Tsagan Shuvuut means roughly white mountain-range in Mongolian, and the name fits. High in the far north-west, near the meeting point of Tuva and Mongolia, the range rises into snow and rock, and the slopes are dark with larch and cedar taiga lower down. This is the Altai-Sayan country, where Siberian forest meets Central Asian steppe, and it feels like both at once.
The nearby Mongun-Taiga massif is the high point of the area, a glaciated mountain over three thousand metres, and the landscape here is wild: alpine meadows with marmots, streams running cold and clear, and the odd herder's camp. Snow leopard and argali sheep live in these ranges, though you are far more likely to see eagles, vultures and ground squirrels than anything shy. The light is hard and bright, and the air thin enough to make walking uphill feel serious.
Riding in this corner is a different sport from touring in Europe. The roads, where they exist, are tracks of dirt and stone, crossed by streams and sometimes washed out. Weather arrives fast, and a clear morning can turn into a hailstorm by two. Plan the whole loop with spare fuel on board, take food, and ride with someone if you can. A solo breakdown here is a real problem, not an anecdote.
What you get in return is silence and scale. You can stop on a ridge, turn off the engine, and hear wind, a distant sheep bell and nothing else. Early July to early September is the sensible window, with the snow gone from the lower passes and mosquitoes at a tolerable level. In the other months, expect snow and frozen ground. If you meet a herder, a bit of patience and a smile go a long way, and tea will often follow.