Even more remarkably, a few miles away, in the lee of the mountain, water piped from a dam far away in the Altai – a legacy of the Soviet period - irrigates fields of melons and tomatoes, surely one of the most remote farmlands in the country. There are many treasures in this remote spot. The extremely rare Gobi bear, which lives off wild rhubarb and other succulent roots, is occasionally spotted and just a few dozen miles to the south is the domain of the wild Bactrian camel. Lynx and wolves harry the black-tailed gazelles, while bustards and sand grouse abound.

Travelling by vehicle in these remote trackless regions is a challenge. If you have time, the Mongolian horse is a better option. The small horses are rightly famed for their stamina and temperament. Despite the growing use of motorbikes, it is unlikely that the Mongol arats (horsemen) will ever be parted from their steeds for long. Even those who now use vehicles are obsessed with racing their horses and if you can time your visit to coincide with the summer Naadam festivals that take place in every district, you will see some of the most spectacular horse racing anywhere in the world.