
A steep road to the top of Kadan Khyasaa
Mongolia, asia
61 km
2,417 m
extreme
Year-round
Okay, adventure seekers, listen up! Deep in the Khövsgöl Province of Mongolia, hiding in the Khoridol Saridag mountains, awaits the Kadan Khyasaa pass, topping out at a cool 7,929 feet.
Forget pavement, this is a raw, unadulterated 4x4 experience all the way. They call it Khyasaa Uul or Khyasaaya Uul sometimes. Word to the wise: that final stretch? Yeah, that's off-limits to personal vehicles.
This trail is no joke, clocking in at just under 4 miles, but with an average incline of 11.5% and some sections hitting almost 20%, you'll be earning every single meter. Summer is really your only window to tackle this beast. But trust me, the reward is huge, as you'll get insane views overlooking the beauty of Khovsgol Lake. This is definitely one of the best drives in the country, if you're up for it!
Road Details
- Country
- Mongolia
- Continent
- asia
- Length
- 61 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,417 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
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