For water, we used the MSR Guardian as our purification system. It’s all part of the adventure and a great way to get to know your fellow travellers. On our second attempt, we find a lovely location on the valley floor, pitch our tent, and watch questioningly as Elaman and Birlik attempt to set up their shelter, poles stretched incorrectly, leaving the corners several inches off the ground. Bring along medication if you are prone to motion sickness. Its highest one is Khuiten Peak 4375 meters from sea level. Due to long isolation Kazakh traditions and practices are more intact here than anywhere in Kazakhstan. This section of Altai Tavan Bogd National Park is said to hold some answers for global warming, as many of the region’s glaciers through the Ice Age are said to have created the mountainous terrain. International flights land in Ulaanbaatar, the nation’s capital. Further south is also Hökh Serkhiin Nuruu Nature Reserve, another ridge of the Altais. The Mongol Altai Mountains are a beautiful hiking and adventure destination. Once you have arrived and collected your baggage, transfer to Khustain National Park (approximately 2 hours). The local religion is Burkhanism, which combines elements of pre-Shamanism, Shamanism, Lamaism and Orthodox Christianity. So much so, that our inaugural Intrepid Uncharted Expedition, which this trip is based on, sold out in days. We sit around and try to communicate with facial expressions and gestures, and they appear as fascinated by us as we are by them. Click on the button below. It's the kind of place you set off to find. We offer you the “Mongolia Altai Mountain Tour” This includes the main highlights of Western Mongolia and most beautiful scenery in the National Park. The vastness and timelessness of the terrain make us feel connected to the natural world and humbled in ways we haven’t before experienced—we feel small and insignificant, in the best way possible. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. THE ALTAI MOUNTAINS are a system of remote mountains in central Asia that cover an area of 845,000 square km bounding RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN, MONGOLIA, and CHINA. There’s no alcohol for sale here, men wear traditional hats, and the entire community (three villages with a total population of less than 1000) are ethnic Altais. Get acquainted with rich culture of Mongolian Kazakh nomads and visit eagle hunter’s family and see the magnificent Altai golden eagle. As we sit in dusty, windswept Ulgii, one of Mongolia’s westernmost cities, and await our delayed flight back to the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian proverb swirls around in my head. First, Malchin (4,050 meters), then Nairamdal (4,100 meters), Khüiten (the highest peak in Mongolia; 4,374 meters), Bürged (4,068 meters), and Olgii (4,100 meters). This trip involves multiple nights of camping, giving you access to more remote destinations at close proximity, and the joy of experiencing the elements. Depending on your objective, be aware that the altitude can be over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) along your route. Once at the starting point, you can hire a local with a camel or horse to join you on the trek. Researchers from around the world study these rock samples to unearth different causes of weather change, and you’ll be hiking right near all of this source material! Not hot water supply, inform the staff that you like to hot water half an hour earlier so that they can boil it over camel dung , For 25 years Nomadic Journeys has been a leading tour operator in Mongolia, focusing on low impact sustainable tourism. It is clean, but can be smelly to those used to city life. Come and enjoy a once a lifetime experience in Altai Tavan Bogd National Park! Eventually it turns to glacier and then vast, snow-blanketed mountain. Read more about us. Get to know your fellow travellers as well as Kazakhstan’s grand capital on a city tour of Nur-Sultan. The inhabitants of the ger welcome us warmly, including 80-year-old Baytie who’s training one of his sons and two grandsons as future eagle hunters. Altai Tavanbogd National Park divides Mongolia and China and Silkhemiin Nuruu Nature reserve divides it with Russia. An Inventory and Research Guide for understanding the Cultural Landscapes of the Altai Mountains of Mongolia ; A Resource dedicated to the investigation of ancient Altai cultures through A digital archive of monuments