Exploring Yoliin Am in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains, Mongolia
Day 3 of 17 – Mongolia Road Trip
We continued south toward Yoliin Am, a deep and narrow canyon hidden within the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains of southern Mongolia. After a dusty lunch stop along the road, we arrived in the early afternoon and set off on foot toward the gorge.
Ice in the middle of the Gobi Desert was not something we expected — yet that contrast is exactly what makes Yoliin Am so remarkable.
Why It’s Called the Valley of the Vultures
Known as the “Valley of the Vultures,” Yoliin Am takes its name from the Lammergeier — called Yol in Mongolian — a large vulture often seen soaring high above the cliffs.
Although this area lies within the Gobi Desert, the landscape shifts noticeably as the mountains rise from the surrounding steppe.
Hiking into the Valley
The walk begins across open grass fields before gradually entering the shaded canyon. As the gorge narrows, tall rock walls close in and the temperature drops. The air feels cooler and fresher compared to the dry plains outside.
We spent a couple of hours hiking deeper into the valley, surrounded by dramatic rock formations and scattered greenery along the canyon floor.
Ice in the Middle of the Desert
Yoliin Am is famous for its seasonal ice field. By the end of winter, the ice can reach several meters thick and stretch for kilometers along the canyon.
In the past, the ice remained year-round. Today, it usually melts by late summer. When we visited, only the last remaining sections were still visible, slowly shrinking beneath the afternoon sun — an unexpected sight in one of the driest regions of Mongolia.
A Night on the Steppe
After our hike, we drove to a small nearby ger camp surrounded by open grasslands and distant mountain ridges. The setting felt peaceful after the narrow canyon walls of Yoliin Am.
The following morning, we spent some quiet time enjoying the vast steppe before continuing west toward Khongoryn Els and the towering dunes of the Gobi.
