Mongolian Border Crossings
 

as many of you know, there are currently only 5 land border crossings open to foreigners entering or leaving Mongolia - they are:

Tsagaannuur - Tashanta in the west
Altanbulag - Kyakhya in the north
Dzamin Uud - Erlianhot in the south
Ereentsav - Solovyovsk in the east

and the rail only crossing between Sukhbaatar and Naushki.

I hear thru the grapevine that the Monti - Khalkh border adjacent to Khovsgul Lake will open to foreigners either 2011 or 2012, due to high tourist demand. But dont believe it until there is confirmation.

The unfortunate thing is that I think the Mongolians would be happy to open more land crossings to foreigners as they are trying hard to attract more tourists/traders. But Russia and China don't feel much incentive to open up crossings so they just say no.

Ereentsav
 

For what its worth, I went thru the Solovyovsk (Solovevsk) - Ereentsav (Chuluunkhoroot) crossing a week ago. There is almost no info out there on this crossing so I will add it here.

Its tiny ... very rarely used ... and the border town on the Russian side is really run down. Quite unusual. It's in the middle of nowhere.

I spoke to the border guys there, who had all been there since the crossing became an international one about 5 years ago. They said they get 5-10 "internationals" a year using that border ... most driving their own 4WDs. A handful of cyclists. Almost exclusively Europeans ... they mentioned Dutch, Italians, and a Finn from this year.

I asked about motorcyclists and they said I was the first "international" motorcyclist they could recall. The only other biker they could recall crossing there in the last dozen years was a Russian from Vladivostok. But its good to know the border works for bikers, both in theory and in practice.

Border hours are 10-19 daily, Zabaikalsky Krai (formerly Chita Oblast) time. (Irkutsk time +1 hour). Not sure if it is open on weekends or not.

There is very little on the Russian side village of Solovyovsk. No shops, no petrol, no accommodation. The nearest is at Borzya, about 90km away. The Mongolian side is a bit more lively with the twin villages of Ereentsav and Chuluunkhoroot. There are shops, there is 92 octane fuel. From Ereentsav to the first town of any substance, Choibalsan, is about 220 km down a narrow grassy track. There is almost nothing but a few tiny villages along the way.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4129/...cca8f77f_b.jpg

From Choibalsan there is a good dirt / earthen series of tracks to Ondorkhaan, and from Ondorkhaan to UB is good asphalt.

There is currently a foot and mouth outbreak in the region and there are discussions at Mongolian prime minister level about closing the crossing temporarily. Movement is restricted at present, with many roadblocks and disinfection checkpoints.

Great information, thanks for contributing it!

I've been to the Mongolian side of that border crossing but you're the first international traveler I have heard from who actually did the crossing.

Colebatch- could you pls check spelling of the towns you mention above? only 1 comes up in google earth
:confused1:=me! loadsa head scratching going on!

GE doesn't always have the spelling correctly...as spelling is not as relevant for the locals...

My guess is that this crossing is in the East...orver by Khaborovsk...
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia to Irkutsk, Province of Irkutsk, Russian Federation - Google Maps

There is no "correct" spelling in the latin alphabet as used by the English language. Mongolia does not use the latin alphabet, therefore there is no correct or official spelling in the latin alphabet. There is only correct spelling in the Mongolian variant of the cyrillic alphabet or in Mongol script. So I cannot help you. How google decides to transliterate names is not necessarily more or less accurate than my transliterations.

But to make it easier to locate Ereentsav / Solovyovsk (often very badly transliterated as Solovevsk), here is my track map for around that period.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/...2701f7d0_o.jpg

Bugsy
 

If it helps, I just had a look at google earth, and it seems to depict Ereentsav as "Ereentsay" ... which strikes me as quite a poor transliteration. I suspect whoever marked it on the Google maps misread another map and put a Y at the end where there should be a V.

Again, it reinforces the comments of myself and Edde above that because google has it one way does not mean that is the correct or even the best spelling / transliteration. To me that is just a silly error by Google.

As for what I called Solovyovsk, google earth has "Solov'evsk" with an apostrophy in the name. Whether or not you subscribe to the idea of transliterating cyrillic with the apostrophy or not, the "e" is definately a "yo" in this towns name. To illustrate my point that spelling can only be correct in any native alphabets, the only correct spelling of the town I have referred to as Solovyovsk is "Соловьёвск". Anything else is just someones interpretation of how it might be written in another alphabet. As I pointed out on another forum not long ago ... what is the correct spelling in our alphabet of Чайковский ... The Russian classical composer we often refer to as Chaikovsky. But the Germans have a tendency to transliterate his name as Tschaikowski ... a completely different spelling in the latin alphabet. The French use a different transliteration again. No-one is correct and no-one is wrong. It simply is not possible to define the correct spelling of a Cyrillic name in the latin alphabet.

cool- got it- I tried a few spellings in the hope GE would recognise some-
thanks for explaining this Colebatch beer

Damn, we could have possible met. I was planning on crossing on the 16th, but was detained by police for 5 days in southern Sukhbaatar Aimag for travelling (unaware) during the ban. I got an escort to Barun Urt, then permits to go to UB and up to Altanbulag border. Very annoying. I was told there was no way to go to Choibalsan and on to this border. I am now in ULan Ude with a new visa, waiting to go to Chita and on to Solovyevsk.

How did you manage to get travel permits??

Cheers

Daniel

When I was detained by quarantine officials / police in Ereentsav, I simply asked .... "so what are we going to do now?. I am not going back across the border to Russia"

I dont think they thought detaining me indefinately was an option, so the police in Ereentsav wrote me a piece of paper (the said "permit") which allowed me to travel on to Choibalsan - subject to me agreeing to an hour long fumigation of myself, my clothes and the bike - it was pretty thorough. There is a fair bit more detail on the Sibirsky Extreme website blog.

The question now is whether the Mongolians will even let anyone cross this Ereentsav border (and enter) while they have this quarantine issue. If they let a foreigner cross the border, then really they have to let them travel onwards.

The Russians have no problem with any of this.

good morning!


we are now at the oasis in ulan bator. we ask many people about the two border crossing points in the eastern mongolia, but nowbody know something...


it is one of them open for foreign peoples at this time?? and this on both side of the border...



thanks a lot for this!


cheers from mongolia,

heidi and bernd

There is only one "international" border crossing point in the east ... its the Soloyovsk - Ereentsav crossing detailed above.

I have no information as to whether or not it is open at present. Last year they had quarantine issues because of an outbreak of foot and mouth disease. That issue was dealt with.

So unless you have heard any other reasons, then that border should be open.

thanks a lot for this!

Thanks for all this info. Great to hear things are perhaps improving.
Do you have news on fuel supply in Mongolia? I've heard that Russia is putting the squeeze on supply.

hi,

there are no more big problems with petrol in mongolia. maybe some petrolstations dont have 92, but 80 is everywhere....

enjoy!

cheers,

bernd

Myself and a friend crossed the border from Ereentsay to Russia around June 10th this year (2011) without any problems, just the usual 3-4 hours search, paperwork and another hour waiting for the Russian customs people to come back from lunch Ha. Got the feeling they don't get many international travellers and Russia customs failed to stamp my documents properly for my motorcycle exiting Russia. We rode UB to Choiboylsan then north to Ereentsay to cross. Don't get caught between Choiboylsan and Ereentsay during the rain there are numerous low spots that fill with rain becoming muddy temporary lakes. Getting from UB to Choiboylsan was the easy part if you persist through the sandy and corrogated parts. Tell Sybelle Clyde said Hi.

For completeness ... its worth adding that in 2011 a 5th international road border was opened up from Bulgan in the west, between Khovd Province and the Chinese Altai. Usual deal, its 5 days a week, year round, 9am to 6pm.

But with China on the other side of the border, you will not be able to take your vehicle in unless you have a tour agency meeting you with Chinese plates.

For newcomers to Mongolia, this is a basic map, showing the 5 third party road border crossings (red dots).

Also shown are the most common routes people ride there:

Northern Route: Yellow
Southern Route: Orange
Middle Route: Green
Eastern Route: Blue (admittedly this one is not very common at all - very few bikers head out east)
Highway to Russia: Pink

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8...c92bdd7e_o.jpg

Thanks Colebaatch for your valued update.

I like the map showing the land crossing borders.

vette

Mongolian Border Crossings
 

On that map I entered Mongolia from the lower point at Bulgan

The road from the border to the coal mine is 350km of superb smooth pavement, after that the road turns north and joins the southern route eventually.

The road from Altai to UB is "supposed" to be all paved by the middle of this year. Don't hold your breath but they are certainly working hard and soon it will be paved

There is still 4,000,000 other tracks to choose if you want dirt, so don't despair

It's a pity that they didn't open the border at Hovsgol lake. Maybe they open it this summer? :D

Regarding that map Walter posted I can make a comment. I was in Mongolia in 2010 and from Ulaangom we went via Hyargas Lake - Songino - Tosontsengel - Moron - Tsetserleg. Highly recommended. Here is the gps track: Mongolia 2010 - Motorcycling trip | EveryTrail

Bob (Cristian)

Good to see you also took the cool Khotgor Track between Olgiy and Ulaangom past Achit Nuur. Infact great work for choosing a route almost completely away from all the normally travelled routes (Northern and Southern). I like that kind of creative adventuring. bier

Do not hold your breath for the Hovsgol border to open any time soon. They have been talking about it for some years now. No movement.

Did that route too. See post #46 at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-place-66414-4 :cool4:

Nice stuff ... Its a nice little shortcut and I hope it becomes more popular. Great pics Chris :)

Looks like you met a bunch of my Polish mates, including Robert "Movistar" Mamzer at Karakol and Michal Rej in Kazakhstan.

PS ... you are lucky you didnt have another run in with the Russian border guards when you camped just before the Mongolian border. Technically after Kosh Agach its a border zone and you are only allowed to be on the highway beyond that point ! ;)

You dont really look like a spy tho ...

I did the Khotgor trakt in 2011 and it was fantastic. Spent the nite on the pass above Khotgor and then rode on.

Thanks to Colebatch for the great suggestion and OSM "path".

The shortcut was recommended by a Russian biker in Tajikistan.

Small world isn't it!

:oops2:At Kosh Agach there was a checkpoint: Maybe the matie told me that I had to stay on the road... His English/my Russian were both that bad it would have got lost in translation.

The FBI only does domestic surveillance, Chris.

The CIA/DIA/NSA etc are your employers. :)

A spy never looks like anything memorable.

And there, you have it.

Hey Kurt
Are you saying I'd make a good spy or that I just look like sh!t?:Beach:



Sorry, :offtopic::oops2:

Wealth has it's charms.

Anonymity is priceless. :)

Hi, a question: are those octane ratings RON? If they aren't, what would be the equivalent in RON? I'm from Spain and most bikes in Europe run on 95 RON, so 80 sounds very low... Would and EFI bike run well with such low-grade fuel?

Thanks!

In 2010 we were in Mongolia 2 ktm 990 adv, 1 ktm 690 end, 1 bmw f650gs... no problems. mostly with 80 octane

About 95% of foreign bikers in Mongolia are also from Europe / Russia, and also riding European branded / built bikes. If I had to guess I would say 60-75% of foreign bikes travelling thru there are fuel injected.

You get a few riders from Australia or the US, but basically everyone is on a KTM or BMW or Africa Twin or Tenere and from Europe / Russia. Your situation is standard.

We almost all have to put 80 octane in our bikes at some stage when in Mongolia and we usually survive. :thumbup1:

At provincial centres you get 92 octane petrol, no problem. If you are concerned you can mix those 0.5 l octane raising liquid stuff from petrol stations to put with the 80 oct.

I've been trying to clarify whether the border at Kyakhta is open on weekends; I received a couple of inconclusive responses from people who have been there, but found this website which seems to list the hours of all of the Mongolian border crossings:

http://www.infomongolia.com/ct/ci/220/133/

Seems to be open every day, I guess we'll see.