BootsnAll Travel Network



Central Mongolia, Day Four

We head out early for our furthest destination, White Lake, where we’ll spend two nights. It’s a slow ascent up the valley floor and we finally come to a small grove of trees near the stunning gorge of the Chuluut River, whose waters hold the rare Taimen species of salmon, weighing in at up to 50kg.

In the little village of Tariat we stop at a house where Shaga’s friends live. The couple immediately starts rooting around in their freezer which is packed to the brim with meat. We have no idea what we’re in for. Thirty minutes later they bring out a huge vat-o-meat and four knives, specifically a Swiss Army knife in my case. “This is good meat for you.” Shaga passes a huge mutton shank to Danielle. “Maybe you are hiking one, two hours after lunch so you should now too much eat.” There is enough mutton and yak meat to feed 10 of us but these portions don’t seem at all out of the ordinary to our hosts. We do the best we can but can only get halfway through the feast before turning the leftovers over to the three kids who sit on the kitchen floor and pick the bones clean. 

 
Just west of Tariat is the Volcano of Khorgo Uul, a scenic 2968m climb with a huge crater from which you can see the surrounding peaks, lava flows, eagles, and White Lake in the distance. It’s the most still, silent place I’ve been. 

 
We settle into our guest ger and are happy to have a place to ourselves for a couple days. White Lake in April is still 100% white. Danielle and I walk down to the water’s edge and manage to crack through enough ice to fill a pot to wash our socks and my hair. Brain freeze. This ger group is lively to say the least. The family has a lot of everything; goats, sheep, horses, yak, and we’re smack in the middle of all of them. I’m going to have a wicked goat’s bleat when this trip is over.
 



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