Tsagaan Suvarga

Tsagaan Suvarga

We decided to leave at 7:30 AM, as today we have the longest journey planned and will discover that leaving early is never enough. We are heading to Dalanzadgad, the capital of the aimag of Ömnögov, and we are heading north to Tsagaan Suvarga ( white stupa): is a limestone formation, located in the Ulziit sum territory, which stands 30 meters high and has a very strange shape due to erosion by water and wind. From a distance, it looks like the ruins of an ancient city. The reddish-brown color of the soil makes it seem as if you are on Mars. The area is very rich in marine fossils.

Continuing on, passing through areas where only those who got lost were present, we see a fox and several... gazelles running freely We travel at considerable speeds. We occasionally come across the remains of animals or skeletons. We don't know if they were killed by the cold of the last winter or rather by predators, although these are not very common in this area.

The distant fields appear as vast green expanses, but upon closer inspection, there are very few blades of grass and we struggle to believe how the herds can possibly feed.

The inevitable instinct that leads us to explore alternative routes forces us to wander around for some time before we arrive.

P.N. Baga Gazryn Chuluu in the Central Gobi. These are granite rock formations with cave paintings. They look like piles of rocks stacked on top of each other. During the transfer, we encounter countless landscapes made up of steppes, deserts, and surprising colors. Without looking for it, we find ourselves facing the Süm Khöhk Burd, a ruined temple full of history but with a very sad present of abandonment.

When we reached the campsite, it was already 7:00 PM, and the sky had darkened several kilometers away. The wind was strong, blowing rain in our faces.

The accommodation is very simple but there's a new feature. After several days away in the hot south, we find the stove again. Since the area lacks trees, there's a nice full basket of dry manure at the entrance. Once lit, it works wonderfully and doesn't produce any particular smells. Outside, however, there is a strong odor that irritates the nose; wood is preferable if possible. As before, a large rock serves as a decorative element in the center of the fire pit, with a rope used to stabilize the structure in case of strong winds.