Mongolia is high country. Ulaanbaatar sits at 1,350m. The mountains reach 4,300m. Most travellers have no issues. A small subset do. Our honest guide to altitude in Mongolia.
Tsetsegmaa Dorj
Ulaanbaatar: 1,350 m. Modest, most people feel normal.
Kharkhorin, Orkhon Valley: 1,200-1,500 m. No issues.
Gobi Desert valley floor: 900-1,500 m. No issues.
Khangai Mountains: 1,500-2,800 m. Mild sensitivity possible.
Khuvsgol Lake: 1,645 m. No issues.
Altai Tavan Bogd base camp: 2,800 m. Real altitude territory.
Khuiten Peak: 4,374 m. Serious altitude.
At 2,000 m, the air has 80 percent of sea-level oxygen. At 3,000 m, 70 percent. At 4,000 m, 60 percent. Your body adapts over 2-5 days through increased red blood cell production.
Headache, nausea, fatigue, trouble sleeping. Typically appear 6-24 hours after ascent. Mild cases resolve in 1-2 days with rest and hydration. Severe cases (rare) require descent.
Smokers, heart patients, recent surgery, uncontrolled high blood pressure. Age is not a major factor (we have guides of 70+ at altitude regularly). Fitness is not a strong predictor either.
For any trip above 2,500 m, we send medical questionnaires to guests 60 days before departure. We recommend pre-trip blood tests for guests 60+ or with cardiovascular history. We carry altitude medication on all expeditions.
Hydrate heavily (3-4 litres daily). Limit alcohol. Ascend slowly (our itineraries build altitude over several days). Sleep at lower elevations where possible. Many guests take acetazolamide (Diamox) as prophylaxis for altitude trips; discuss with your doctor before travelling.
Every expedition carries a satellite phone. Our medical evacuation partner in Ulaanbaatar can reach any of our expedition zones within 6 hours. We have never had a severe altitude event requiring evac in our years guiding.
99 percent of our guests experience no altitude issues. A minority feel a mild headache the first two days in UB and then adapt fully. Real altitude sickness is uncommon on Mongolian itineraries because we build ascent in gradually and our peaks are below 5,000m.