Khogno Khan Mountain

Khogno Khan is a block of weathered granite rising from the steppe, and it makes a natural stop on the main road west because three quite different things sit together: the rock itself, with domes, boulders and gullies that give short scrambly walks; the ruins of Erdene Khamba monastery, founded in the seventeenth century and destroyed in a raid during the wars of that period, its walls and a rebuilt temple set in a gully; and Elsen Tasarkhai, the strip of sand dunes running past the foot of the mountain. Herders keep camels and horses on the sand, and ger camps in the area offer riding. Walking up through the ruins and onto the rock takes a couple of hours and gives views over the dunes and the steppe. It is one of the most convenient short stops on the central circuit.

What you actually see

• Erdene Khamba ruins - the destroyed monastery in its gully, with a rebuilt temple.
• Granite domes - weathered rock with short scrambling walks.
• Elsen Tasarkhai dunes - the sand strip at the foot of the massif.
• Camel and horse riding - from the ger camps on the sand.

When to go

May to September; the site is open year-round but winter is bitter and the tracks difficult. Summer weekends bring Mongolian visitors from the capital. Morning light suits the granite and the dunes.

Honest expectations

The monastery is a ruin with a small modern temple rather than a preserved complex. Camel rides at the dunes are short and touristy. Facilities are ger camps of varying quality. The site is busy in August as it sits on the main tourist route.

Nearby

Elsen Tasarkhai is at the foot; Kharkhorin lies west.