Mondy sits on the Irkut River at the western end of the Tunka valley, almost on the border with Mongolia, and it has the feel of a place at the end of something. The road from Arshan runs for hours along the valley floor between the Eastern Sayan on the north and the Khamar-Daban range on the south, and the farther you go, the fewer cars you share it with. By the time you arrive, the peaks have grown bare and sharp, and the air has that thin, cold edge of high country even in July.
The village itself is small and practical, a border settlement with a frontier post for the crossing into Mongolia. Fuel and food are basic, so fill up before the last stretch, and carry spare water and snacks in case a closed shop catches you out. Beyond the houses, the valley opens into pasture grazed by cattle and horses, and the sky seems bigger than it did lower down. Over the ridge to the north lies the Munku-Sardyk massif, the highest summit of the Eastern Sayan, rising above 3,400 metres and often snow-capped well into summer. You will not see its top from the road in poor weather, but when the cloud lifts, it dominates.
The riding, as far as the surface and the conditions go, is part of the charm. The main road is asphalt, with patches and frost heave that can bite after a hard winter, and the corners are gentle enough to let you watch the river. Morning light on the Irkut is clear and cold, afternoons bring wind, and thunderstorms can build over the mountains in July and August. Nights are cool even in summer, and a warm layer is not optional.
Buryat culture is strong in this valley, and you will see shrines and colourful prayer flags near springs and passes, a mixture of Buddhist and older shamanic practice that gives the landscape a quiet sacred quality. Hot springs are scattered through the Tunka valley, so it is worth asking locals about them. A visit here is less about a sight than about the sense of reaching an edge, of having ridden as far as the road allows before the frontier says stop.