Gobi Desert Camel Trek

Dalanzadgad · Mongolia

Moderate8 daysAsia~£900 est.

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Overview

The Gobi confounds expectations: it is mostly a vast gravel steppe of saxaul scrub and dinosaur bones, which makes its set pieces land even harder. At Khongoryn Els a hundred-kilometre river of sand rises to nearly 300 metres against the Gobi Altai foothills - climb the crest at dusk and, when the wind moves, the whole dune groans like a distant aircraft, the famous singing sands. At Bayanzag's Flaming Cliffs you walk the orange badlands where Roy Chapman Andrews found the first recognised dinosaur eggs in the 1920s, and in the shaded gorge of Yolyn Am, sheets of ice persist into midsummer. Between the set pieces, Bactrian camels carry you at a rocking pace between ger camps where herder families pour salty milk tea. Riding a camel for days is harder on the body than it looks: pad the saddle and alternate riding with walking. Season is the key decision - May-June and September-October dodge both the 40-degree summer surface heat and spring's brutal winds, and nights are near freezing even then, so pack a proper sleeping bag. Eight days from Dalanzadgad with driver, guide, camels and ger stays runs about £900. Cash only once you leave town, and no phone signal - which is rather the point.