Zorgol Khairkhan Mountain

Zorgol Khairkhan is an isolated block of granite standing about three hundred metres above featureless steppe, visible from a great distance because there is nothing else, and its abruptness is what makes it a landmark and a sacred site. Weathering has broken the granite into stacked boulders, slabs and clefts that give scrambling routes to the top and shelter for ibex, argali and a good raptor list including eagles nesting on the crags. An ovoo stands on the summit and herders make offerings there. The mountain sits in open grazing country with almost nothing else around, so a night camped at its foot gives the full steppe experience: enormous sky, complete silence, and horses moving across the grass at dawn. It is close enough to the capital for a weekend and sees very few foreign visitors.

What you actually see

• The granite block - stacked boulders rising abruptly from the plain.
• Scrambling routes - ways up through the clefts to the summit ovoo.
• Wildlife - ibex, argali and nesting eagles on the crags.
• Open steppe - grazing country with herds and nothing built.

When to go

May to September for the tracks; the mountain is exposed and bitter in winter. Spring and early summer bring green steppe and nesting raptors. Camping at the foot is the usual arrangement.

Honest expectations

There are no facilities, no water and no marked routes; everything is carried. The scrambling is straightforward but the granite is slippery when wet and there is no rescue. Tracks across the steppe are unmarked and a GPS or local driver matters. Sacred-site customs apply at the summit.

Nearby

Gun-Galuut reserve lies east; Eej Khad is on the way back to the capital.