Altai Mountains

The Altai Mountains in Western Mongolia are so remote that you can travel for kilometres without seeing a soul. This spectacular scenery is also home to the elusive snow leopard.

This towering mountain range is found in the far west of Mongolia, along its border with Russia and China. The range rises more than 4,000 metres above sea level and is home to Mount Khüiten, the tallest mountain in Mongolia, along with some truly epic scenery, with peaks so high that they're perpetually capped with snow.

Basins between soaring peaks contain beautiful turquoise lakes, and the variation in altitude has created a land where ecosystems transform from glaciers and mountain tundra to alpine meadows and forests. This provides many crucial habitats for rare and endangered species, and throughout the mountain range you can find Przewalksi’s horse, Asiatic wild ass, argali, wild camel and saiga. The particular highlight for most is the chance of finding a snow leopard.

Mongolia is the least densely populated sovereign country in the whole world with only two people per square kilometre on average, and thanks to its highly remote location and challenging climate, the Altai Mountains has an even sparser population. Other than being home to indigenous peoples living traditional, nomadic lifestyles, it's possible to travel through this dramatic region for kilometres and not see another human being.

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