Mongolia’s far west, where China, Russia, and Mongolia meet,is a region of giant beauty, virtually untouched by the outside world until quite recently. Forested valleys and clear alpine lakes are punctuated by expansive meadows carpeted with wildflowers and, as a backdrop, the eloquent glaciated peaks of the Altai Mountains.

We fly from Ulaanbaatar to Olgii, where the country begins narrowing to a point, and drive into Tavan Bogd National Park for the first days of trekking through mountain-girded valleys and an optional nontechnical rock scramble to the 13,600-foot summit of Malchin Peak, where we gaze into Russia, China, and, on a clear day, nearby Kazakhstan.

Then we set out on a gorgeous trek through the heart of the park, where solitude takes on a new meaning. Along the way, we’ll occasionally come upon families of nomads in their ger encampments. Living in the shadow of these mountains, the nomadic Kazakhs of western Mongolia move seasonally in search of good pasture for their animals, maintaining one of the world’s last horsebased nomadic cultures (which, happily, is still very much a going concern). The Kazakhs in this region also practice an ancient tradition passed down from their Turkic ancestors: the art of hunting with trained golden eagles. We’ll encounter these nomadic eagle hunters, catching a glimpse of a proud and thrilling tradition.

Please note that Mongolia and Siberia can serve as a superb extension to this trip. We'd be more than happy to elaborate if you're interested.

Day 1: arrive in Ulaanbaatar • Day 2: Ulaanbaatar • Day 3: fly to Olgii • Day 4: drive to Tavan Bogd National Park • Days 5 - 11: on trek in the Altai • Day 12: end trek, drive to Khoton Lake • Day 13: explore Khoton Lake • Day 14: drive to Tsengel Khairkhan Mountains, visit Kazakh eagle hunters • Day 15: return to Olgii • Day 16: Olgii • Day 17: fly to Ulaanbaatar • Day 18: depart Ulaanbaatar.

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