Kyzyl-Chin is known as the Mars Valley, and the nickname is not an exaggeration. In the dry southeastern Altai, a few tens of kilometres from Kosh-Agach, the Chuya river has cut through soft clay and sandstone, leaving a maze of orange, red and pale yellow ridges, pinnacles and gullies that look like another planet. Kosh-Agach, with just over five thousand people, is the nearest town, so fuel and food are there, not in the valley.
The ride runs along the Chuysky Trakt and then, for the final stretch, along a track or minor road toward the formations. The highway across the Chuya steppe is long, mostly straight and exposed to wind, with the mountains of the Southern Chuya and North Chuya ranges forming a wall of white on either side. The turn to Kyzyl-Chin is easy to miss, and the last stretch can be gravel or sand, so adventure bikes and slow, careful riding work best. Come in the morning or late afternoon, when low light makes the colours glow, and avoid rain, since the clay turns to slippery paste.
Geologists describe the area as an ancient lake bed, with sediments laid down millions of years ago, later uplifted and eroded by water and wind. The soft layers wear away quickly, which is why the shapes look so sculpted. The name Kyzyl-Chin comes from the Altai language and refers to red, and the colour comes from iron minerals in the clay.
The surrounding steppe is high, dry and cold. Few trees grow, and the vegetation is mostly low grass and thorny shrubs, with marmots and hawks among the wildlife. The wind carries the smell of dust and dry herbs, and the quiet is almost total. The Altai people and Kazakhs who live here keep sheep, horses and yaks, and you may see herders on horseback crossing the plain.
Practical advice is simple. Fill the tank in Kosh-Agach, carry water, wear sunglasses and a warm layer, and do not walk onto fragile formations or climb unstable slopes. Mobile signal is poor, so tell someone where you are going.