YAK HERDERS OF THE LAKE VALLEY
 
THE NOMAD FAMILY SETTLED IN THE VALLEY OF LAKES

Introducing the family of Donkhor, young herder taught by his grandparents the love of his land, living with his wife and 3 children - two girls and one baby boy, just passed the village Tsakhir in the Arkhangai province. Their summer camp is just next to our Lake Valley Campsite. We are more like neighbors, living next to each other. It’s a very peaceful and beautiful wide valley, cut in half by a gentle river, and many lakes, an ecosystem that is home to many birds. Up the valley, at the bottom of the Mountain range is located “Ovoljoo”, their winter ranch. It is the place they will remain from the beginning of the winter and until the end of March, before going to the spring place, located right in between. They rotate their pastures about 4 times a year, so to save the best for their livestock, and let the land heal, to provide for the years to come. 

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OVERVIEW

LOCATED AT THE LOWER VALLEY OF KHANGAI MOUNTAINS

From Kharkhorin Town max 5 hours drive / 380km 
From River Nomad Camp max 3 hours drive / 140km 

YAK HERDERS OF THE LAKE VALLEY
 
THE NOMAD FAMILY SETTLED IN THE VALLEY OF LAKES

Introducing the family of Donkhor, young herder taught by his grandparents the love of his land, living with his wife and 3 children - two girls and one baby boy, just passed the village Tsakhir in the Arkhangai province. Their summer camp is just next to our Lake Valley Campsite.

We are more like neighbors, living next to each other. It’s a very peaceful and beautiful wide valley, cut in half by a gentle river, and many lakes, an ecosystem that is home to many birds. Up the valley, at the bottom of the Mountain range is located “Ovoljoo”, their winter ranch. It is the place they will remain from the beginning of the winter and until the end of March, before going to the spring place, located right in between.

They rotate their pastures about 4 times a year, so to save the best for their livestock, and let the land heal, to provide for the years to come. 

_______
OVERVIEW

LOCATED AT THE LOWER VALLEY OF KHANGAI MOUNTAINS

From Kharkhorin Town max 5 hours drive / 380km 
From River Nomad Camp max 3 hours drive / 140km 

Donkhor is truly passionate about horse riding and Mongolian horsemanship. Most of the time he puts time and effort to train his horses and care for them. He is our horse riding guide and specialist along our horseback journey in the region.

His wife named Javzaa is a beautiful young woman, very simple, and hospitable to our guests. They live in a place very well-known in the country for the best milk products such as yak cheese, dried curd, yak butter, and many more. During the trip days in Lake Valley Camp, Javzaa always likes to treat us with the best she makes with milk. They mainly breed yaks, sheep, goats, and horses.

This family is also our partner family for the "Argadai and Berkhedei" native Mongolian dog breeding projects, all about reintroducing to the nomads the native Mongolian landrace dog “Bankhar”. The dog is known as very athletic and protective but never gets aggressive toward people and children. A very kind-hearted and beautiful animal. Their favorite job during the day is to pasture the flocks in the valley rounding up to the hills and mountains, and they never forget to play with the children and protect their home. Visit our dog projects here!

This region has been famous for its yak's herds, and mountainous landscapes with cold winters, suited conditions to herd yaks, endemic animals of the high mountains. They are high protein meat, and they gather mostly up to mountains for grazing.

A lot of yak herders call it home. They usually installed their summer camps right in the middle of the valley where the ground is fertile and soft, a perfect place to let the animals graze freely. Indeed, this is a very green place, where the natural biome brings a good variety of flowers, birds, and mammals living around. With the near lakes, it is common to sight migratory birds for beautiful moments, the inquisitor ground squirrels visiting around the camps, or vultures above our heads, especially on higher grounds.

While this appears as a small natural paradise, it is an amazing chance to discover the unique lifestyle of the Mongolian pastoral nomadism. Although most of the herders of this specific region own many yaks, they do also herd the other endemic species of horses, goats, and sheep bringing a beautiful variety of observing how life here works.

In this spot, the landscape makes the visitor at peace, being sort of a charming little place, perfect to put up a camp, out of time. This is why we settled our main first outpost, for the beginning of our adventures.

With a terrain that is gentle, hiking and horse riding are a total breeze. The location we choose to build a wooden house and our luxury Gers is very well suited for being a hub in the entire region for incredible relaxing times, or more active journeys. Here you can create at your own pace new beautiful memories, between moments of delights with our cook's expertise, a dedicated Ger built especially for relaxation and massages or having a view over the entire region from the comfort of your own home. 

The overall concept of this magical place is to gently start being introduced to the nomadic lifestyle - you will live approximately a few hundred meters from the local herders, our neighbors for this part of the journey. 

Here starts your first connection with the nature and the high mountains of the west. This is the beginning of our many adventures and the discovery of all the key landscapes and people you will be familiar during your stay. More than just a visit, you will be actively engaging with your environment, through activities, such as hiking and horse riding, meditating or practicing yoga right there outdoors. Also, this first rather quiet location is the perfect first stop to acclimatize with the Mongolian fresh and pure air, and to be ready for more incredible places to come next. Our Yak Valley is really the start of an amazing adventure on the outside and also within yourself, since it will confer a new energy to develop as the time goes during your trip.