Khongoryn Els

Khongoryn Els is the great dune field of the Gobi, a ridge of sand running about a hundred and eighty kilometres along the foot of the Gurvan Saikhan range and rising in places to three hundred metres. Mongolians call the dunes Duut Mankhan, the singing sands, because on dry windy days the grains sliding down the steep faces set up a low resonant hum you can feel as much as hear. Climbing the main crest takes an hour in soft sand. A spring-fed green strip and a shallow river run along the northern foot.