Winter expedition on Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia

We fly to Ulan Bator (Ulaanbaatar) in Mongolia. Arrival usually in the morning of Day 2. Welcome at the airport by our local team and transfer to the hotel. Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, is home to over a third of the country's population, some 800,000 people. Built on the banks of the Tuul River and framed by mountains, Ulaanbaatar is a pleasant city to discover. However, it's advisable to wear masks, as in winter the blue sky is often partially veiled by clouds of exhaust from the coal-fired power plants that supply the city with electricity. In the afternoon, we visit Gandantegchinlin, the Gandan monastery. This Tibetan-style monastery is one of the most important in the country. After suffering extensive damage during the religious purges of 1937, it regained its size and fervor in the 1990s.

In the morning, we load up the vehicle and set off on our long drive north towards Khatgal on the banks of Lake Khovsgol. Gradually, moving away from the capital and civilization, we enter the Mongolian steppe. The landscape, mostly empty of habitation, contrasts with the density of Ulaanbaatar. We stop for the evening and night halfway along the route, in Erdenet. Free time to relax over a local beer or a shot of vodka and chat about the expedition ahead. 

In the morning, we load up the vehicles and set off on our journey across the Mongolian steppe to the town of Mörön. Here we cross the Selenge and Khovsgol regions, the most densely wooded in the country, with numerous birches, pines, cedars and larches. We finally reach Mörön, the capital of Khovsgol province, which boasts the tallest trees in Mongolia, some reaching over 40 meters in height. This province is home to an abundance of wildlife typical of the mountainous taiga: deer, wild boar, squirrels, beavers, otters, ermines, martens, sable and wolves. But observing them is difficult.

Mörön refers to both the town and the district that contains it. Situated at an altitude of 1,283 meters on the northern slopes of the Ertchim Mountains, on the banks of the Delgermörön River, it is over 670 kilometers from Ulaanbaatar. It is one of Mongolia's most traditionally shamanic provinces, indeed THE cradle of Mongolian shamanism. Mörön was founded on the site of the commercial suburb adjacent to the former monastery of Möröngiin Khuree, built around 1890 and, before the Revolution, the major religious center of northern Mongolia.

Founded between 1809 and 1811, the Möröngiin Khuree monastery is one of the few remaining vestiges of Mongolian Buddhism. At the beginning of the 20th century, the monastery was home to a population of around 1,300 lamas before being destroyed during the purge of 1937. Between 1937 and 1939, Mongolia was marked by a new series of draconian purges against both the secular and religious “intelligentsia”. In particular, a violent anti-religious campaign was launched to eradicate the Buddhist faith and shamanic beliefs. The country's 700 or so monasteries were set on fire, with lamas held responsible for Mongol resistance to modernization. Thousands of monks were put to death. In 1991, a mass grave of 5,000 skulls was discovered in the north-west of the country. Experts put the figure ten to twenty times higher.

At the end of the day, we reach the small village of Khatgal, located at the southern tip of Lake Khovsgol. Khatgal is the largest settlement, and one of only two on the banks of the lake, along with Khankh to the northeast. Composed of numerous wooden houses arranged between wide, parallel streets, Khatgal is reminiscent of the architecture and atmosphere of Russian villages in Siberia. 

Today we begin our crossing of Lake Khovsgol. We get up at dawn to have breakfast and check our equipment in our pulkas. After a ten-minute transfer by vehicle to the banks of the lake, we take our first steps on the ice of our 130-kilometer journey.

Our objective is to walk to the hamlet of Turt, north-east of the lake, just below the village of Khankh. We spend the whole of our journey on the lake, alternating - though not regularly - between nights with local people and camping in tents on the ice, snow or bank.

This first day is an opportunity to get to know our surroundings. We make our way across the lake towing our 30-kilo pulkas. It is a thrill for everyone. Our pace varies according to the snow and ice beneath our feet. In some places, snow of varying depths holds our pulkas in place. Elsewhere, when the lake is covered in fast-moving ice, we move forward more easily. We often find ourselves on alternating patches of snow and ice. Finally, some parts of the lake are covered with compression zones, sometimes covering dozens of square kilometers. These areas of intertwined blocks of ice of varying sizes require us to redouble our efforts, when we don't simply have to go around them to facilitate our progress. Every hour or so, we pause for a few minutes to drink hot tea and nibble on seeds, nuts, cheese or energy bars. The duration of these stops is limited to keep us cool. We do not eat lunch for this reason, and make do with these regular snacks.

Around 4 p.m., we approach the riverbank for our first evening and overnight stay with a herder's family, or in a tent. Settled into the only room in the house if we are staying with a local in a house or yurt, we get to know our hosts. They prepare dinner for us all, around the wood-burning stove. The menu is usually soup and meat. Hard to go without! Meat is a staple food in Mongolia, especially in winter. When it is time to sleep, we spread out our sleeping bags on the ground and quickly fall asleep alongside our hosts.  

Waking up early, we have breakfast and pack our gear into the pulkas. It is cold outside, and the temperature contrasts with the often overheated interior. We set off, with only the sound of our crampons cracking on the ice or breaking through the snow. We warm up with the effort, and marvel at the beauty of nature all around us. We are confident in the thickness of the ice beneath our feet. The apprehension that may have gripped us at the start now gives way to the pleasure of evolving in an environment of great beauty. The ice is a constant source of admiration, with its ever-changing colors. As for the compressions, they never cease to amaze us with their shape and volume. If we are lucky, we may even catch a glimpse of a wolf track in the snow - wolves that sometimes cross the lake without posing any particular danger. 

Ideally, we stop mid-afternoon on the snow to insulate ourselves from the cold of the ice, and close to an area of compression ridges. Indeed, breaking ice into visible pieces is easier than digging into the uniformity of the lake. We screw pins into the ice to hold our tents in place and set up our mattresses and comforters inside. Then we begin the long process of melting the ice on our fuel-powered stove. A stage that demands our full attention. We dine on a freeze-dried meal under canvas, then soon slip into our sleeping bags for the night. Then we hear the sounds of the lake, bubbles bursting, cracking sometimes very loudly, like whips cracking, gunshots, and the feeling of being close to a huge pot of oil on the stove. It is surprising, fascinating and in no way indicative of danger, but rather of the reaction of ice to temperature differences. 

Around 4 p.m. on the third day, after 12 to 15 kilometers, we choose a spot to set up our tented camp on the bank of the small Khar Uurs Lake, which is never frozen over. A splendid spot where we can take full advantage of the silence and beauty of the surroundings. 

After breakfast, we leave our camp and return to the ice. We stop regularly to take breaks, and in the late afternoon, after another day's expedition on the lake, we reach Jigleeg for an evening and a night with a herder's family living in a wooden house. 

This day is similar to the previous ones, but takes us towards the center of the lake and ends with the setting up of our camp on the island of Dalan Modon Khuis. This island, measuring three by two kilometers, is located 11 kilometers from the eastern bank of the lake, and about 50 kilometers from our starting point. It is uninhabited and mostly covered in forest. 

This stage is subject to change depending on weather conditions and areas covered by compression ridges, making access difficult or impossible. A factor that can vary greatly from one year to the next. 

These days of progress on the lake are rather similar to the previous ones, except that the landscape changes and becomes more beautiful as we approach the north. Indeed, the mountains close to the Russian border in front of us make the landscape on the horizon fascinating. We also continue to marvel at the beauty of the ice, whose palette of colors never ceases to amaze us. We  have also become more accustomed to the conditions of a polar adventure. We have long since settled into our new surroundings, and are thoroughly enjoying our journey on the ice. Depending on the weather conditions, our pace and our state of fitness, our guide adapts the location of the nights, between the ice of the lake and the camps, and one night with the locals on the bank.  

This is our last day on foot on the lake. We cover another dozen kilometers, enjoying the sounds beneath our feet. The view around us is as magnificent as ever. In the distance ahead of us, we can see the permanent yurt camp we are heading for. We reach it by mid-afternoon. We can finally wash up and change all our clothes. We can even take advantage of the Russian steam sauna, the banya. Our camp, on a small hill, allows us to enjoy the view over the lake. Here, too, we can take time to look at our photos and celebrate our crossing with a cup of tea or a glass of vodka. 

Today we return to our vehicles to reach Khatgal, the starting point of our fabulous adventure. In a private vehicle, we drive over the lake, which we can appreciate in a whole new way. Driving across it is also a wonderful experience. We return to our starting guesthouse in Khatgal, where we settle in for the night.

In the morning, we pick up our 4x4 and leave Lake Khovsgol. We begin our return journey towards Ulaanbaatar (Ulan Bator), stopping at Erdenet or Bulgan halfway along the northern route. Erdenet is the capital of Orkhon province and Mongolia's second-largest city. It was the country's first mining center. Once in the capital, we check into our hotel. 

Depending on the flight schedule, transfer to the airport and return flight to Europe.