15 - 17 October 2013

After our cold hiking and camping adventure in the Kovsghol Nuur region it became clear that Alby had hurt his Achilles tendon... a couple of days of rest and relaxing were more than welcome. We discovered that we wouldn't have to pull ourselves through another wrecking bus journey to find some peaceful Mongolian nature, since the region around UB itself has got some very zen places. We picked Gorkhi-Terelj National Park and the Tuul Gol valley, only 70km away from the capital. As we researched the ger camp options the Dutch-Mongolian Ecocamp of Bert - a cheesemaking Dutchman - caught our eye and we decided to go for it. Whilst planning this little detox trip we made friends with Andrew in our hostel, an English dude traveling around Asia, who decided to join us! Happy as we were to leave tomorrow for a chilled short trip we all hit the sack.

We got up on time the next day to do the necessary – but pleasant – food shopping for the trip. We discovered the scoop of fresh yoghurt from a massive bucket you can get in the supermarket! At 12 we hopped on the bus towards Terelj together with Andrew. As we left the high rise buildings of UB city center we drove through the rocky snowy suburbs speckled with gers. We entered the national park and drove for another 50km before we arrived at the UB-2 Hotel at the edge of the Terelj village. As Bert’s clear instructions had told us we got off there, crossed an iron bridge and there was Bert – a noisy Dutchman lost in Mongolia – waiting to pick us up with his 4x4. After a ride through ice, snow, streams and thick mud we arrived at Bert’s ger camp where he showed us our ger. Given its location a few kilometers outside Terelj, the camp was remote and blissfully tourist free – only one other ger was occupied.
 

The many ‘adopted’ street dogs and Bert’s extensive herd of cows were constantly around to keep us company and fill the valley with their howling/barking/cowing. After getting installed we went for a first wander. As Alby insisted on getting a decent overview over the Tuul Gol valley right away, we climbed a nearby hill and got rewarded with a stunning view. We descended back to our ger at a sunset that filled the sky with soft and gorgeous colors. After cooking ourselves a tasty pasta, we put some wood on the stove and went to bed with our books.

We woke later than usual after a chilly night and multiple restarts of the fire throughout it to find Andrew’s bed empty (he already took off to climb the nearest ridge line). After a tasty breakfast with Bert’s real Dutch cheese made on site (!) we went outside to explore the valley floor. A gentle wander found us back at base for a picnic lunch and with itchy (and slightly painful in Alby’s case) feet we set off again and explored the frozen Tuul Gol and surrounding hamlet of hidden gers inhabited by other cow herders in the valley. That evening we cooked a tasty rice dish with tinned fish courtesy of Andrew, and after a cup of instant milk tea, which is actually pretty tasty, we chatted until late before topping up the stove and hitting the sack.

We awoke again to a delicious cheesy breakfast after a cold but better night’s sleep – all of us were up at some point stuffing wood or shoveling cole into the cheap stove in the middle of the ger. We went for a final wander to say goodbye to the valley before returning to feed ourselves (and the pack of dogs) lunch and pack our rucksacks.


Since Bert was away and with no way of crossing the boggy marsh between the camp and Terelj (where we would catch our bus back to UB), Bert’s Mongolian wife had kindly arranged a lift on the back of the local ox-cart/taxi for us. We loaded our packs (which were secured in place by a particularly weak looking piece of twine, similar to those brandished by enthusiastic Peruvian ‘taxi’ drivers when presented with kayaks to transport) and set off, at a surprisingly slow pace, for Terelj.

 

Andrew was tasked with finding a good branch for our ox driver to use to hurry us along (an easy task for a tree surgeon) but on his return with a rotten twig which snapped immediately he was laughed off the cart to try again. Despite our thirsty ox stopping at every frozen river he did a good job as we made it on time for the bus at 4pm. A congested ride into UB saw us return by the evening in time for a much needed shower at the hostel. We headed out to find a cheap Mongolian dinner in a nearby pub before returning for an early night.