This trail can be ridden as a shuttle, an out and back, or a loop (using the main road of the park). It is described here as a shuttle though we usually do the loop. For any of the three options, you can park a car at the river or at the little paved parking lot above the river along the main road (see the way points on the trail map).
The trail consists mostly of double track and just a little ST, but don't let that discourage you from riding it. It is full of fast fun with a couple of nice climbs (about a mile long each) thrown in for the exercise. There is also ample opportunity to do some "no track" on big slopes and to play around on smaller rock formations.
The shuttle route is difficult to describe, but easy to see on a Google sat image. On the ST trail map, I have posted key waypoints to delineate the route.
The route is 10.6 miles long (17km) and has two main passes along the way. We have named it Camel Run because of the two main passes which can be likened to the two humped camels (bactrian camels) of Mongolia. Plus, there are camels in the area near the end of the shuttle (kind of cool).
The trail, beginning at the monastery, sits at 1722m (5650') in elevation and ends at the Tuul River at 1387m (4550') for an overall nice DH run. The two passes are 130m and 135m climbs, so they add another 265m (870') of descending. All the elevation drop is used well for high speed fun.
The final descent off the second pass is 4 km long (2.5 mi). It is a blast with lots of speed, good flow through the curves, a small jump or two, and a couple of short steep drops -- one of about 30' that you can take at high speeds and hope your tires hold in the scree.
All in all, Camel Run is a fast fun ride in some very beautiful country.
Hello Kareyann77. The trailhead is located 2.65km north of Turtle Rock at the parking lot of Aryabal Temple. The trail is the small dirt road that heads west out of the temple parking lot.
| ThankFrom Terelj how can I find the beginning of the trail? Is it by a certain ger camp?
| ThankGreat trail for beginners and intermediate mountain bikers. With crazy descents and just the right amount of uphill and hike-a-bikes that lead to the final smooth DH run.
| ThankRode Camel Run as a loop again yesterday with a few other riders. Though technically a beginner route, it is a definitely an intermediate ride due to the distance and rigor of the climbs, especially if you do it as a loop. As a loop, it is 32 km (20 miles), and takes its toll on newer riders. It is a nice ride even for more advanced riders due to its beauty, high speed fun, options to play on obstacles and abundant options to free ride down some pretty big, short grass slopes.
| Thank