True to the legend, we found the tarmac road. Not just any tarmac road, but the smoothest, straightest road I’ve ever been on. Running for 200km from nowhere to Ulaangom, I counted three cars the entire way.

The road just starts. No signs or anything. It just starts out of the dirt track, amazing. More alarmingly, going the other way it just ends. No warning, just a fantastic road that turns to dust, literally, without warning.

I’ve no idea who decides which roads get made here, but whoever it was – thank you! After 70 km or so we found a great lake, so we camped by the side of it. We watched an UAZ Jeep pull up, about the size of a Suzuki vitara. I counted a staggering 11 Mongolians get out for a swim!