Tannu-Ola mountains, Mountain range in southern Siberia, Russia.
The Tannu-Ola mountains are a range in southern Siberia, Russia, running along the border with Mongolia and reaching peaks of around 3,000 meters (9,800 feet). The terrain alternates between broad valleys and long ridges, dividing the landscape into two clearly different sides.
The Tannu-Ola long marked a natural boundary between the steppes of Siberia and Mongolia, used by nomadic peoples as a crossing point between north and south. In the early 20th century, political changes in the region shaped the border that runs along the range today.
The name Tannu-Ola comes from the Tuvan language, spoken by the people who have lived in this region for a very long time. For them, the passes through the range are not barriers but familiar routes between grazing lands on both sides of the ridge.
Access to the area requires a special permit from Russian authorities, so it is worth requesting one well in advance of any planned trip. Summer months offer the most open conditions, as snow and cold can make access difficult at other times of year.
The range is split into a western and an eastern section, each made of different rock: sandstone in the west and granite in the east. Trekkers moving from one section to the other notice the change clearly in both the color and the texture of the ground beneath their feet.
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