Trek - Tsagaanuur, Taiga, Tsatan people

Tsagaanuur trek was designed and tested by Eshar



Tsagaanuur - Taiga and Tsatan people:
trek highlights: 
a. Tsagaanuur (White Lake) - a beautiful lake on the shore of Tsagaanuur village, east of it you can see the peaks of Khoridol Saridag.
b. Khoridol Saridag mounatins -a mountain range soaring east to the Darkhad valley. with an elevation average of 3000 m', some of the peaks are snow-covered during suumer as well. this chain of mountains seperates lake Khovsgol valley from the Darkhad valley and will escort you from the east along the trek.
c. Sayan mountains - this mountain range (average elevation 2500 m') is not only the western border of the Darkhad valley, it also functions as mongolia's northwestern border with siberia. the Sayan mountains are practically an eastern continuation of the Altay mountains.
d. Un-named lake - along the trek there is a little, beautiful, almost bug-free (at least in june) lake. water are good for drinking after boiling.
e. Tsaatan - a small Tuvan Turkic community of reindeer herders totaling somewhere between 200 and 400 people.They ride, breed, milk, and live off of reindeer. their main income is tourists buying their crafts. we highly recommand visiting them through the TCVC organization (or at least reading about it). it will make your experience more interesting (hosting by a tsaatan family) and will ensure that the money will be spread throughout the community and not to anonymous tour operators.
how to get there:
Public Transportation -  there are public vans going from Ulaan Uul and Renchinlkhumbe to Tsagaanuur. not daily and leaves when full.
occasionally theres a van from Khatgal, but its pretty rare.
Private Car\Hired Driver - there is a route from Khatgal (appears on the map) to Tsagaannuur.
difficulty:
medium. requires crossing some creeks and good warm clothes.
navigation:
medium. there is a car dirt road that goes until the point where the forest starts (second walking day). after that its only horse trails an topo navigation.
maps:a. old russian army maps:
http://loadmap.net/en/m4286 - 1:100,000
http://loadmap.net/en/m4271 - 1:100,000
b. Oruxmaps files (google terrain maps):
http://d01.megashares.com/dl/KTzBhtB/Tsagaannuur.zip
c. trek KML
length:total: 90km.
Km per day: 20~.
six days by foot, dour by horse.
water sources:
the area is filled with creeks, springs and marshes.
flowing springs and creeks are fine after boiling. some of the cleaner marshes to.
the creek that goes through the tsaatan spring camp is good for drinking without boiling (unless you have a sensitive stomach).
food:
small super markets are available at Tsagaannuur, Ulaan Uul, Renchinlkhumbe.
cost:a. guide - depends on tour operator. local through the TCVC its 10,000\day (june 2013)/
b. jeep\van - a van from Ulaan Uul\Renhinlkhumbe is about 15,000\person. jeep from khatgal is around 175,000 (depends which type of jeep).
c. ger camps - none.
d. entrance fee and border permit - It is required by mongolian law that you have a border permit when traveling in the Tsagaannuur area and visiting the taiga, as these areas are situated on the Mongolian-Russian border. Be sure that you take your documents, including passport and border permit.
To obtain a permit, you must apply in person at the Mongolian Border Protection Authority either in Ulaanbaatar or Moron.
You will need photocopies of all travelers’ passports (including Mongolian nationals) and visas, and a request letter (from a tour company, NGO, embassy, or other organization). sometimes a map of where you intend to travel is required (depends on the clerk's mood that morning).
Permits can be issued during business hours on week days and may require between three hours and three days for processing (the wonders of mongolian bureaucracy...).
Even with this permit, you must still check-in with the Border Post in Tsagaannuur so they'll sign your permit again.
Border permits are free. don't expect english in the border post.
ehorses - this trek can be done by horses. average price: 15,000\horse for a day. horses can be found almost everywhere and through tour operators\TCVC.
nomad home stay:
again, possible through the TCVC.
contact details: TCVC website, their information center is in Tsagaannur. because the people who run the TCVC live in the taiga - they dont have permenant phone reception or internet acces. that it why its best to coordinate in advance.
Zaya (lives on east taiga) - speaks perfect english, works for the project and can help coordinate a visit.
local cellphone coverage:
only in towns.
nearest emergency point:
there's a nurse and a little pharmecy in Tsagaannuur.

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