Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes me from Ulaanbaatar into the nearby mountains to Terelj National Park where I meet some of the farming families, explore a mountain Buddhist temple, and stay in a ger village.
Today's Journey
 |
Leaving Ulaanbaatar in the early morning, we head eastward towards the Terelj National Park. |
 |
Reaching a small farm where the gers have just been moved into the valley for the winter. We visit a family here. |
 |
After visiting the farm, we head up into the hills amongst amazing granite formations and forest turning yellow with the onset of autumn. |
 |
Following a path at the back of a valley towards the Arypapa Initiation and Meditation Centre and retreat under the 2197 metre high Oro Yamaat Uul. This is a very spectacular and peaceful place. |
 |
Heading back down the valley from the Buddhist retreat, we stop at the massive Turtle Rock, a very hard granite outcrop which resisted the huge glaciers once filling these valleys. |
 |
One of the amazing granite mountains rising above the valley. These mountains were shaped by ice. |
 |
Crossing a lot pass between granite monoliths heading into a small valley of gers where I'm staying overnight. These valleys mark some of the headwaters of the Selenge River which flows northwards into Russia, flows into Lake Baikal and continues northward until flowing into the Arctic Ocean about 5000 kilometres downstream, being the fifth longest river in the world, and the largest draining into the Arctic Ocean. |
 |
The bright light of the golden hour brightly illuminates the rocky outcrops and forest under a thunderstorm. |
 |
The valley darkens as the sun sets and the temperature quickly drops. |
 |
Warming up beside the fireplace in my ger. The tiny fire is very warm and these gers are very thermally efficient in the cold night. |
|
