The Gobi Desert Mongolia: Our Guide

Last updated 4 months ago by Jessica Brooks | Published: September 21, 2024

The Gobi Desert Mongolia: Our Guide

“Mongolia’s Gobi Desert seems like earth reduced to its most basic elements: rock, sky, glaring sunlight and little else. The apparent emptiness is both compelling and intimidating. But the Gobi is not empty; it is filled with space, sky, history and landscapes.” Conservation Ink

The Gobi, the world’s fifth-largest desert, stretches across southern Mongolia and northeastern China, covering five Mongolian provinces: Omnogobi, Dorngobi, Dundgobi, Bayankhongor, and Gobi-Altai. Renowned for its fossil-rich terrain, the Gobi’s distinctive geology harbors vast mineral resources, including substantial copper, coal, and gold reserves. Modern infrastructure, with new rail and road networks, is reshaping the region, connecting Mongolia’s largest mines—such as Rio Tinto’s operations—to the Chinese border.

What makes the Gobi truly spectacular is the diversity and sheer vastness of its landscapes. Spanning 1.3 million square kilometers, the desert presents a stunning array of environments, from rugged massifs and pavement-like desert flats to poplar-fringed oases and sprawling outwash plains. Locals claim there are thirty-three distinct types of Gobi, each showcasing unique features and beauty.

In Mongolian, the word “Говь” itself means desert, so there’s no need to add “desert” after its name. The Gobi’s gravel plains have been traversed for centuries by nomadic peoples moving between its wells, springs, and oases. Historical research even suggests that the Mongol Army once cut through the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan range on their campaigns to the south.

‘There is certainly a beauty here, however, it is the gravel plains of the Gobi that stop my heart and leave my mind gaping in painful awe. The plains feel harsh, presenting a seeming endless barren desolation that is difficult to comprehend. Yet I sit and gaze into their expansive horizon, as I do into my evening fire, seeing nothing and everything in the vastness of this place.  Each time we stop and I look around it takes a while for me to recover from the immensity and seduction of it all, and from the knowledge that I could not survive here unsupported.’ Sovay Berriman, EL guest

‘The word gobi denotes a desert or a waterless place but doesn’t really mean anything by itself. The Mongolians have many descriptive words for types of gobi, like the Eskimo and Scandinavians with their words for snow. There are supposed to be thirty-three Mongolian words for gobi – such as gravel, sand, bare earth, rock, mountain, dune, watering place, and those describing various types of vegetation. The ancient Gobi was more like an East African savannah – long grasses and some trees, with lakes and marshes. Successive waves of drought turned it into the more barren land it is today.’ John Man, Tracking The Gobi

Dust storms, known as *ugalz* in Mongolia, are a frequent phenomenon, particularly during the spring season. These storms are not limited to the Gobi Desert but occur across the entire country. *Ugalz* are characterized by their sudden onset, violent intensity, and short duration, typically lasting just a few hours or less. These swift-moving storms are a dramatic feature of Mongolia’s springtime, sweeping through the landscape with force and leaving as quickly as they arrive.

Desert flora has evolved to endure extreme heat and aridity through a range of physical and behavioral adaptations, much like desert animals. These plants play a crucial role in the ecosystem, helping to sustain both domesticated livestock and wild animals in their natural habitats. By efficiently conserving water and withstanding harsh conditions, desert vegetation forms the backbone of survival in these arid landscapes, providing food, shelter, and resources for the region’s wildlife and pastoral communities alike.

‘The word gobi denotes a desert or a waterless place but doesn’t really mean anything by itself. The Mongolians have many descriptive words for types of gobi, like the Eskimo and Scandinavians with their words for snow. There are supposed to be thirty-three Mongolian words for gobi – such as gravel, sand, bare earth, rock, mountain, dune, watering place, and those describing various types of vegetation. The ancient Gobi was more like an East African savannah – long grasses and some trees, with lakes and marshes. Successive waves of drought turned it into the more barren land it is today.’ John Man, Tracking The Gobi

A Cultural Landscape

The Gobi Desert is a land where survival depends on adapting to extreme temperature fluctuations, with temperatures ranging from freezing cold to near-boiling heat. Resilience is at the heart of life here, in a cultural landscape shaped by herders who have lived in harmony with the fragile Gobi ecosystem for generations. Despite the region’s sparse population, Gobi herders exemplify human adaptability, relying on scarce resources to sustain both themselves and their livestock in this arid terrain.

However, the traditional nomadic lifestyle now faces modern threats, particularly from water-intensive mining operations that put both the environment and the herders’ way of life at risk. Compounding these challenges is the looming threat of desertification, which casts a growing shadow over the Gobi. The desert is expanding due to climate change, shifting weather patterns, and increased aridity. These forces are degrading once-fertile lands, and overgrazing—especially by goats—is further straining the delicate ecosystem, leading to vegetation loss and accelerated erosion.

The expanding Gobi’s impact stretches beyond its borders, threatening food security and the livelihoods of those who depend on the land. Addressing desertification is not just an environmental imperative but a socio-economic challenge deeply connected to the future of the Gobi’s human and animal inhabitants.

In addition to the standard tourist ger camps, local herding families also offer ger accommodations for visitors. While these family-operated camps are more basic and lack the comfortable amenities of standard camps, they provide a unique opportunity to experience the lifestyle of the Gobi. Staying with a local family offers a glimpse into the daily challenges and traditions of their life, while also directly supporting the local economy.

But, don’t limit your Gobi experience to just the nomadic herders. The Gobi is also home to miners, drivers, Buddhist monks, musicians, conservationists, teachers, cleaners, students, shopkeepers, and other small business owners. Many live in provincial capitals like Dalanzadgad, home to the impressive Gobi Museum of Nature and History, or in smaller towns like Tsogt Ovoo. Though often windswept and rugged, these communities are deeply woven into the fabric of modern Mongolia.

To seek only the nomadic herders’ way of life is to overlook the rich diversity of Mongolian society and to disregard the full spectrum of life in the Gobi. When you visit the Gobi, expand your horizons. Not just through its landscapes, but also through the people you meet along the way.

Alpine Mountains & Gorges

You will find fracture zones running along the base of the mountains – sometimes visible as a contour. These fracture zones dominate the ecology and economy of the Gobi as along these lines subterranean water is squeezed to the surface. Not all rainfall evaporates – some replenish the water table which under subterranean pressure then squeezes up through the cracks, emerging in springs.

One area where you can find a series of springs is the interior of the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park – Mongolia’s largest national park and a mountainous terrain rising out of the extensive desert plains and a region of incredible biological diversity. This mountainous region was formed by the same tectonic activity that created the Himalayas and is part of the Gobi Altai Range – the outer crumple zone of the Himalayan geological activity.

Yolyn Am, also known as Vultures’ Gorge, is a prominent spring within Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park. It is named for the Lammergeiers, or Bearded Vultures, that can often be seen soaring on the thermals above the canyon. Yolyn Am is particularly renowned for its thick sheet of ice that forms in the narrow gorge during winter. This ice, sometimes several meters thick, often remains preserved until early July, as the overshadowing peaks slow its melt.
The water tables beneath the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan were established by ancient geological processes. As the mountains began to rise and fault lines fractured the earth, subterranean water was forced upwards, seeking the easiest route downhill. This has given rise to the springs that sustain the region’s wildlife and ecosystem, with Yolyn Am being a striking example of how the Gobi’s water systems are intertwined with its geological history.

Dinosaurs & Bad-Ass Explorers

‘The Gobi offers a cross-section of this sweep of earth’s history.’ – John Man

The Gobi Desert in Mongolia offers a fascinating lesson in Earth’s ever-changing environment—it hasn’t always been an arid desert. Around 80 million years ago, during the Late Cretaceous Period, the Gobi was a landscape of open grasslands, much like a savannah. Marshes, lakes, rivers, and patches of forest dotted the region, creating a diverse ecosystem. This period marked the final stage of dinosaur dominance, and some of the most significant fossil discoveries come from the Nemegt Basin in the Gobi. These fossils include species that illuminate the transition from the age of dinosaurs to the age of mammals, offering vital insights into Earth’s prehistoric past.

Jess: When was the Gobi a sea? Turuu: Back when I was a fish.

 

It is said that the character of Indiana Jones was inspired by Roy Chapman Andrews, the famed American explorer and paleontologist. In the 1920s, Central Asia was still largely unknown to the scientific community, but Andrews and a team of scientists ventured into the region on a series of five “Central Asiatic Expeditions,” sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Henry Fairfield Osborn, Andrews’s superior, had theorised that “Asia would prove to be the womb in which mammals had developed, and the base from which they dispersed throughout the world” (John Man: Gobi: Tracking the Desert).

Andrews’s expeditions to the Gobi Desert are still considered groundbreaking. Among their most significant discoveries were the first nests of dinosaur eggs at Bayanzag, also known as the Flaming Cliffs, as well as new species of dinosaurs and fossils of early mammals that coexisted with dinosaurs. These findings revolutionised the understanding of prehistoric life and established the Gobi as one of the world’s most important paleontological sites.

‘I have been so thirsty that my tongue swelled out of my mouth. I have ploughed my way through a blizzard at 50 below zero, against wind that cut like a white-hot brand. I have seen my whole camp swept from the face of the desert like a dry leaf by a whirling sandstorm. I have fought with Chinese bandits. But these things are all part of a day’s work.’ This Business Of Exploring, Roy Chapman Andrews

‘Like a fairy city, it is ever-changing. In the flat light of midday the strange forms shrink and lose their shape, but when the sun is low the Flaming Cliffs assume a deeper red and a wild and mysterious beauty lies with the purple shadows in every canyon.’ Roy Chapman Andrews, The New Conquest Of Central Asia

Mongolia’s Flaming Cliffs – also known as Bayanzag.

Camels & The Singing Sands

‘The dunes of Khongoryn Els sweep up against Zöölön Uul, a mountain range that is at the easterly reach of the Gobi Altai. You could say the dunes were a mountain range themselves. They are mammoth, the highest peak of sand being approximately 300m. They present the stereotypical beauty I think of in relation to a desert; sweeping lines and sharp contrasting forms lit by an unforgiving sun. ‘With the rising of the moon the desert takes on its most captivating appearance, and though the long hours while she travels from one side of the horizon to the other she has her own way with human imagination, softening the austere outlines and investing the barest formations with subtle charm. She is mistress of magic and with one touch can turn the wilderness into a dream world.’ Mildred Cable and Francesca French, The Gobi Desert  

This stunning image, captured by our guest Egon Filter, showcases the *Khongoryn Els* sand dunes in the southern Gobi. Known locally as *Duut Mankhan*, or the “singing sands,” these dunes create a unique sound when the wind moves the grains or when small avalanches occur as the sand shifts. Climbing to the top of these majestic dunes offers a breathtaking view, especially at sunrise or sunset. However, it’s no easy feat—it requires at least an hour of challenging physical effort! Each step forward is often followed by a significant backslide, making the ascent a test of endurance. But the reward is undeniable. Sitting atop the dunes, surrounded by wide-open spaces and endless horizons, is glorious!

And you can’t talk about the Gobi Desert without mentioning camels—specifically, the two-humped kind. While most of Mongolia’s Bactrian camels are domesticated, a small population of wild camels (Camelus ferus) still roams the desert, with an estimated 350 living in three distinct habitats throughout the Gobi. These remarkable creatures are perfectly adapted to the harsh desert environment.

Here’s why camels are ideal for desert life:

• Their pale colour helps reflect the sun’s rays.
• They have two pairs of long eyelashes to protect their eyes from blowing sand.
• Their tough teeth allow them to chew even the thorniest desert plants.
• Thin stomach hair helps release body heat, keeping them cooler.
• Long legs elevate them above the hot desert ground, where the air is cooler.

Camels are a common sight across the country, especially at Khongoryn Els, Mongolia’s highest sand dunes. Locally known as Duut Mankhan, or the “Singing Sands,” these dunes create a low, deep hum when wind from the east moves across the silica-coated grains, causing them to vibrate. The dunes stretch approximately 180 kilometers long and 12 kilometers wide, nestled between the Bayan Tsagaan Mountains to the north and the Zoolon and Sevrey Mountains to the south. The tallest dunes rise up to 200 meters near the northwestern end of the dune field.

A natural low-lying sand highway cuts through the dunes, forming a north-south route that has been in use for centuries. The prevailing winds sweep away lighter sands before they can accumulate in deep drifts, preserving this ancient travel route through the desert.

What you might not know is that camels have been used for transportation in Mongolia for centuries, including as vital pack animals on The Tea Road—an ancient trade route that connected China to Russia and beyond. These sturdy, resilient animals were essential for carrying heavy loads of goods across Mongolia’s vast, challenging terrain.

If you’re intrigued, you can learn more about our unique camel trekking experiences and how we explore Mongolia’s stunning landscapes with these incredible animals here.

The Marvellous Middle Gobi