Far out in Mongolia's westernmost corner, where the country wedges itself between Russia, China and Kazakhstan, the Altai mountains rise to the glaciated crown of Tavan Bogd. Below them the Tsagaan Gol, the White River, runs through valleys of larch and bare rock, and on the walls above the water prehistoric hunters carved some of the finest petroglyphs in Central Asia. They are part of the Petroglyphic Complexes of the Mongolian Altai, a UNESCO listing that spans thousands of years, from around the end of the Ice Age through the Bronze Age to the early Turkic era. The images show ibex, aurochs, deer, camels, hunters with bows, and in the later layers horsemen and chariots.
The effect of the carvings is not in any single image but in the density of them, and in the knowledge that people looked at this same river long before anyone wrote a word. Some panels are weathered nearly flat, others have a crisp edge when the sun rakes across. The valley is also the homeland of the Kazakh and Tuvan herders of Bayan-Ölgii, with their felt gers, long-legged horses, and in winter the eagle hunters who ride out with golden eagles on the arm.
Riding to it is serious expedition travel. There is very little paved road in this part of Mongolia, and the way in from Ölgii, the provincial capital, follows tracks across steppe, gravel flats and river fords that change from one year to the next. A capable adventure bike, a companion, a satellite messenger and good tyre-repair kit are ordinary parts of the plan, and many riders choose to go with a local guide or a support vehicle. The season is short, mostly from June to September, with snow possible at any time at altitude, and rivers swollen in July.
No settlement is listed nearby on the data, which tells you something. Ölgii has fuel, shops and guesthouses, and you should stock up on petrol, food and drinking water there, because beyond it supplies are patchy. Nights are cold even in summer, and weather can turn from sun to sleet within an hour. Camping is common and generally welcomed, but ask before pitching on pasture, and take your rubbish out. Border zones in the Altai require a permit, so check this before you set out.