Mongolia - Northern Route - Autumn / Winter - Trip Report
 

In October - November 2010 I crossed the whole of northern Mongolia, from Ereentsav in the far east to Tsagaannuur in the far west. You can read about it here:

Stage 23 – Russia & Mongolia: Baikal And Beyond [2/2] | EurasiaOverland

I started with two Finnish friends in an ancient Lada Niva, in the far eastern province of Dornod which was under lock-down due to a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. We managed to get permits to travel, but at one point we had to drive the cars into a gas chamber and drive them out again after disinfection, wearing gas masks!

The eastern part of Mongolia is a sea of golden grass, teeming with huge herds of wild gazelle, absolutely magical.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-k...od-Gazelle.jpg

We spent some days in Choibalsan, then picked up a Polish friend in UB and headed north, reaching stunning Khövsgöl Lake by the 1st November. It was getting cold, but with good gear it was quite comfortable camping out down to around -10º to -15ºC. Beautiful views and spooky bare larch forests...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-t...vsgol-Nuur.jpg

Continuing our journey west, we suddenly hit the winter. The temperature dropped to around -20ºC and the world was covered in snow, making it almost impossible to find tracks. We made mistakes, got lost and separated. Eventually the Niva of my Finnish friends died and had to be abandoned, and I never saw them again on that trip (we are still friends!). My Polish friend and I however witnessed how Mongolians live in these terrible conditions, and their true hospitality was heart-warming.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...el-Caravan.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4...gol-Family.jpg

Eventually we made it through the trackless highlands in the west of Khövsgöl Province and north of Zavkhan Province (the coldest parts of the country) and dropped down to the plains in Uvs Province. Here the going was somewhat easier, even though one wheel of the truck managed to plunge through a frozen river (very stupid driving on my part), we got towed out the same day. At Ulaangom we decided to leave the Northern Route and plunge due south to Khovd where I hung out with some Peace Corps volunteers for just over a week, before the final push up to the Russian border in bitterly cold temperatures. It was so cold I think the diesel was starting to wax in the fuel lines as I could hear my engine missing!

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w...ovd-Square.jpg

Thanks for looking!

EO