Jan. 28, 2016 Upon arriving in Ulaanbaatar, I was undoubtedly apprehensive about the Mongolian winter with temperatures that could plunge to -40°. Especially when you're told that the city where you'll spend the next few years is said to be the coldest capital in the world… it's enough to make you question your expatriation or travel choices.

Thus you'll notice the first instinct you'll have when the temperature drop becomes noticeable is to rush into every shop where at this time cashmere and boots are on sale, which indirectly fuels your anxiety even more. If you conduct your own little survey, you'll find one camp (surprisingly predominantly Mongolian) who will kindly reassure you that yes, winter is very cold; then there are the expats, who calm your fears by insisting that winter is very dry and therefore a good coat and sturdy shoes are sufficient... in short, just bundle up! And it's once you're in the thick of winter, wrapped in your coat, your head buried in your scarf, your eyelashes frozen... that you think you've experienced the worst. Alas, it's at that very moment that Mongolians announce to you the Nine 9s of Winter.

What's that?

It's a measurement system that was originally used for centuries by herders to navigate time and define the duration of the harsh winter. Thus the winter solstice would begin on the shortest day of the year (December 22) and is measured in 9 groups of nine days, accounting for a winter duration of 81 days. The herders thus had the habit of determining which part of winter they were in based on the following criteria:

1st 9: Milk-based vodka freezes 2nd 9: Vodka freezes 3rd 9: The tail of a 3-year-old ox freezes 4th 9: The horns of a 4-year-old ox freeze 5th 9: Cooked rice can no longer freeze 6th 9: Roads begin to become visible 7th 9: The tops of hills are visible again 8th 9: The ground becomes damp 9th 9: Warm days return

The 3rd and 4th 9s are considered the coldest. And I can confirm it—you'll need to double or even triple your layers. However, don't rely too heavily on this myth, as it remains relatively cold until April. That said, have no fear, it's only temporary, and the days are nonetheless very sunny. Personally, although winter isn't over yet, the cold that all Mongolians speak of occurs essentially in the countryside, where temperatures drop far lower than in the city. Thus, if you have the opportunity to discover the country during this period, equip yourself with good warm clothing. And one can only hope there's no zuud (which literally means harsh winter in Mongolian) consisting essentially of heavy snowfall.

Finally, according to what people say, it becomes less cold in the period following Tsagaan Sar (the White Moon festival), which is the Mongolian new year. This year Tsagaan Sar falls on February 8, which signals the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Anyway, enough hearsay! I invite you to come live this Mongolian adventure with us and judge for yourself the veracity of these claims. (I've tested the winter for you—how is it?)

Charlène Nomadays An SEO writer from the very beginning at Nomadays, now content manager and head of the communications team, Charlène has accompanied the adventure from its inception with passion and loyalty. After living seven years in Asia—from China to Thailand, passing through Mongolia and South Korea—she has made travel a way of being in the world. A lover of words, nature, and human connection, she strives to convey in her writing a sensitive, committed, and responsible vision of tourism. For her, each article is a bridge between curiosity, respect, and wonder.