Khyargas lake. Uvs aimag. Mongolia.

THE REGIONS OF MONGOLIA

TUV (TOV) AIMAG

KHYARGAS NUUR (KHYARGAS LAKE)

Uvs province lies in the Great Lakes Depression in the northwestern region of Mongolia, adjoining the Russian border to the north, Zavkhan province to the east, Khovd province to the south and Bayan-Ulgii province to the west. Sixty percent of its area is “khangai” (hilly with a pleasant climate, fertile soil, forests, rivers and lakes); the other 40 percent encompasses the Gobi region. There are many big and small lakes in the province, such as Khyargas, Khar Us, Achit, Uureg and Uvs, the latter is the largest lake in Mongolia, it's size being 1,293 square miles (3,350 sq. km). Tes, Khovd, Zavkhan,, Bukhmurun are the biggest rivers. Brown, and mountain soil is predominant in the most part of the territory, saline soil around the lakes.
 

Khyargas Nuur Natural Park. Khyargas Nuur receives a lot less attention than Uvs Nuur, being 'only' half the size and 'only' twice as salty as the ocean. The lake does provide an attractive summer home for birds, but it is not as scenic or as accessible as other lakes in the region. It is still worth a stopover if you are travelling between Uvs Nuur and Khar Us Nuur in Khovd aimag, or driving or hitching towards Tosontsengel in Zavkhan through the mid-eastern part of Uvs aimag.
 

On the north-western side of Khyargas Nuur, there are some fantastic hot springs. Head for the abandoned village where the road leaves the lake, or ask directions at Naranbulag. A national park fee applies around the lake, though you'd be lucky (or unlucky) to find a ranger to pay it to.
 

South of Khyargas Nuur, but still in the national park is the freshwater lake Airag Nuur, at the end of the mighty Zavkhan Gol. Despite the name, the lake is not full of fermented mare's milk, but it does have about 20 breeding pairs of migratory Dalmation pelicans. There were about 400 pelicans in the 1960s, but the numbers are tragically de-creasing because poachers kill them for their beaks, which are used to make a traditional implement for cleaning horses, called a khusuur, or currycomb, which you may see in use at the Naadam Festival.

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