I left Choibalsan early for another loooong day of driving south. Not much happened along the drive. Just the usual herds of cattle, goats, and horses occasionally blocking the road.

I made a quick stop about half way in dusty Baruun-urt for gas.

I did see a fox late in the afternoon that was a bit too quick to get a picture of. I also saw a huge herd of gazelle shortly after that. I managed to get a long distance shot of them before they got too far away, though.

Finally, I made it to Dariganga, way south near the border with China. It was a bit too late to do any exploring, so I just passed through town and set up camp 4 roughly fifteen or so miles east of town (N 45.405031, E 114.095816) Tomorrow I’ll start crossing things off my list of things to do.

I broke camp and drove an additional twenty miles or so east to my top priority, Shiliin Bogd Uul (N 45.472729, E 114.585034). It’s considered one of the most sacred mountains in Mongolia.

As far as hiking goes, it was pretty mild, but the wind was absolutely brutal! At the top is a simple ovoo and an astonishing view. I walked up the northeast rim, enjoyed some time taking it all in on the back side sheltered from the wind, then walked down the southwest rim. The shadows of the clouds glide across the land and the grass moves in giant waves as the wind blows. It was pretty incredible!

This whole area is basically just a big caldera. Once at the top of Shiliin Bogd, the tallest in the area, it’s easy to see that each hill is in fact an extinct volcano. Awesome! Millions of years ago, this place probably looked like hell on earth.

About ten miles north of Shiliin Bogd is Taliin Agui (N 45.59018,  E 114.501174). There’s lots of caves in this area apparently and this is the biggest and most famous. It’s said to emit positive energy and give good luck.

The walls inside glitter with ice crystals. I only got a little peak of it though. It was super muddy with about a foot of water inside so I didn’t venture very far in. I just didn’t feel like wading in the mud.

Next up, Toroi-Bandi. This guy was quite the bandit and menace to the nearby Chinese. When the Manchurians ruled Mongolia, Toroi liked to ride into China, steal horses, and then hide in some of the many caves in the area. He was never caught and is something of a local hero.

Near Toroi-Bandi is Ganga Nuur (N 45.267568, E 113.986142). Right now It’s just a pretty lake, but in late September to early October it fills with thousands of migrating swans. I bet that’s a sight! For me, it was just a really pretty walk down to a natural, drinkable spring. I was able to refill all my water without needing the filter. My hand was frozen solid after, but the water was excellent.

I ended this big day by setting up camp 5 (N 45.361563, E 113.967955) about seven miles from town this time. It was super windy all day and setting up that tent in the wind was not fun. Luckily it died down a little bit after sunset. Around 4 or 5am I was having a dream, dozens of people were calling my name. I woke up confused. Then I realized a herd of goats were making their way past my camp. Maaaatt, maaaatt, MAAATT!

My final day was spent taking in the sites close to town. Supposedly, there are dozens of ancient Turkic grave markers throughout the area. I didn’t see any while driving around and couldn’t find any locations during my research, so I settled for the three that are right on the edge of town. It looks like the locals fenced them all in and made it a graveyard because there were also some more modern graves nearby.

Next, a short but steep climb up another extinct volcano, Altan Ovoo. This is the more local and accessible place of worship in the area. Locals all day make their way up to pray and make offerings. It also grants a birds eye view of the neat and compact town of Dariganga.

Stay tuned, there’s a lot more of Mongolia to come…