The Chuluut River or 'stoney river' is a favourite spot for taïmen fishing. Its famous basaltic canyon is a stunning nesting ground for eagles and falcons. This immense river-formed valley cuts through the steppe and left me with a dreamy feeling of time having stopped still on the banks below the cliffs.
It was Spring and we arrived on horseback. We decided to head down the cliffs not knowing what to expect. Snow clung to the banks and winter's icy tendrils covered shady parts of the river - needless to say our horses were tentative during the approach.
Imagine the sight of hundreds of Artic Lenok, blocked by strips of ice, swimming alongside huge rainbow-coloured trout that leap over rocks, their scales glinting in sunshine filtered by the trees. All accompanied by the distant call of a herdsman looking for an errant animal...