Dog sledding in Khentii

You will be welcomed at the airport by our team, then head straight out of the city to reach Khustai National Park.
Khustai National Park: Khustai lies 80 km from the capital Ulaanbaatar, on the road to Khogno Khan and Kharkhorin, Mongolia's ancient capital.
The Mongolian government declared Khustai National Park a specially protected area in 1993, a year after the Takhi reintroduction project began at Hustain Nuruu. The park covers part of the Khentii Mountains and a vast stretch of the western Mongolian steppes.

The park covers 50,600 hectares and is home to over 400 species of plants and lichens.
There are 44 mammal species living here, including red deer, Mongolian gazelle, roe deer, wild boar, wild sheep, ibex, Mongolian marmots, grey wolves, lynx, Pallas’ cat, red fox, corsac fox and more. Over 200 bird species can be spotted, including golden eagle, bearded vulture, great bustard, swan, black stork, partridge, and owl.
About fifteen species of fish live in the park’s rivers and waterpoints, along with a variety of amphibians. The diversity of habitats is home to a multitude of insects, including a recently identified species named Epidamaeus khustaiensis.

Overnight stay in a yurt camp at the park entrance

Depending on timing, you’ll have another chance to venture into the park for wildlife viewing before heading to the capital and then on to our base camp at Terelj.
Welcome at Terelj base camp. In the afternoon, departure by car to our Terelj base camp.
Free time, walks in the surroundings.
Untamed nature and nomads... before retreating to the warmth of the yurt.
At sunset, temperatures drop quickly and after 4 pm, the comfort of a yurt is most welcome.

Departure for 5 days of sledding—don’t leave anything at base camp... pack everything... and off we go!
For the first few kilometers, we’ll follow the Terelj River by vehicle before reaching our starting point, at the junction of the Terelj and Tuul rivers.
We then continue along the Tuul, driving up the valley towards Khagiin Khar Nuur (Black Lake of Khagiin).
Several nomad families live in this valley. Wildlife is never far away, and the silence, amplified by the cold, creates an otherworldly atmosphere. The ice on the Tuul River is surprising and ever-changing: blue one day, it can darken to black; cracks in the ice are audible beneath the runners, creating strange noises...
Sometimes the river water seeps through the cracks, forming small water lagoons above the ice layer. In winter, nature rules over these lands.
We reach Bosgiin Guur, a small hamlet—a handful of families, including Enkhtaïvan and Mungoo.
We'll spend the night in a yurt.

Nomads stay in place all winter and build wooden shelters at their winter camps to shield the herd from wind and cold. In spring they move closer to the water, only to return to the same spot the following winter. It’s a cyclical migration.
Sharing moments under the yurt with the nomads is an unforgettable experience.
Discover a different culture, one that harmoniously blends tradition and modernity.

Departure for Khar Us.
Along this route, the Tuul River calms, splits into several branches, and winds endlessly. After a picnic stop, we reach Khar Us camp (Black Waters) by mid-afternoon. Here, four or five families band together to better brave the harsh winter.

We’ll be welcomed by Tsodoo and his family to spend the night in the yurt.
This is one of the last camps in the valley; then, only a single family has set up their winter camp a few kilometers further upstream, and after that… only wildlife is left to haunt these stunning places.
The comfort of a guest yurt, set up just next to Tsodoo’s family yurt.

Today’s stage will take us into a rockier part of the mountains, always getting closer to the black lake of Khagiin.
The landscape becomes ever wilder, reminiscent of Alaska.
There are no nomads in these parts anymore, but it’s not unusual to meet riders crossing these mountains from one valley to another.
A loop stage of about 50 kilometers, tracing the Tuul River upstream to discover a wild stretch of the Khagiin River, then returning to Khar Us.
Night in a yurt at Tsodoo’s—our last evening with our hosts.
Evening under the yurt!
+30°C inside & -30°C outside!!

A 35-kilometer journey to reach Enkhtaïvan’s camp, further down the valley. The dogs are always eager to run on the ice, utterly fearless, sniffing wolf tracks here and there.
To return to the camp, we follow the same path as on the way out, along the river.
This gives us the chance to better observe the area—tracks, scenery...
Settle in to Enkhtaiven and Mungoo’s log house, or in the yurt next door.

At Mungoo’s, as they say, the mood is always cheerful. As soon as we arrive, our hosts get right to work, cooking up a hearty meal to charge our batteries…

Departure from Bosgiin Guur. Once again, we glide over the Tuul River all the way to its junction with the Terelj. Just a few more kilometers to our finish point, where vehicle and trailer are waiting. Last moments sledding and final exchanges with the nomads. Arrival at Terelj base camp mid-afternoon, then transfer to Ulaanbaatar. Hotel check-in. End of the day and dinner in the city.