Dauria is the name for the open steppe where Siberia runs into Mongolia and China, and it is one of the last great undisturbed grasslands in Asia. The reserve called Daursky protects a slice of it in the far south of Zabaykalsky Krai, in an area of rolling hills, shallow salt lakes, and a sky that feels twice as large as normal. Forest steppe is the term for the zone where patches of larch and birch push out into the grass, and here the mixture is dry, windy and bright, with long winters of fierce cold and short summers that can be surprisingly hot.
The great attraction is the birdlife. The Torey lakes, which fill and dry in a cycle of years, are a major stopover for migrating waterfowl, and the steppe is the breeding ground for cranes, including the white-naped and the Daurian, which have a hoarse, rolling call that carries for miles. Mongolian gazelles cross the frontier in huge herds, sometimes in the thousands, and the marmot, called tarbagan, sits upright beside its burrow and whistles. The sound of the place is wind, birds and very little else. The Chuh-Nuur lake cluster in the label is part of the same wetland landscape, shared with Mongolia and China.
This is, by any standard, a remote ride. The nearest village is Nizhniy Tsasuchey, about twenty kilometres away, with just over three thousand people, and the roads in the area range from poor asphalt to dirt tracks that turn to mud after rain. Because the area is in a border zone, special permits are required, and the rules on entry, photography and travel change, so inquire well ahead. Do not wander toward the frontier. It is also worth checking the current rules for travel in Russia before making any plans.
Fuel is scarce, and the supplies of any kind are thin, so carry spare fuel, water, food and tools. Mosquitoes and ticks are fierce in early summer, and storms can build quickly on the open plain. The reward is the silence, the huge horizon and the evening light, which turns the grass copper.