The rocks
Broken granite.
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Ikh Nart Nature Reserve is a protected area in Dornogovi Province in south-east Mongolia, about 300 km south-east of Ulaanbaatar. It covers about 66,000 hectares, was set up in 1996, and is one of the few places where the rare argali wild sheep lives. The reserve is made up of granite outcrops surrounded by dry grassland and semi-desert steppe. Between the rocks are clefts, ravines, springs and small ponds, with willows and elms growing around them. Thirty-three species of mammal have been recorded, including Siberian ibex, Mongolian gazelle and Asiatic wild ass, and predators such as wolf, lynx and Pallas's cat. You walk among brown and red granite rocks broken into strange shapes, with wide yellow and green steppe all around. Early in the morning and evening you may see argali on the rocks, or camels grazing on the plain. The reserve has a camp of traditional gers for visitors, and the night sky is clear and full of stars. The town of Choir is about 91 km away in a straight line. Bring binoculars for the wildlife, and a tour operator who knows the dirt roads. The UK Foreign Office reports fuel shortages that may disrupt travel to remote areas, so check before you set off.
Broken granite.
Argali and ibex.
A sky full of stars.
Dornogovi Province, Mongolia
Early morning and evening, on the high rocks.
Yes, at a ger camp inside the reserve.