Jargalant
Hovering above
Har Us Noor is a long stretch of mountain called Jargalant. When traveling east from Khovd it is the most prominent mass to the north for nearly three hours. From the air it is a long ridge that is banked on both sides in sand, the weathering away of a much higher peak in the past. Like other mountains in Mongolia, it is an uplifting of many different sediment layers, which erode into washes of sand the color of their source rock. So in addition to the knowledge that there are fifteen snow leopards living there, there is the visual treat of looking at how the different colors of sand and rock play out against one another.
In the past month I have flown by it four times and driven past the southern end twice. We also got a chance to spend an overnight there, camped on the southern edge, sleeping among goats, cows, and camels. More about that soon...
