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A WALK ALONG THE RIVER IN THE YOL VALLEY |
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| But the Gobi is not all scrub and grass--there are also mountains and valley. We went for a hike in the Yol Valley to look for ibex.
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The trail was fairly easy and it was a great day for a hike. | |
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| The birders in the group were happy to see lammergeiers soaring overhead.
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We also saw some ground-nesting birds. These chicks kept popping in and out of holes like gophers. | |
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| VIDEO (:21) One thing that we experienced pretty much every day was wind. Even down in the ravine the wind was blowing hard.
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Along the trail were more ovoos. These mostly had prayer scarves and rocks as offerings. | |
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| The ravine is so deep that there is ice at the bottom almost all year round because the sunlight doesn't penetrate far enough in to melt it.
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We checked all the clefts in the ravine but no ibex. | |
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| The valley was also full of pikas (small animals related to rabbits). They blend in very well; cursor over the picture if you don't see the pika here.] |
Mostly, though, we just enjoyed the walk, hopping back and forth over the river. | |
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