GOBI DESERT DAY 5
MONGOLIA
On day five in the Gobi Desert, we journeyed from the White Cliffs to the stunning Yolyn Am Ice Canyon, enjoying a refreshing shower and exploring Dalanzadgad along the way.
Travelling In The Gobi Desert
Day Five: White Cliffs to Ice Canyon (Yolyn Am)
Central Gobi, Distance: 240 km
Shower Day!
On day five, our destination was one of the more popular spots in the Gobi Desert: the Yolyn Am Ice Canyon.
All of a sudden, there were other people around us—it felt very strange.
The Yolyn Am Ice Canyon is a 10 km long, heavily shaded canyon with the tail end of a glacier running through it. In the winter, the ice reaches a depth of 10 meters; in the summer, it is only a meter or so deep and can be trekked on.
The name Yolyn Am translates to “Vultures’ Gorge” and was originally established as a bird sanctuary in the southern Gobi Desert.
But before we got to the canyon, we had much more important things to do—a shower. Our first in five days.
After the usual long drive across vast empty plains, we entered the Southern Gobi Desert, the hottest, driest, and richest province in Mongolia due to gold and copper mining.
We stopped at the region’s capital, Dalanzadgad, and visited the Black Market for veggies and meat. I never found out exactly why it was called the Black Market, as it seemed pretty legit to me—I guess it was one of those lost-in-translation things.
It was then off to the public bathhouse for a shower. The public bathhouse was immaculately clean with nice hot water and good pressure. For 3000T (AUD 1.66), we got half an hour in the shower, which was lovely. One could also have laundry done and get a haircut, all under one roof.
Feeling clean and refreshed, we drove the 46 km to the ice canyon and then trekked into the canyon. Absolutely spectacular. We hiked a couple of kilometers up the canyon and a few hundred meters on the ice. However, due to the warm weather, the ice was very soft in areas and starting to melt, so we decided not to risk falling in. After numerous photos, we turned around and headed back to the van.
We camped just outside the national park in a field. The wind was blowing straight from the ice canyon and was jolly cold. This, however, did not stop us from opening a nice bottle of Georgian wine we had discovered in the supermarket in Ulaanbaatar and having a glass over dinner.
Another beautiful spot to camp.