation grasslands to Tarmid Pass, where we caught full views of the Potanii Glacier and some of the high peaks. Lower down in the river valley, we had been granted glimpses of the mountains, but here at the pass, the views of the glaciers and mountains opened wide for the eye to see. Now late in the afternoon, the weather had deteriorated somewhat, especially up high, and a cover of turbulent, low clouds veiled the highest peaks. We reached base camp, situated at roughly 10,300 feet, and went about setting up shop in oncoming bad weather, turning in that evening with the wonderment of what we would see when the clouds parted.

Potanii Glacier base camp, no longer humping loads

(photo CJ Carter)

Mountain weather, Alexander Glacier, Mongolia

(photo R. Minton)