Uureg Lake

Uureg Nuur is one of the satellite lakes of the Uvs basin, saline and closed like the main lake but deeper and much smaller, set in a bowl with mountains on nearly every side including the Tsagaan Shuvuut range which rises above three thousand metres to the north. The water is a strong blue, the shores are stony rather than marshy, and the setting is more dramatic than the flat expanses elsewhere in the basin, which is why it is the lake most photographers stop at on the western circuit. Herders camp on the flats around it in summer. Because it is saline there are no fish of interest and swimming is a matter of taste, but the shore makes good camping with the mountains reflected in the water on still mornings. It sits on the road between Ulaangom and Olgii, so it costs little to include.

What you actually see

• The blue lake - deep saline water in a mountain-ringed bowl.
• Tsagaan Shuvuut range - the peaks rising north of the shore.
• Stony shores - firmer camping ground than the marshy lakes nearby.
• Herder camps - summer settlements on the surrounding flats.

When to go

June to September; the lake freezes in winter and the road can be blocked. Still mornings give the reflections that make the photographs. Wind builds through the day and the shore is exposed.

Honest expectations

There are no facilities, no camp and no shelter; this is wild camping. The water is saline and cold. Wind is a constant factor and tents need proper pegging. Tracks to the shore are rough. Supplies come from Ulaangom or Olgii.

Nearby

Uvs Lake lies northeast; Achit Lake is southwest on the same road.