Ergaki is the name of a ridge, a park and a whole mood, and it belongs to the Western Sayan, the great band of mountains that separates the Minusinsk Basin from Tuva. The jagged skyline here is famous across Siberia for the outline called the Sleeping Sayan, a long crest that, from the right angle, resembles a reclining giant lying on his back. Peaks rise above two thousand metres, there are alpine lakes with cold, clear water, and the forest below is a dark carpet of cedar and fir.
The nearest village, Tanzybey, is about forty kilometres away, and it is small. There is no big supermarket or reliable petrol pump up here, so fill the tank and the water bottle in Abakan or in a larger town on the highway before turning off. The approach road leaves the Yenisei Highway and climbs into the mountains on a surface that changes from asphalt to gravel and finally to rough track, with stream crossings and loose stones, so it suits a smaller bike and a rider who likes a bit of mud. After rain the track can turn slick, and in spring melt it can be impassable. Do not be too proud to turn round.
The reward is the scenery. The air is cooler and smells of resin and wet stone, the light at dawn is gold on the ridge, and in late summer the meadows below the cliffs are full of flowers. The lakes with names like Raduzhnoye and Svetloye sit in glacial hollows, and a short walk from the end of the track often brings you to one. Weather moves fast, with cold mornings and afternoon storms, so waterproofs and warm layers should travel with you, even in July.
The area is a nature park, so the usual rules apply: stay on the track, take your rubbish home, and ask locally about any entry fee or restrictions. Hikers and climbers come here from all over the region, and in high season you will meet tents and campfires in the lower valleys. If you can, come on a weekday in early September, when the crowds have thinned and the larch is starting to turn, and the Sleeping Sayan looks down on you in perfect quiet.