Itinerary
Khorgo Khan pagoda
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to enlarge.
Day 1, July 24-25. Fly LAX to Ulaanbaatar via Seoul on Korean Airlines. Arrive in Ulaanbaatar 11:30 p.m.; stay in Ger Hotel Chingisiin-Urgoo in Bogd mountains, south of Ulaanbaatar.
Day 2, July 26. Leave Ulaanbaatar by 4WD minivan and jeep. Camp at Khogno-Khan Uul, site of Buddhist temples and monastery ruins. Examine Devonian shale and granite with Triassic-Jurassic granosyenite.
Day 3, July 27. Hike to Ovgon Khiid monastery ruins. Drive west towards Karakorum. Examine contact of Carboniferous meta-sediments and Cretaceous granites. Stop for lunch at Elsen Tasarkhai sand dunes. Visit Erdene-Zuu monastery near Karakorum, the old Mongolian capital. Camp near Orkhon River and Khangain Ovoo mountain.
Taikar Chuluu
Day 4, July 28. Drive from Karakorum to Tsetserleg, crossing Tsagaan-Davaa (White Pass). Visit the Taikar Chuluu, a granitic monolith with ancient inscriptions. Camp at Taikar Chuluu River near mountain Khunkh Uul.
Day 5, July 29. Continue west. Lunch at Chuluut River; outcrop of Precambrian-Cambrian marble, gneiss, and schist; granite intrusions. Stop at Chuluut River canyon, Cenozoic basalts. Fishing place, religious Mother Tree. Camp at junction of Suman and Chuluut River canyons; Bronze-age petroglyphs.
Khorgo crater
Day 6, July 30. Enter Khorgo park and stop at cinder cone with ultramafic xenoliths (diamond mineralization elsewhere); hike crater rim. Camp by lava-dammed lake Terkhiin Tsagaan Nuur.
Day 7, July 31. Drive north through Marmot Mountains. Visit new Buddhist temple south of Jargalant. Camp by Ider River north of Jargalant; granitic mountains.
Day 8, Aug 1. Head north towards Shine Ider. Stop at contact of Precambrian metamorphic rocks and Paleozoic mafic/felsic intrusions. Continue north into Permian volcanic belt. Outcrop of gabbro and diorite. Camp on Bugsey River.
Lake Khovsgol
Day 9, Aug 2. Continue north to Moron. Lunch by Delgermoron River; contact of Devonian granite with Paleozoic carbonates. Stop at Buren Khan phosphorite deposit. Camp on Eg River, south of Lake Khovsgol.
Day 10, Aug 3. Examine fossiliferous Cambrian carbonates (trilobite locality). Drive to Khatgal on southern end of Lake Khovsgol and continue up west side of lake. Stay at Khirvest ger hotel on Lake Khovsgol.
Day 11, Aug 4. Free time at Khirvest ger hotel on Lake Khovsgol. Climb Ik Uii (2960 m). Mongolian barbeque and evening bonfire.
Learning Mongolian
Day 12, Aug 5. Return to south end of Lake Khovsgol. Stop for lunch, Frisbee, Mongolian language lessons, and truck repairs on small pass. Visit deer stones west of Moron. Camp on Delgermoron River, just south of Moron. Devonian plutons in Permian volcanic rocks.
Day 13, Aug 6. Drive east from Moron. Stop at Golden Ovoo. Camp by Selenge River. Intermediate dike complex; Triassic-Jurassic redbed conglomerates.
Erdenet copper
mine
Day 14, Aug 7. Continue east towards Bulgan. Camp in meadow by Moron-Bulgan road just north of Bulgan. Cenozoic basalts.
Day 15, Aug 8. Visit Erdenet copper-molybdenum mine, the largest mine in Mongolia. Shop in Erdenet. Camp by Orkhon River south of Bulgan.
Day 16, Aug 9. Head southeast towards Ulaanbaatar. Lunch by Tuul River; overview of placer gold mining. Camp by Tuul River.
Day 17, Aug 10. Visit placer gold mines of Zaamar gold field. Continue east towards Ulaanbaatar. Camp on Tuul River southwest of Ulaanbaatar. Farewell party and campfire.
Traditional arts
Day 18, Aug 11. Drive into Ulaanbaatar. Visit National History Museum, Zaisan Memorial, shop for cashmere. Stay at Hotel Zaluuchuud.
Day 19-20, Aug 12-13. Ulaanbaatar site-seeing and shopping. Visit Gandan Tagchilen monastery, State Department Store, Natural History Museum. Attend evening performance of traditional Mongolian music and dance at Performing Arts Center. Stay up for 1:30 a.m. flight out of Ulaanbaatar. Fly Korean Airlines Ulaanbaatar to LAX, with 10 hr layover in Seoul airport.