Khan Khentii Strictly Protected Area

Khan Khentii covers over a million hectares of mountain taiga where the boreal forest of Siberia meets the Mongolian steppe, and it is the watershed from which the Onon, Kherlen and Tuul rivers rise, running eventually to the Pacific and the Arctic. There are no roads and no settlements inside: travel is on horseback or on foot through larch and cedar forest, bog, and river valleys, with brown bear, moose, wolf, lynx, wild boar and sable in the forest and taimen in the rivers. It is a strictly protected area, so permits are required and activities are restricted. Burkhan Khaldun, the sacred mountain associated with Genghis Khan, lies within it. Trips are organised expeditions with guides, horses and full self-sufficiency, and the reward is genuine wilderness within reach of the capital.

What you actually see

• Mountain taiga - larch and cedar forest with bog and river valleys.
• River headwaters - the sources of the Onon, Kherlen and Tuul.
• Wildlife country - bear, moose, wolf, lynx and taimen habitat.
• Burkhan Khaldun - the sacred mountain inside the protected area.

When to go

June to September; the taiga is impassable and severely cold outside that, and rivers run high in early summer. Midsummer brings mosquitoes in the bog. Permits take time and are arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

This is a full expedition: permits, guides, horses, food and equipment all arranged beforehand, with no facilities, no trails and no rescue. Bears are present. River crossings can stop a party for days. Restrictions on where you may go are enforced and taken seriously.

Nearby

Terelj National Park is southwest; Khentii province lies east.