Tsambagarav Uul National Park

Tsambagarav stands apart from the main Altai chain, a broad massif topped by permanent ice with its high point, Tsast Uul, at around 4,200 metres, and because it rises alone from the surrounding steppe it dominates the view for a long way in every direction. Both Kazakh and Mongolian herders graze its flanks in summer, and the mountain is treated as sacred by both, with ovoo cairns on the approaches. The climb to the summit is a glacier route needing rope and crampons but no technical difficulty in good conditions, usually done over two or three days from a base camp reached by vehicle; the walking on the lower slopes needs nothing but boots. Marmots whistle across the pastures, and argali sheep and ibex live on the higher rock. The road between Olgii and Khovd runs past the northern side.

What you actually see

• The glaciated summit - permanent ice above four thousand metres.
• Herder pastures - Kazakh and Mongolian camps on the flanks.
• Ovoo cairns - the sacred stone piles on approaches and passes.
• Wildlife - marmots, argali and ibex on the slopes.

When to go

June to September; the glacier route is best in July and August when the weather is most settled. Snow can fall in any month at altitude. The lower pastures are green and full of herders through the summer.

Honest expectations

Climbing needs glacier equipment and a guide; it is not a walk-up despite the modest technical grade. There is no infrastructure, so everything is camping and hired transport. Weather changes fast and whiteouts happen. The nearest supplies are in Olgii or Khovd.

Nearby

Olgii is northwest; Khovd city and its lakes lie southeast.