One Week in the Gobi Desert
One does not have a truly Mongolian experience without getting out of the city. Thankfully, I had several opportunities to enjoy the beautiful, natural countryside of the steppe. In addition to a few day trips, which I’ll share about separately, I spent one week on a Gobi Desert tour.
Tour Stops
Baga Gazriin Chuluu – Rocks and Monastery
After driving several hours south of Ulaanbaatar, we arrived at this fascinating wonderland of granite rock formations undulating through the steppe. We stopped at a few places scattered amongst the rocks. First, we found an abandoned stone monastery built in a small valley. This monastery had monks for about 300 years until the communist purge of religion in the early 20th century. The ruined stone walls stand erect in contrast to the prayer flags fluttering in the breeze. Up the hill sides in every direction precariously piled rock cairns draw the eye and mind to countless pilgrims and others who have left their mark here as they’ve prayed or just wanted to join the look-what-I-made club. We also found a hole in a rock with water in it and a set of caves.
That night I stayed in a spare ger of a local sheep and goat-herding family. More about accommodations later, but despite the extremely basic situation I found myself in, this was one of the most enjoyable evenings of my tour. I played basketball with some of the local kids, my guide, and my driver for about an hour, and it was quiet and peaceful throughout the night.
Yol Valley – Ice Stream and Canyon
This national park protects large swaths of land and the end of the Altai Mountains. One of the most visited sights here is the Yol Valley or Eagle Valley. It is known for its frozen stream (only until early summer) and the large birds that soar on the currents overhead. I’m still not sure what kind of birds they are because my guide said they were one thing, but my research says that’s not possible. Instead, a different creature stole my attention. My guide said they were marmots, but I knew they were pikas. These largish rodents are super cute and scurry all around the trail in the Yol Valley. I enjoyed my hike into the valley.
Khongoryn Els – Sand dunes
Khongoryn Els is by far the highlight of a Gobi Desert tour! This range of massive sand dunes is a sight to behold. They stretch for more than 60 miles (100 km) in length and only 3-7 miles wide. Some say they are the largest sand dunes in Asia, but I’m not sure about that since Asia includes the Arabian Peninsula. The tallest dunes here rise around 300 meters high (nearly 1,000 feet). After arriving at a ger camp, I first rode a camel to the river that runs along part of the dunes. Like other camel rides I’ve ventured on, this was a bit uncomfortable and uneventful. The owner, who led me along, did have a nice singing voice as he sang traditional Mongolian songs on the short trek.
After this, I was taken to the tallest of the dunes to climb to the top. I didn’t think it would be too difficult, but the sheer face of the dune mixed with the ever-loose sand made for a difficult ascent. For every step up, I slid at least half of that distance back down. I almost gave up a few times saying, “I’ve gone far enough. At least, I came and I tried,” but I didn’t. I eventually reached the ridge of the dune and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I lifted my head and felt so happy I pushed myself to the top. The views were amazing!
Bayanzag – Flaming Cliffs
Bayanzag is named for the saxaul tree, a hardwood that grows in sand desert conditions throughout central and eastern Asia. This particular kind of saxaul tree only grows in this part of the Gobi. A large forest or grove of these trees borders a geological formation called the Flaming Cliffs. They are very reminiscent of the red rock formations of southern Utah and northern Arizona. However, their size and scope pale in comparison.
Discovery of paleontological treasures makes this site special. In the 1920s, Roy Chapman Andrews found a rich fossil record here, including many of the specimens on display at the Central Museum of Mongolian Dinosaurs. My guide took me to the main site where you can walk around on top of the flaming cliffs. Later, at sunset, I found my way to a couple of other interesting rock formations we saw from the vehicle and from my ger camp.
White Stupa
Very similar to the Flaming Cliffs, the White Stupa just doesn’t have the red rock; instead, it is white. This rock formation juts up off the desert floor and is surrounded by small colorful hills. My guide and I hiked down to the base of the cliffs after exploring the top.
Summary
My pretty standard tour experience bumped and shook me as we spent hours on dirt tracks with endless washboarding. The ger camps had limited facilities and loud Koreans in the neighboring tents whom I had to get out and shush a few times during the night at a couple different camps. The times I didn’t stay at a ger camp, the sanitary facilities were practically nonexistent or not there at all. This doesn’t have to be the case, but this is what I was given for the tour I booked through Viator. The sites were beautiful, the accommodations nearly adequate, and the food mostly edible. Don’t let that discourage a tour of the rugged and beautiful Mongolian Gobi Desert.
