Mongolia | New Book | Wanders in the Khentii Mountains of Mongolia | Burkhan Khaldun of the Uriangkhai and Chingis Khan’s Hitching Post

I made my first trip into the Khentii Mountains in 1997. While we were riding up the east bank of the Kherlen Gol Zevgee pointed out to our left the summit of 7534-foot Erdene Uul. On the ridgeline just south of the summit could be seen a protuberance of rock that Zevgee said was known as Chingis Khan’s Hitching Post. According to local legend Chingis and the rest of his army tied their horses to this stone hitching post. “What was a whole army doing near the summit of a 7,534-foot mountain?” I wondered. “No, no,” Zevgee had replied, “Only Chingis Khan tied his horse to the Hitching Post. Look other there,” he went on, pointing to a mountain on the other side of the valley six or seven miles away. “That mountain is called Dash Norov. On the ridge to the left you can see another rock that was used as a hitching post.” Indeed, there was a small bump on the ridge. “Chingis Khan’s armies stretched a rope between the rock on Erdene Uul and the rock on Dash Norov and to this rope they tethered their horses.” I burst out laughing. I had thought he had been referring to actual hitching posts, but obviously this is just a phantasmagorical legend. But when my translator explained why I was laughing Zevgee replied enigmatically, “Who knows? Maybe things were different in those days.” 

Passing by Erdene Uul that first time I had asked Zevgee if it was possible to ride horses up to Chingis Khan‘s Hitching Post. He had been there himself, he said, the trail was difficult but doable. I filed this information away for the future. When l later learned that the authors of the Chinggis Khan Atlas had posited that Erdene Uul was the Burkhan Khaldun of Uriangkhai and that it was on this mountain that Temüjin, the future Chingis Khan, had escaped from the Merkids who had kidnapped his wife I decided to return and ascend the mountain myself.

I showed up at Zevgee’s ger at the confluence of the Kherlen Gol and the Terelj Gol, ten miles northeast of the village of Möngönmort, unannounced. With me was Delgermaa, a woman in her early twenties whom I had enlisted as translator and factotum. I figured the ascent of Erdene Uul, which was only fourteen miles north of Zevgee’s ger, should take no more than three days. By that time Zevgee had turned over the handling of his sheep, cow, and horse herds to his sons, and I was hoping that he would have free time to do the trip. We retired to Zevgee’s ger where I offered his wife Tumen-Ölzii a kilo of hard candies and a large watermelon I had brought along from Ulaanbaatar. As we refreshed ourselves with milk tea, homemade cheese (byaslag ), and fried bread (boortsog) I explained to Zevgee that I wanted to make a horse trip to Chingis Khan’s Hitching Post on Erdene Uul, which he had pointed out to me on our first trip together. He laughed and said, “I knew you would come back someday to visit that mountain . . .” Continued.

Erdene Uul

Chingis Khan’s Hitching Post

Wanders in the Khentii Mountains

of Mongolia

Mongolia | Gov-Altai Aimag | Atas Bogd Uul

After Solongo’s Accident we continued south towards Atas Bogd Uul.

Crossing gravel flats with Atas Bogd Uul in the far distance (click on photos for enlargements)

Pass through the Arslan Khairkhan Hills

Faint trace of the ancient caravan trail—at one time probably a northern extension of the Silk Road—running between Atas Bogd Uul and Inges Uul.

Stone tripod used for cooking: a pot is placed on the top. 

Local herdsmen claim that Mongolian caravan men never used permanent pot rests like this. They would use three stones as a temporary pot holder, but they would always knock the stones aside before they moved on. These permanent pot holders, claim the local camel guys, were used by Chinese caravan men who traveled on the trail back at the end of the nineteenth century or earlier.

8842-foot Atas (Male Camel) Bogd Uul 

Ranger station south of Inges Uul where we stayed for two days

Ranger Station

6936-foot Inges (Female Camel) Uul, just to the east of Atas Bogd Uul. Inbetween Atas Bodg Uul and Inges Uul is Botgos (young camel) Uul (not visible on this photo). 

Horns of the so-called Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii). They are common around Atas Bogd and Inges mountains. 

Spring near where we camped

This was the first water source we encountered after leaving our starting point at Zakhyn Us 112 miles to the north, as the crow flies (longer by our route). We had to carry enough water on our camels for the five and half day trip here. The oasis around the spring is frequented by a Gobi Bear, whose sign we saw everywhere. The tracks of wolves, sheep, and wild asses were also seen around the spring. 

Site of a famous 1938 battle between Mongolian border guards and the notorious Kazakh bandit and warlord Osman. In the 1930s and 40s Osman roamed the steppe and deserts of northern Xinjiang Province, China, making periodic raids into Mongolia to seize livestock and women. 

At least seven Mongolian border guards were killed in the battle and buried on site. Their graves can be seen here. 

Monument to the battle

Sister Dulya, camp boss on the trip, preparing boortsog (fried bread) at the ranger station for our 112 mile trip (as the crow flies) back to Zakhyn Us, just east of Eej Khairkhan Mountain.

Solongo, chief cook and assistant camel wrangler on the trip, preparing boortsog. 

After a two day rest our camels were raring to get back home, 112 miles to the north.

Sister Dulya, still looking stylish after eight days on the trail, was raring to get back to Ulaanbaatar. First we had six long days of travel by camel to get back to our Starting Point at Zakhyn Us. 

Mongolia | Gov-Altai Aimag | Atas Bogd Uul

After Solongo’s Accident we continued south towards Atas Bogd Uul.

Crossing gravel flats with Atas Bogd Uul in the far distance (click on photos for enlargements)

Pass through the Arslan Khairkhan Hills

Faint trace of the ancient caravan trail—at one time probably a northern extension of the Silk Road—running between Atas Bogd Uul and Inges Uul.

Stone tripod used for cooking: a pot is placed on the top. 

Local herdsmen claim that Mongolian caravan men never used permanent pot rests like this. They would use three stones as a temporary pot holder, but they would always knock the stones aside before they moved on. These permanent pot holders, claim the local camel guys, were used by Chinese caravan men who traveled on the trail back at the end of the nineteenth century or earlier.

8842-foot Atas (Male Camel) Bogd Uul 

Ranger station south of Inges Uul where we stayed for two days

Ranger Station

6936-foot Inges (Female Camel) Uul, just to the east of Atas Bogd Uul. Inbetween Atas Bodg Uul and Inges Uul is Botgos (young camel) Uul (not visible on this photo). 

Horns of the so-called Marco Polo sheep (Ovis ammon polii). They are common around Atas Bogd and Inges mountains. 

Spring near where we camped

This was the first water source we encountered after leaving our starting point at Zakhyn Us 112 miles to the north, as the crow flies (longer by our route). We had to carry enough water on our camels for the five and half day trip here. The oasis around the spring is frequented by a Gobi Bear, whose sign we saw everywhere. The tracks of wolves, sheep, and wild asses were also seen around the spring. 

Site of a famous 1938 battle between Mongolian border guards and the notorious Kazakh bandit and warlord Osman. In the 1930s and 40s Osman roamed the steppe and deserts of northern Xinjiang Province, China, making periodic raids into Mongolia to seize livestock and women. 

At least seven Mongolian border guards were killed in the battle and buried on site. Their graves can be seen here. 

Monument to the battle

Sister Dulya, camp boss on the trip, preparing boortsog (fried bread) at the ranger station for our 112 mile trip (as the crow flies) back to Zakhyn Us, just east of Eej Khairkhan Mountain.

Solongo, chief cook and assistant camel wrangler on the trip, preparing boortsog. 

After a two day rest our camels were raring to get back home, 112 miles to the north.

Sister Dulya, still looking stylish after eight days on the trail, was raring to get back to Ulaanbaatar. First we had six long days of travel by camel to get back to our Starting Point at Zakhyn Us.