Bat-Ölzii

Overview

Bat-Ölzii lies in the upper Orkhon valley, part of the UNESCO-listed Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape. Its best-known sight is the Orkhon waterfall, also called Ulaan Tsutgalan.

The waterfall was made by a volcano. In the Quaternary period an eruption at the source of the Tsagaan Azarga river sent lava down the Orkhon valley, laying down layers of volcanic rock several kilometres long. The Orkhon later cut a gorge through them, and at its head the river drops over the falls.

What to See

• The Orkhon waterfall (Ulaan Tsutgalan): 24 metres high and 10 metres wide, the widest in Mongolia
• The basalt gorge cut by the Orkhon below the falls
• The upper Orkhon valley, with its pastures and nomad camps
• In winter, the Karakorum Ice Festival held in the area, with ice archery, knucklebone shooting and speed skating

Visiting

• The falls are usually visited on a trip up the valley from Kharkhorin; tracks are rough, so a sturdy vehicle and a local driver help.
• The flow depends on rain and snowmelt, so the falls are fullest in summer.