Chuluut River Gorge

The Chuluut river runs through a gorge cut into the same lava that covers this part of Arkhangai, and the walls show columnar basalt, hexagonal columns formed as the flow cooled, dropping around twenty metres to the water. From the steppe above there is no warning: the grassland simply stops at an edge, and the canyon appears below. Bridges cross it at a couple of points on the road west from Tsetserleg towards Khorgo and the Great White Lake, and the standard stop is at the bridge where visitors walk along the rim looking down. The river holds grayling and lenok and is fished by locals. There is nothing built here, no railing and no path beyond what feet have made, so the rim requires care, particularly with children.

What you actually see

• Columnar basalt - hexagonal rock columns in the gorge walls.
• The sudden edge - grassland ending abruptly at the canyon rim.
• The river below - fast water twenty metres down.
• Bridge crossings - the road points where the gorge is accessible.

When to go

June to September, when the road is open; the gorge is a roadside stop rather than a destination and takes under an hour. Morning and evening light shows the columns better than midday. Spring melt makes the river high and loud.

Honest expectations

There are no barriers at the rim and the drop is sheer; the ground can be undercut in places. No facilities exist. It is a brief stop on the way between Tsetserleg and the lake rather than somewhere to spend time.

Nearby

Terkhiin Tsagaan and Khorgo lie west; Tsetserleg is east.