Dauria is a grassland that does not care about borders. Here, where Russia's Zabaykalsky region meets Mongolia and China, the steppe rolls away in pale gold waves toward the horizon, broken by salt lakes and low hills. The name on this point stands for two Russian reserves, the Daursky Biosphere Reserve and the Valley of Dzeren, which together with the Mongolian reserves nearby form a protected landscape recognised by UNESCO in 2017. Dzeren is the Mongolian gazelle, a pale, fast antelope, and the valley is named after the herds that come and go across the frontier in search of better grass.
The lakes are the secret to the place. Torey Lake and its neighbours fill and dry out in cycles that last many years, and the shifting water level pushes the whole ecosystem back and forth. When water is high, the shores are a major stopover for migrating birds, among them white-naped cranes, swan geese and great bustards. When the lakes shrink, the dry bed turns into salt flats and the birds move on. It is landscape as a slow pulse, and it makes any visit different from the last. The area is also associated with the early life of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan, who is said to have been born near the Onon river not far to the north.
Riding here means tracks more than roads. Surfaces are sand, gravel and hard steppe soil, which is easy in dry weather and slippery after rain, and the winds are a serious factor, often strong all afternoon. Summers are warm with sudden storms, and winters are severely cold, dropping far below freezing. The best weeks are in late spring and early autumn, when migratory birds are around and the grass is either green or golden. Because this is a border zone, permits are required for entering the reserve and areas near the frontier, so contact the reserve office and arrange everything beforehand.
Supplies are limited. Small towns such as Nizhny Tsasuchey and the larger Borzya offer fuel and food, but you should carry extra petrol and water, and tell someone where you are going. In return you get skies that go on forever, the smell of wormwood and warm grass, and the odd sight of a herd of gazelles pouring over a ridge at a gallop.