Khorgo Volcano

Khorgo is an extinct cinder cone rising a couple of hundred metres above the surrounding lava plateau, and it is the volcano whose eruptions dammed the valley to create Terkhiin Tsagaan lake. A steep path climbs from the parking area to the rim in twenty to thirty minutes, and from the top the crater drops away as a deep bowl of red and black scoria while the view outward takes in the lake, the lava fields and the Khangai hills. Around the base are basalt formations and lava tubes, including caves that hold ice into summer, and the whole plateau is broken rock with grass growing between it. Ger camps cluster near the foot. It is one of the easiest volcanic sites in Mongolia to visit and a fixture of the central circuit.

What you actually see

• The crater - a deep scoria bowl seen from the rim path.
• The climb - a steep twenty to thirty minute ascent to the top.
• Lava tubes and ice caves - formations around the base of the cone.
• Views over the lake - Terkhiin Tsagaan and the basalt plateau.

When to go

June to September; the path is snowbound and slippery outside that. Early morning avoids both heat and the tour groups that arrive mid-morning. Ice in the lava caves persists into July.

Honest expectations

The climb is short but steep on loose scoria and awkward underfoot. The rim can be crowded in August. Facilities are ger camps at the base rather than at the site. Litter along the path is a recurring complaint.

Nearby

Terkhiin Tsagaan lake is immediately west; Chuluut gorge lies east.