After Solongo’s Fall From Her Camel we rode until the sun went down and then camped for the night. The next morning we were up before dawn, since we still had two long days of riding to reach our destination south of Atas Bogd Uul.
Camp Boss Sister Dulya supervising the loading of a camel
Camp Boss Sister Dulya signs off on a perfectly loaded camel
Sister Dulya ready to ride
Riding into black shale hills
Typical black shale hills of the Gobi
After passing through the black shale hills we emerged on a huge gravel flat. This is the view looking west.
Crossing the gravel flat. You can’t tell it from this photo, but the wind was blowing a relentless sixty miles an hour.
Looking south across the grave flats toward Atas Bogd Uul, just visible in the distance.
Atas Bogd Uul from the southern edge of the gravel flats. In the foreground is a range of hills topped by 4,705-foot Arslan Khairkhan Uul, so named because the peak is said to resemble a crouching lion (arslan).
Approaching the Arslan Khairkhan Hills
Although still smarting from the fall from her camel, Solongo was able to build a fire and brew up fresh tea during our tea break, in this case A Superb 2003 Vintage Puerh.
Pass through the Arslan Khairkhan Hills
Near the pass through the Arslan Khairkhan Hills
Beyond the Arslan Khairkhan Hills is a wide strip and sand and gravel desert.
Continuing on across the sand and gravel desert . . . Solongo is riding on top of a load on one of the pack camels. Her camel had ran off the day before.
Taking a break
We camped for the night just east of 8,842-foot Atas Bogd Uul, a sentinel visible for hundreds of miles around.
Fascinating landscape. Any idea what caused the long, flat stretches of gravel?
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As you probably know most if not all of the Gobi was once at the bottom of Tethys Sea. Later huge lakes covered the area. I suspect the flat gravel areas are old lake bottoms. Also, many of the ridges consist of basalt, which is formed by underwater eruptions of lava. What always surprises me about the Gobi is the variety of different landscapes. You can ride through a dozen distinctly different terrains in one day.
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