Shiliin Bogd

Shiliin Bogd is the highest of the volcanoes on the Dariganga plateau in southeastern Mongolia, a landscape where some two hundred extinct cones rise from the grassland, and it is treated as sacred: local tradition holds that a man's spirit strengthens if he watches sunrise from the summit, and men climb it for that reason. The walk up takes about half an hour to a crater and an ovoo at around 1,778 metres, and the view at dawn runs over the cones, the steppe and, on clear mornings, a very long way east. The plateau around holds Ganga lake, lava caves, and the sand dunes of Moltsog Els. Horses graze everywhere and the Dariganga area is known for its horse culture and its silversmiths. Roads are steppe tracks and the area is far from any city.

What you actually see

• The summit crater and ovoo - the sacred cairn at the top.
• The volcano field - some two hundred cones across the plateau.
• Sunrise views - the reason people climb, looking east over the steppe.
• Dariganga country - horses, dunes and lava caves around the plateau.

When to go

June to September; the tracks are hard going outside summer and the plateau is bitterly exposed in winter. Sunrise is the point, so camping nearby or a very early start is needed. Wind on the summit is constant.

Honest expectations

The climb is short but the drive out is long over trackless steppe and needs a guide or GPS. There are no facilities. Tradition around the mountain is male-focused in some tellings, which visitors should be aware of and treat respectfully. Nothing is signposted.

Nearby

Ganga lake and Taliin Agui cave lie west; Dariganga village is the base.