MONGOLIA WALKING ADVENTURE
TURGEN KHARKHIRAA NATIONAL PARK
2025
JUL 14 - 28
Trek through the Mongolian wilderness in this unique opportunity to enjoy & discover the wildflowers of the Kharkhiraa mountains, home to diverse & abundant mountain wildflowers that will enchant & delight you.
Join our 14-day Walking With Wildflowers Trek, reconnect with nature and be inspired by the rugged, natural beauty of the Turgen National Park in Mongolia's north west.
Tavan Bogd National Park - Mongolia Hiking Adventure
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Testimonial for the Mongolia Hiking Adventure in 2023.
OUTLINE ITINERARY
Day 1: On arrival you will be transferred to a hotel in the city’s center. Our adventures begins with a welcome dinner with your fellow travellers with introductory activities and a run through the following 12 days
Day 2: Fly to Uvs province in NW Mongolia inhabited by several ethnic minorities, including the Durvud people whose dialect differs slightly from the common Mongolian tongue. Uvs Lake, Mongolia's largest, is visible from the air on arrival. After lunch we drive 1.5 hours to Kharkhiraa river canyon mouth to establish our first camp. In the evening we are joined by nomadic Khoton people who will accompany us as pack camel drivers as well as local guides.
Every day you see, feel, smell, hear, touch something for the first time.
Day 3: We start walking upstream in the canyon of the Kharkhiraa river that springs from the snow capped mountains high above. The river, which we cross on several occasions, winds its way along rocky edges, steep cliffs and occasional sparse poplar groves. In deep places we will ride across on our guides’ horses.
13km, +300m.
Day 4: We trek further upstream and access open views of the Kharkhiraa peak and other snow clad mountains. Numerous burial mounds with round and square collars lie on our route. We will also see local nomad yurts/gers and their animals grazing on rich mountain pastures. We may visit a family or two to say hello, drink milk tea and learn about nomadic living. Spot edelweiss, poppy, thistle, pasqueflower and so many other varieties from now on during our trek. This evening we establish our camp after covering 17km+600m.
Day 5 Today we stop at a local herder’s to see how milk vodka is distilled. The valley rapidly bends to reveal an impressive view of the snow-crowned Kharkhiraa massif. The glacier covered summit lies at 4037m above sea level. Feast your eyes as we approach the main pass that divides the Kharkhiraa from the neighboring Turgen massifs. We will camp just below the pass. Our campsite is just a short hiking distance from the glaciers which give birth to the river headspring.
17km+400m
Day 6: A short but steep climb brings us to the flat pass. Depending on the weather we may find ourselves at cloud level with a good 1000m separating us from the Kharkhiraa summit. Take in the snow capped mountains, distant desert plains, turquoise lakes glittering below in the valleys and even the Sayan mountain range in Russia. Climb a lateral ridge of the Turgen range to 3600m to enjoy bird eye views of amphitheatres and cascades made of ice. Although physically quite strenuous the climbing route is safe. We return to camp late.
15km +1000m
Day 7: We can climb the Turgen ridge today if the weather didn’t allow us do it the previous day or trek around a few alpine lakes that lie at 3000m in the inner bend of the Turgen range. Or simply rest and restore your energy in the beautiful campground surroundings..
Day 8: The descent route lies across a high mountain plateau dotted with lakes and mossy hills. Looking back we will see the west face of the Kharkhiraa mountain. Sparsely located nomadic homes that we start seeing this afternoon speak for the relative low altitudes that we have come to. Tonight we camp by a small stream. 19km -600m
Day 9: Hike along the top off a deep canyon across open country following the seasonal migration trail of local nomads. We eventually make our way to rapids and a campsite at the bottom of a wooded gorge. Trees and ozone rich air replenish & invigorate us. 17km
Day 10: Today is an exceptionally scenic day. Emerging from the gorge we step onto a highland which soon gives way to mountainous semi-desert opening to vast & distant views. We camp upon reaching our rendezvous point which marks the end of our trekking adventure. 18km
Day 11: We say good-bye to our local guides and drive 5-6 hours to Olgii, the capital of Bayan Olgii province. 90% of the local population is comprised of Muslim Kazakhs. In Olgii we settle in a comfortable hotel & enjoy hot showers. For dinner tonight we are invited to a local Kazakh family to enjoy traditional delicacies, music and songs.
Day 12: Fly to Ulaan Baatar and transfer to your hotel. You may enjoy the rest of the day shopping and exploring Mongolia's growing capital. In the evening we all gather for a celebratory & farewell dinner.
Day 13: Spend the day in Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia’s capital visiting the National Museum, Gandan Monastery for a taste of Mongolian history & tradition. We’ll also do some souvenir shopping at some of UB’s most beautiful cashmere stores.
Day 14: transfer for your return home
“Before setting off on this trek, I had hit a wall and was frustrated with life in general. Work was overwhelming; people were overwhelming. I had suppressed my creativity while striving so very diligently to stabilise my life through my job. This simply was no longer enough.
I made a quick decision to get away and hike away my cares. Mongolia seemed far enough and remote enough to accomplish this. So I set off halfway around the world to explore. What I never counted on was meeting such an engaging spirit as Erika.
Erika is beyond just enthusiastic. She is committed and fearless in her efforts to bring out creativity and honesty in others. In the wild of Mongolia, I felt safe to share, to discuss, to challenge, and to grow. I was able to get in touch with the profound beauty of the landscape and to rediscover my self-expression while doing so. Erika helped me to tap into my strength and creativity through guided exercises and simple conversation.
As mentioned, the location was remote, which could have been daunting. However, Erika is a skilled backpacker whose guidance and knowledge made the adventure safe and comfortable. The experience was life-changing, and I returned to the States with renewed energy and purpose.
I am forever grateful for the experience and would recommend an outing with Erika to anyone: it is guaranteed to change you in ways you never anticipated.”
Erika looking out towards the hills that lead up to the Turgen Kharhira Peaks
MORE TESTIMONIALS
"Would you like to trek through pristine wilderness? Well, that is exactly what I did with Erika from Edgewalkers when I went to Mongolia on her Creativity walk. Erika keeps the group size small, which makes for a very intimate experience. Beautiful scenery, fresh air, blue skies, charming Mongolian people and so much more. If you are like me and love adventure, then this trip is for you."
Margaret Freeland - Victoria
"Went to Mongolia and did a creativity retreat with Edgewalkers, would recommend. Great organisation and facilitation. Stupendous."
Robyn Harris - Bunbury, Western Australia
"From the beautiful sights & culture of Ulaanbaatar to the magnificent scenery of remote Mongolia this was a captivating experience. We were immersed in the culture with our guides, devoured magnificent food prepared by our trekking cooks and had our creativity ignited in our daily creative activities. The small group was fantastic and the scenery absolutely took our breath away during our trek. It was a great trekking experience that I would definitely recommend!"
Leonie Francis - Victoria
"Traveling to this remote corner of the world truly reconnects us with our basic human needs. Love and respect for nature for survival and pure unadulterated pleasure are constantly in your thoughts and touch your Being with every step you take across the Mongolian steps, beside the glacial rivers, and onto the Altai mountains. The simple pleasures of good food, a soft dry bed, and honest connections with new people reminded me of who I am. Breathing in the pureness of this experience cleansed me and I have returned home fresh and content with the world."
Debra Armstrong - Melbourne, Victoria
It will be an experience of a lifetime that may bring life-changing results!
YOUR HOST
Dr Erika Jacobson - adventurer, yogi, plant-based veteran
FAQs
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No, Mongolia is a sovereign state and a country in its own right - its capital is Ulaan Baatar. There is a region in China called the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region that used to be part of the Mongolian territory until 1947.
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Australians no longer need visas if they are staying in Mongolia 30 days or less.
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No, you have to get your own return ticket to Ulaan Bataar, but once you are there we take care of everything else including in-country flights, meals, accommodation, transport, all activities and material for activities and us 24/7 at you service.
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The region of Mongolia we are walking in is very safe.
Only kilometres from Russian and Chinese borders, there are some military posts where we stop and check in, show our passports and where the rangers keep tabs on any irregular activity.
As there are hardly any people through the Tavan Bogd National Park, mainly nomads and their families with their animals, crime is also not an issue.
We are walking through remote wilderness and mountains - and we respect that.
We take precautions during any river crossings and make sure that everyone gets enough time to acclimatise to the altitude.
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The terrain starts off quite even and firm as we skirt the lake and the conifer forest. There are several occasional crossings of streams (ankle height), and some pebbly ground.
There is also some undulation in the first 3 days and some marshy and boggy terrain to negotiate in areas as well as some short and rocky climbs to negotiate.We often wear our sandals during the boggier terrain to keep our boots dry.
On the fifth day we go up our first high pass and the ground is quite loose and boggy with some shale rock.
The descent on the other side of the pass is very steep and if wet can be a little slippery - generally it is dry and the rocks that line the path can be used as stoppers.The hike up to Malchin Peak (4,045m) is mostly scree and very uneven and loose in places, changing into bigger rocks and the boulders as we get to the top. It is the most challenging terrain of the whole walk but worth every step!
There are also a couple of river crossings that we do on horseback as they are fast-moving and cold.
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We cannot accommodate a late arrival - our domestic travel will be organised to get us in flights to Ulgii 1600 kms northwest of the capital and by 4WD another 150 kms to the Tavan Bogd National Park. We have to travel together.
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You need to be self-sufficient and carry your own portable power source - we will be walking through the wilderness for 9 days with no access to any power. We will have a solar charger that you can use but bring your own also.
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No - there is no phone signal outside of Ulgii, but we will have a satellite phone for emergencies and you can share this with your family and friends and they can follow your progress from home.
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Probably not.
You will, however, most likely experience shortness of breath above 2,500 metres.
You might get a slight headache and have trouble sleeping the first night or two.
Keeping hydrated helps a lot.We acclimatise in Ulgii (2,000 metres) where we spend 2 days.
Day 1 - 3 of walk stay at around 2000 - 2100 m (making a total of 5 days acclimatising at around 2,000 m)
This seems to be working really well with everyone and we have never had anyone experience altitude sickness.
Day 4 - we start our first ascent and spend the night at 2,500 m.
Day 5 - we make our way up to a pass that is just under 3,200 m (absolutely spectacular) and then we go down to a valley and sleep at 2,500 m.
Day 6 - we also have a small ascent but generally remain at around 2,700m and then sleep at around 2,500 m again.
Day 7 - steady ascent most of the day to the TBNP base camp where we sleep at around 3,100 m - the 5 main peaks around us and the Potanin Glacier beside us.
Day 8 - If you choose to climb Malchin Peak (4,045 m) you will feel the breathlessness no matter how fit you are, we do not stay up there long.
We place it and its a very slow and steep ascent we make sure everyone is drinking plenty of water and we have many stops along the way.
Most people - including a few in their 60s and 70s - have had no issues at all.
About half the group attempts it most years.
Day 9 - we gradually descend to about 2,800 m to one of the entires into the TBNP where we are picked up by our drivers and we return to Ulgii.
If you are concerned about altitude sickness and want professional advice, please consult your doctor.
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Build up your walking stamina and strength by walking regularly. Build up slowly from what you are used to until you can walk for 6 or more hours in one go. Make sure you incorporate hills, beach walking and definitely carry some weight. A more detailed training plan will come your way soon.
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You will receive a list of suggested items to bring when you book into the tour. You DO NOT need a tent.
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While walking we will be carrying only a day pack, so a small pack that will carry our food for the day and snacks, water and whatever items you want to carry on you while walking, like your camera or your sunscreen.
You can make them as light as you like.
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You don’t have to, but it is always quicker when many hands are involved.
Our support crew, including our expedition cook, who is coming along on the walk with us, usually do this for us, but in my experience everyone gets involved and helps put tents up and take them down. The local team will be walking ahead of us with the camels and horses and setting up camp before we arrive every afternoon - however they start with the kitchen, toilet and mess tents and our sleeping tents are usually not yet up when were get there.
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In nature for number 1s and if you need to number 2s (we will be carrying a small shovel) but there will also be a campsite drop-toilet set up every evening in a separate spot from the campsite for a bit of privacy.
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We require everyone to have fully comprehensive travel insurance for this reason. It is an extremely remote region of the country and we have sat phones and all the first aid equipment necessary to treat minor injuries or temporary ailments. If any serious injuries occur, we will get the injured person out of the National Park on horse and then by car.
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We typically pair up solo female travelers in a shared room or tent. Alternatively, you have the option to pay for a single supplement if you prefer not to share.
Get in touch with us on adventure@edgewalkers.com.au to find out more.
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We know that life can be unpredictable and you may need to change your plans and cancel your booking.
WALKING ADVENTURES: If this happens please let us know no less than 31 days before your tour and we will be happy to give you a refund with a cancellation fee of 50%. If you cancel 30 – 15 days before the start of your tour, the cancellation fee is 75%. Regrettably, if less than 15 days notice is given, we are unable to give you any refund. Where possible though, we will consider transfers to alternative dates with a fee of 10% of your booking.
CREATIVITY RETREATS: If you need to cancel please let us know no less than 31 days before your event and we will be happy to give you a refund with a cancellation fee of 50%. Regrettably, If you cancel less than 30 days notice is given, we are unable to give you any refund. Where possible though, we will consider transfers to alternative dates with a fee of 10% of your booking.
To be clear the percentage refunded refers to the percentage of the total price of the event.
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