Yak trek in the Khan Khentii

^{7 Days / 6 Nights}

Itinerary (Ulaanbaatar - Jalman Meadows - Khan Khentii - Ulaanbaatar)

You need to travel, and use the modes of transport, like the Mongol herdsmen themselves in order to get a real feeling for, and experience a close up encounter with the pace and lifestyle of the local people. During this dramatic journey you will wander by foot into the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area, a beautiful wilderness area closing up on the Khentii Mountains. If you are an experienced rider, a horse may be rented for you. We will be equipped as a true expedition, yak carts bringing the luggage. We will also bring all necessary provisions, a cook, an assistant, plus a ger (yurt) to house our mobile restaurant unit. In connection with this you will get the experience of assembling this comfortable Mongol style dwelling with our local herdsmen.

Brief Outline Itinerary
On this journey we use low impact traditional modes of transport. Our equipment will be carried on carts, the same way the locals use to transport their belongings, moving from one pasture to another. For this purpose we will use yaks and horses. We will also carry a ger, which is the traditional felt tent, in which most Mongols live even these days. Essentially, this means we can utilize the services of the local people in the area where we are to travel. They are the experts, and we will be able to get a first hand experience of how to move a camp in the Mongolian traditional way.

DAY 01 : Arrive Ulaanbaatar
Arrive to the Mongolian capital by air (from Moscow or Beijing), or from our Gobi Camel Trek. Transfer to the hotel.

DAY 02 : To Jalman Meadows
After breakfast we leave Ulaanbaatar for the Upper Tuul River Valley in the Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area some 110 km away. A three-hour drive by bus or car. We drive one hour on tarmac road, one hour through a beautiful steppe valley with many herdsmen with their livestock. The last hour crosses the ridge at Zamtiin Davaa, and through forests we reach the Upper Tuul River Valley. It is the winter grazing lands of the local herdsmen, which is why most of them are not in the area at the time. It allows for a profusion of wildflowers, such as edelweiss. Our yak carts and the local herdsmen who will be our hosts in the area meet us. Pitch camp next to the Tuul River.

DAY 03 : Khan Khentii
We load our luggage on to the carts. Our first campsite is in a steppe valley, surrounded by the Khentii hills, covered with larch and birch forests. The protected area was established in December 1993, covering most of the Khentii wilderness areas stretching all the way up to the Russian-Siberian frontier. Herdsmen keep their livestock in the southern areas, and they follow a lifestyle that essentially has been the same since the time of Genghis Khan. Overnight in tents.

DAY 4 : Khan Khentii
We trek for three full days toward the Khentii wilderness areas, and soon we touch the limits of human habitation. Although rarely seen, wolves are numerous in the area. There are also wild boars, moose, red deer (Cervus elaphus), marmots and gazelle.
We will use yaks to pull the wooden traditional carts on which all our equipment will be loaded and transported. Our Mongol staff will accompany us on horseback. No support vehicles will be required, let alone practical in the area where we are to trek. The yaks will set the pace of the nomadic journey over easy terrain (max. 20 km per day). A cook who knows western and Mongolian cooking will be with us in the field. Members will be able to learn how to build a ger: this can be very quick if several people join in. Overnight in tents.

DAY 5 : Khan Khentii
We are now in a scenic area, where rivers flow down broad steppe valleys. Around are forested hills and mountains. Along the rivers there are wooded and alluvial meadows with broad leaf forests. Today we will reach back to the road.

DAY 6 : To Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast transfer back to Ulaanbaatar (3 1/2hrs). In the afternoon free time to explore the city. Overnight in a hotel.
On this day you may also transfer to nearby Jalman Meadows Ger Camp, 8km further up the Tuul River Valley, and extend your stay in the zone.

DAY 7 : Transfer out
You have the choice to continue explore other parts of Mongolia, stay another day or two in Ulaanbaatar. The overnight train to Beijing departs in the morning. The cost is USD 95 per person in quadruple cabin or the double cost for double occupancy.

Transport : Mongolian families frequently move from one pasture to another using wooden traditional carts. These are tied to the animals available in the region. Here we will use yaks and horses: the services of some herdsmen will be hired by the expedition, and they will provide us with their animals.

Staff : A Mongolian leader will accompany the group at all times. For these groups the service will be in English. There will also be an assistant to the cook. In addition, the services of the local herdsmen will be hired along with their animals.

Riding horses : There will be an opportunity for experienced riders at the time of booking to order a saddled riding horse, with a horse-man to follow, at the cost of USD 75. Mongolian horses are peculiar and horsemanship is somewhat different among the Mongols as compared to home. We suggest you bring your own riding hat with you, since none are available in Mongolia.

Meals : Our cook will prepare the meals. We pride ourselves in having cooks adapt with both western and Mongolian cooking on our trips. There are always vegetables available, and we have no problem accommodating vegetarians on our trips. For breakfast we can usually buy fresh yogurt from the herdsmen in the local area.