Mongolia – Mountains
Although people don’t generally think of Mongolia as a mountainous country, it does have several major mountain ranges, with several peaks over 4,000 m.
The Hangai mountains form the highest range in the centre of the country. Otgontenger, the highest peak in the Hangai Range, forms the center of Otgontenger Strictly Protected Area.
Only 60 km from Ulaanbaatar, the area near Terelj in Terelj National Park is popular with tourists and city residents alike. Here in the Hentii Mountains (maximum elev. 2800 m.) one can find forested valleys with red deer (elk), brown bear, wolf, and lynx.
The ranges west of Lake Hovsgol remind visitors more of Canada than of Mongolia. These mountains reach up to 3,000 m. Lynx (Felix lynx), brown bear (Ursus arctos), ibex (Capra siberica) and Argali sheep (Ovis ammon) inhabit the slopes. A protected area, Haridal Soridag Strictly Protected Area, was created in 1997 to protect the argali and ibex populations in the range.
This crater is a reminder of a more violent past. The last eruption 10,000 years ago filled much of the surrounding valley with ash and lava. There are no longer any active volcanoes in Mongolia, but many areas of the country are still prone to earthquakes.
The Altai mountains in western Mongolia are the highest and remotest mountains in the country. Capped by the glaciated Tavan Bogd Range in the far west, these mountains feature some spectacular scenery.
Tavan Bogd is the highest mountain range in Mongolia, straddling the border of Mongolia, Tuva, and China. Khuiten peak (4,374m) is the highest peak in the range.