14-Sep-2004 -- The main crop growing area for Dornod region lies in the far east. This part of Dornod is surrounded on 3 sides by China and is rather remote, 380 km or 8 hours drive from the regional capital of Choibalsan. At this latitude 380 km due east passes 4 lines of longitude and therefore 4 point hunting opportunities. The normal route east follows a route halfway between lines on latitude so a more adventurous approach was called for.

A group of 8 of us plus driver set of at 8.10 am for the long journey and enough time for some CP hunting.

The first point was quite close to Choibalsan and after a 6 km detour across the steppe we found the spot and made the necessary records. One strange feature of this point can be seen in the second GPS photo. I did not notice this at the time but somehow one of the GPS photos manages to record the point as 47 degrees and 60 minutes north instead of 48 degrees exactly. I have never seen this before and perhaps will send the photo to Garmin and ask for an explanation.

After leaving the point we headed south east to catch some points on the 47N. On the way we passed monument to the “Red Soldiers” (Mongolian and Russians) who prepared for the defence of this land against the Japanese (they were much further east near the Chinese border). Large areas of trenches and mud barracks remain together with slowly rusting metalwork.