A bit past Bulgan, the minibus left the paved road and drove on over a dirtroad into the

Uran Togoo Tulga Nature Reserve

The Uran Togoo – Tulga Uul Natural Monument (Mongolian: Уран Тогоо – Тулга уулын дурсгалт газар) is a national protected area in the Bulgan Province of Mongolia. It is located about 60 km directly west of Bulgan city around the extinct volcanoes Uran Togoo, Tulga, Togoo, and Jalavch Uul.

 

All four mountain names allude to their volcanic past with designations borrowed from around the fireplace. The Uran Togoo and Togoo mountains are named for their bowl shape, the Tulga mountain for its three mounds reminding of the traditional iron tripod kettle support. Jalavch is a term for a small pot.

The area is situated in the Khutag-Öndör district of Bulgan Province. A smaller area was initially protected in 1965 by State Great Khural Resolution No. 17. In 1995, it was designated as a monument by Parliament Resolution No. 26 with an area of 5,800 hectares.

 

The Wandelgek was driving towards the northermost part of the valley in sight of the Uran Togoo volcano, where he would spend the night in a ger campsite.

The landscape of the volcanic park was incredibly beautiful as I ‘ve tried to capture in the photo’s beneath…

After a brief visit to the ger campsite, where The Wandelgek could leave his backpack in his ger, he took his walking poles and the roadtrip continued towards the Uran Togoo volcano. There is a somewhat strange thing going on with the hills in northern Mongolia. In winter they have to endure the icy polar winds coming from  Siberia in the north. Because of that the hill slopes are quite bare, except on one side, where the wind can’t reach. That side is  full of trees.

After a the bus arrived at the volcano, The Wandelgek walked towards that wooded side of the slope and there he found a steep ascending trail.

Soon The Wandelgek was walking uphill between the yellow leaved birch trees…

Oh how I love Birch trees <3 <3<3

In the beginning the trees were growing quite dense but when The Wandelgek got the closer to the volcanoes crater rim, the trees got less dense and looking back was rewarded with ever more beautiful vistas.

On the top of the rim was a trail going all around the crater. Looking down into the crater, The Wandelgek saw this beautiful little lake…

…, but the views in all other directions were completely, mindblowingly mesmerizing…

Ha that’s me, The Wandelgek, walking on the crater rim trail…

How can you not love these views?

As could be seen from earlier movie footage and pictures taken from the train, while travelling through the Taiga forest in Siberia, it had become Autumn in this part of the world…

The Wandelgek really felt like a very lucky bastard, when he was walking here, enjoying all those colors of the tree leaves and of the landscape.

This is what makes long distance walking and travelling such a great thing…

After a complete circle around the crater it was time to descend…

The sun was starting to set which created beautiful light effects on the vegetation in autumn colors…

The Wandelgek returned to where the minibus was parked…

…and then the bus drove him to the ger campsite.

There was still a bit time to enjoy the twilight…

Then dinner was served in de ger like wooden restaurant and there was even a choice in cold and local beers…

Then, as the sun had set completely and night took 9ver from twilight, The Wandelgek spend some time in front of his ger, listening at the complete silence while gazing at the hundred, thousands, millions of stars of the Milky Way.

Then as the night air got really cold, he went inside his ger and krept into his bed and dreamt of what the day had brought and what the next day would bring in this amazing land…