Bayan-Ulgii province

Bayan-Ulgii is a far-off land of high mountains (the Mongol Altai - Tavan Bogd mountains with 4,373 m peak) torrents and glaciers, inhabited by Kazakh, a minority who has a different culture from the Mongols, herding yaks and goats and hunting with trained eagles.

Bayan-Ulgii aimag is situated in the extreme West of Mongolia, on the West and North it borders with the Russian Federation and on the South-West with the People's Republic of China.

The ethnic groups who call Bayan-Olgii home are comprised of the Kazakh, Khalkh. Durvud, Uriankhai and Tuva. Unlike the rest of Mongolia, which is dominated by the Khalkh Mongols. About 90% of Bayan-Ulgii's population are Kazakh, almost all of them Muslim. The remaining 10% are mostly obscure minority groups.

Many people in the aimag speak Kazakh, so if you have spent time perfecting some conversational Mongolian, you may be devastated because many Kazakhs won't be able to understand you. There is bound to be someone nearby, however, who speaks Mongolian and, possibly Russian, but certainly nothing else.

Economy:
In 1998, Bayan-Ulgii aimag harvested over 3.000 tons of grain, 600 tons of forage, and 21.452 tons of potatoes and vegetables. The Mongol Altai Nuruu is the backbone of Bayan-Ulgii. The highest peaks, many over 4000m, are permanently covered with glaciers and snow, while the valleys have a few green pastures, which support about two million livestock, as well as bears, foxes and lynxes.

TOLBO LAKE

Tolbo Lake (Tolbo Nuur) is about 50km south of Ulgii, on the main road between Ulgii and Khovd city, so it's an easy day trip or stopover. The saltwater lake is high (2080m), expansive and eerie, but a bit disappointing because the shoreline is treeless. There are a few gers around the lake, and the water is clean enough for swimming if you don't mind icy temperatures.

ALTAI TAVANBOGD NATURAL PARK

This stunningly beautiful park stretches south from Tavanbogd Mountain and includes the three stunning lakes of Khoton Lake, Khurgan Lake and Dayan Lake. It's a remote area, divided from China by the high wall of snowcapped peaks, and known to local Kazakhs as the Syrgali region.

All three lakes source are Khovd river, which eventually flows into Khar Us Lake in Khovd aimag. It's possible to make rafting trips down river from Dayan Lake, though no agencies offer this at present.

There are many archeological sites in the region. As the main road through the region swings towards the southern shore of Khurgan Lake, you can see a stupa-like construction and several burial sites. Nearby is Turkic stone statue and the remains of a processional pathway. Further along the road is a wooden Kazakh mosque, with a ger-shaped roof.

Further north-west, along the south-western shore of Khoton Lake, the road deteriorates and there are several rivers to cross as they flow into the lake. North-west of Khoton Lake the mountains close in and there's some fine trekking possibilities.

Tavanbogd (Five Saints) mountain rises 4374m above the borders of three nations, and for this reason it is also known as Nairamdal (Friendship) Peak. If you sit on the summit, you can simultaneously be in Mongolia, China and Russia (though you won't need a visa for all three).
Tavanbogd is one of Mongolia's most spectacular peaks, of interest to professional climbers, and the only one in Bavan-Olgii to be permanently covered with large glaciers (including the 19km long Potanii Glacier, the longest in Mongolia). It's fairly dangerous, and to climb it you need to be with an experienced group properly equipped with ice axes, crampons and ropes. Don't even consider attempting it solo. The best time to climb is August and September, after the worst of the summer rains.The massif is made up of five peaks (the five saints) - Khuiten, Naran, Olgii, Buraed and Nairamdal - the highest of which is Khuiten (meaning 'cold') at 4374m.