Landscapes of Dauria and Daursky SNBR and Valley of Dzeren Nature R

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Landscapes of Dauria

   Dauria is the great steppe that straddles the border between Russia's Zabaykalsky region and northeastern Mongolia, and it is one of the last places on earth where you can see a grassland ecosystem working on its own terms. UNESCO listed the landscapes of Dauria in 2017 as a joint Russian and Mongolian site, recognising the importance of its steppe, wetlands and wildlife. The scale is vast: rolling grasslands stretching to the horizon, dotted with lakes, under a sky that seems to go on forever.

   Read the complete Landscapes of Dauria write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Landscapes of Dauria is where the day begins. Next is Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR.

2. 2. Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR

   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.

   Read the complete Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR comes up about 66 km into the recorded legs. Next is Daursky SNBR and Valley of Dzeren Nature R.

3. 3. Daursky SNBR and Valley of Dzeren Nature R

   Dauria is a grassland that does not care about borders. Here, where Russia's Zabaykalsky region meets Mongolia and China, the steppe rolls away in pale gold waves toward the horizon, broken by salt lakes and low hills. The name on this point stands for two Russian reserves, the Daursky Biosphere Reserve and the Valley of Dzeren, which together with the Mongolian reserves nearby form a protected landscape recognised by UNESCO in 2017. Dzeren is the Mongolian gazelle, a pale, fast antelope, and the valley is named after the herds that come and go across the frontier in search of better grass.

   Read the complete Daursky SNBR and Valley of Dzeren Nature R write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 139 km into the recorded legs you reach Daursky SNBR and Valley of Dzeren Nature R. Next is back through Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR.

4. 4. back through Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Forest steppe part of Daursky SNBR, late in the day. Next is Landscapes of Dauria.

5. 5. Landscapes of Dauria

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Landscapes of Dauria write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Back at Landscapes of Dauria. That is the ride.