Mongol Altai mountains

Altai Mountains Mongolia: A Destination for Culture Travelers  

Golden Eagle Hunting Festival

It is not just a festivity, but also is an ancient hunting tradition and unique cultural heritage of Kazakh minority of Mongolia. This fascinating festival is held in the Western part of Mongolia by local Kazakh people to bring and promote their heritage to their next generation and to the world. Local Kazakhs show their eagle hunting culture and their unique traditions. It starts with the opening parade with well-dressed hunters and is about authentic competitions of eagle training skills and hunting with golden eagles. After enjoying the festival you can visit the local theatre to enjoy the folk performance in the Ulgii town. Visit Sagsai Golden Eagle Festival.

Visiting World Heritage Sites

Around Altai Tavan Bogd mountain, especially on the Valley of Tsagaan River, there are many historical sights such as: the Baga Oigor writings; Zuun Oroin Uvuljuunii writings; Khar Yamaat River man stone; group memorials of Gants Mod spring; and the Tsagaan Salaa rock paintings. Tsagaan Salaagiin Rock painting has around 1000 paintings and it is not only Mongolia’s biggest, but also central Asia’s biggest ancient people’s complex gallery. 

Experiencing Kazakh Culture

Travel to Mongolia's Altai Mountains and visit in Kazakh family, their hospitality is amazing like other Mongolian nomads.Kazakh people believe in some strange sayings that “the family cries and they might be unlucky when guests not to visit their home” so Kazakh family offer their last meals to their guests, even they don’t have any food for them. Every Kazakh family owns Dombor-the national musical instruments and the golden eagles for prey. You can experience their unique culture, lifestyle and amazing hospitality. 

Altai Mountains Mongolia: A Destination for Mountain Adventures

Trekking and Climbing To Majestic Peaks 

Stunning Altai Mountains of  Mongolia is the best place for trekking tour, if you have plenty of time for travelling 2-3 weeks. Most of people, who travelled in this part can say that this Altain Mountains are a wonderland for trekkers and hikers. It describes a great route up from Khoton Khurgan Lake and up to Khuiten Peak, the top point of Mongolia.

Altai Mountains, Russian Altai, Mongolian Altai mountains, Chinese (Pinyin) Altai Shan,  complex mountain system of Central Asia extending approximately 1,200 miles (2,000 km) in a southeast-northwest direction from the Gobi (Desert) to the West Siberian Plain, through China, Mongolia, Russia, and Kazakhstan. 

Altai Tavan Bogd, the highest point of Mongolian territory: is a picturesque mountain with glacier and a permanent snow peak and is located at the cross borders of the west of Mongolia with Russia and China. The mountain is called Altai Tavan Bogd because of five high peaks. Those five peaks are Khuiten (4374 m high, and it has been called Ikh Mongol since 2006), Nairamdal (4082 m), Malchin (4037m), Burged (4068 m) and Ulgii (4050 m). 

Hiking On Asia's Biggest Glacier 

Tavan Bogd Mountain is glaciated and has permanent snow cover above 3100 m. There are 250 big and small glaciers which cover an area of 514 square km. There are 26 glaciated areas in the mountain range, the biggest being the Potanin, Aleksander and Graneger glaciers. Potanin glacier is biggest glacier in Mongolia and it is considered one of the big glaciers in central Asia. Potanin glacier is located on the beginning of Tsagaan Gol that begins from Altai Tavan Bogd, and it is 25 km long, 300-500 m wide, 50-200 m deep and covers 53.2 square km. Some big rivers of Central Asian basin such as Khovd River, Tsagaan River begin from the Altai Tavan Bogd Mountain. 

Altai Mountains Mongolia: A Destination for Wildlife And Nature Travel

The area south of Tavan Bogd Mountain, 200 km long and 50-80 km wide, has been protected as a National Park since 1996. There are very rare animals, birds, fish and plants that are written in the International and Mongolian Red books, some white water rivers and waterfalls, fresh lakes created by glacial movement and small forest covered areas. There are rare rodents, mammals and birds such as Snow Leopards, Siberian ibexes, Altai mountain sheep, Altai marmots, Golden Eagle and Altai Snow Cock in this area. 

Climate And Weather Conditions In Altai Mountains

Climate is cooler than other areas, because 70 percent of total area is more than 2000-3000 m above sea level and 30 percent is more than 3000 m above sea level. Mongolian Altai Range has a continental climate with temperate summers and cold winters: the snow comes early and melts late. In summer, the average temperature ranges between 18 to 23 degrees plus, and in winter, the average temperature goes down between 32 to 37 degrees below zero. Average precipitation is 400-500 mm per year. 

If you are a photographer and need to take photo trip to the Mongolian Altai Mountains with professional photographer, please check out our PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE TOURS 

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