The red crater
Red and orange walls.
Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Josep Renalias Lohen11 — CC BY 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC0 · Torbenbrinker — CC BY-SA 3.0
Khorgo is a dormant volcano in Tariat district in central Mongolia, standing east of Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake and forming with it the core of the national park. The climb asks little of you, as a short path brings you to the rim of a wide red crater. Visitors therefore usually combine it with the lake in one day. It erupted about 8,000 years ago, when lava flooded the valley and blocked its course, creating the neighbouring lake. Sources put its height at between 2,210 and 2,240 m above sea level, with a base about 1,200 m across and a rise of 120 m above its surroundings. The crater is about 180 m wide and holds no large lake. The path climbs among dark volcanic rock, and at the top a crater opens with red and orange walls, with a small pool at its bottom at some times of year. Siberian larch grows around the cone among old lava fields. Locals call the solidified lava bubbles «basalt yurts», and they are among the most curious things to see here. It is about 13 km in a straight line from the middle of the lake and about 143 km from Tsetserleg. The climb is short. Wear sturdy shoes, as the rock is sharp and loose, and take care at the rim. The UK Foreign Office reports fuel shortages that may disrupt travel to remote areas, so check before you set off.
Red and orange walls.
Black rock among the trees.
Solidified lava bubbles.
East of Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake, Tariat district, Arkhangai Province
No, it is a short path, but the rock is loose, so wear sturdy shoes.
No. It is dormant, and its last eruption was about 8,000 years ago.