Dog sledding trip in Terelj National park
Amazing expedition by dog sledding, in the heart of natural parks and valleys where Chinggis Khan and its hordes used to live. Invitation to explore the mongolian nature, nomadic way of life and observe the winter wild fauna and flora. Leading your Alaskan dog team, you will slide on the ice, through endless and peaceful landscapes, in a complete silence and under the eternal blue sky.
Region: Central Mongolia
Interesting sites: Terelj National park
Available: Late December – early April
Length of tour: 11 nights / 12 days
Day 1. Ulaanbaatar
Arrival and reception at the airport, installation at the hotel. City tour including Zaisan monument, where from you have the best view of the entire city. Free time to go to the open air market. Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2. Ulaanbaatar
After breakfast visit to Gandan monastery the heart of Mongolian Buddhism and National History Museum to learn more about all the tribes and people who lived in Mongolia. Dinner in town and overnight at the Hotel
Day 3. Ulaanbaatar to Terelj National Park
In the morning drive to the Gorkhi-terelj national park, at 80km from the capital. The park, located at edge of the Khaan Khentii Park, created in 1994, includes a big part of the Khentii mountaini range. The region of Terelj is an alpine solid massif where many summits reach 2700m. With a lot of forested areas, Terelj is also a sanctuary for wild fauna. Terelj is composed with steppes, mountains, valleys and astonishing rock formations.
You will meet your guides, mushers and dogs in the beginning of the afternoon. Explanation of the activity : introduction to the dog team and to the specific equipment. Installation in the ger for the night.
Day 4. Terelj – Uliin Bulan – Bosgiin guur
Short transfer by vehicles of all dogs, sleds and people to reach the starting point of your adventure. We are following by car the river for 22 km to reach the small Uliin Bulan camp, named after the mountain that surrounds it. This first day will allow you to get used to the sledge, on an easy way. Many nomads live in this valley, but still the area remains very wild and beautiful. Fauna is diversified and the silence intensified by low temperatures creates an unreal atmosphere… The ice of the Tuul River is more unexpectable than the one on Terelj river. It can be blue in one and dark in another day, it can crackle a little bit under the sledges and make some strange noises. Sometimes, the water comes up to the surface through little cracks and creates small lagoons over the deep blue ice. In winter, this very wild area is almost not unhabited by nomads. For some months, only nature reigns over the place.
We will reach for the night Bosgiin Guur located just a hundreds meters away from the
river, where gers and huts are mixed.
Here live Enkhtaïvan and Mungoo, with whom we will share the warmth of the ger for the night.
Day 5. Bosgiin guur – Khar us
We go back on the Tuul for 500 m and pass under a wooden bridge which gave the name to the camp and marks the limit between Gorki-Terelj Park and Khan-Khentii National Park. The river calms down and divides itself in many small streams.
We will stop at the beginning of the afternoon at Bayamba’s camp, to enjoy the meal in a
warm place. This camp marks more or less half of our journey. 15 more kilometers and we will reach the ger camp of Khar Us (black water). There, 5 families live the whole winter, gathered to be stronger against the cold.
Our hosts will be Tsodoo, his wife and their 2 young children. This camp is the last one in the valley. After that, only wolves, deers, bears, foxes and moose are inhabitant of these marvelous spaces.
Day 6. Khar us
Day of exploration in the wildest part of the trip: no herders, only wolves foxes, the very
rare snow leopard… At the end of the afternoon you come back to Tsodoo’s settlement for a warm cup of tea and mongolian dinner. Nomads don’t move during the whole winter. They even build some wooden shelters for the animals. They leave these shelters behind in the spring to move closer to rivers and green lands for the summer season, and come back to the first place at the beginning of winter.
At the end of the afternoon, you will share some times with our mongolian hosts, and learn the nomadic way of life, peaceful and busy!
Sharing ger for short while is unforgettable experience We’ll discover a different world, a different culture combining ancient and modern habits in harmony, and a different notion of time. Sharing the ger with a family is a privilege. Diner and night in the ger.
Day 7. Khar us – Bosgiin guur
After breakfast sledge for kilometers to Enkhtaïvan’s settlement! Dogs will be champing at the bit… They are used to work hard, in these hash conditions. They run on the ice without any fear, sniffing here and there wolves’ prints, always willing to go on. To reach the night camp, we will follow the same way back on the river. It will give us the opportunity to look at footprints of wolves, foxes and rabbits that came on the river.Diner and overnight at Enkhtaïvan’s camp.
Day 8. Bogsiin guur – Uliin bulan
Departure from Bosgiin Guur. Keep sledding on the Tuul River, and reach the junction with the Terelj river, Uliin Bulan and it will be almost 30 kilometers through wilderness. Our hosts for this night will be Bold, nicknamed « Bondoon bold » meaning « the big Bold » & his wife Tsetsegee. Bold was a local champion of mongolian wrestling. He had the « Lion » title, when he was younger. He will probably show you his medal on his deel. Diner and overnight night in their ger
Day 9. Uliin Bulan – Yoliin am
The Tuul River will lead us west, where it is divided in 2 main streams. We will have a long day, to make the 35 kilometers through this windy valley. Everyone will appreciate the comfort of Yoliin Am camp, meaning “the valley of lamargeyer”, after crossing a windy flat valley.
We will arrive at the camp around 16 o’clock, when the sunlight adds some orange shade to the ice, creating a magical atmosphere for these last minutes of sledding Diner and overnight in a ger.
Day 10. Yoliin am - Terelj
Way back to Terelj village. A very last day to enjoy dog sledding, going upstream on the Terelj river until Terelj camp. Diner and overnight in a ger.
Day 11. Terelj – Ulaanbaatar
Departure to go back to UB. Installation at the hotel and free time for shopping. Farewell diner and night at the hotel.
Day 12. Departure
Transfer to the international airport or train station.
