Mongolia Eagle Valley
LOCATION: By road 62 km west of provincial center Dalanzadgad in the East Saikhan/Zuun Saikhan Mountain of the Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain National Park.
The Gobi Gurban Saikhan Mountain itself a national park and the end of the Gobi Altai Mountain range. The mountain has many beautiful valleys. Among them, Yoliin Am/Eagle Valley/Vulture Valley is the one accessible by car.
Yoliin Am was named after the Lammergeier or Bearded Vulture, which is called Yol in Mongolian.
It is great to see the lush green valley and breathe cooling air in the summer hot of the Gobi desert. The valley has been eroded by Yol stream that freezes in winter, building up to 8 meters thick ice. Dramatic rock cliffs and heavily shaded narrow canyons let the ice remain till the beginning of July.
Seeing the canyon requires 4 km pleasant hiking in a return way. The first 1.5 km hiking is gentle while the last 500 m is on the rocky surface, hopping over a stream 2-3 times or on the slippery ice if you travel in winter, spring, and early in summer. Alternatively, it is possible to walk the length of the gorge to the other side of the mountain, approximately 8 km.
Winter travelers may see the frozen Yol stream that looks like a frozen waterfall in Mukhar Shivert Valley.
It is advisable to wear shoes suitable for hiking and take your fleece jacket or windproof jacket when hiking the Eagle Valley.
Hiring a horse is an option instead of hiking.
There is a small museum at the gate of the main road to Yoliin Am which display a small collection of dinosaurs, a huge Bearded Vulture taxidermy outstretched its wings, stuffed animals of the mountain, steppe and desert such as fox, snow leopard, ibex, argali, gazelle, some rodents, and amphibians.
Both the museum and the national park have admission fees.
Eagle Valley is home to endangered Argali wild mountain sheep and ibex.
The Yoliin Am visitors see many pikas running here and there. The pika belongs to the rabbit family.
Lammergeiers or Bearded Vultures are the main creatures in the valley. This giant bird’s outstretched wings reach 2.5-3 m and build its nest 1500-3000m in the rocks. Locals call the Bearded Vulture a doctor bird as they feed on carrion. The birds fly out when their nests accept sunlight and return in the evening when the sun goes down.
