The climate in Mongolia is so dry that when the snow falls it is as dry as dust. You can forget having any light relief of throwing a snowball, if you clasp two handfuls of snow together they fall from your hands like polystyrene granules.

One advantage this has is that every night the wind blows across the snow and in the morning a fresh canvas is set and the new footprints are easy to see.

It also means that hours of riding through shallow snow and at times deep drifts, unlike wet snow it does not “ball up” on the horses legs, tail or in their hooves.