Torysh Valley of Balls

Torysh is a stretch of dry valley near Shetpe where the ground is strewn with stone spheres, from the size of a fist to over two metres across, some whole, some split open, others half buried. They are concretions: mineral cement precipitated around a nucleus within sediment, which then weathered out as the softer surrounding rock eroded away, the same process that produced the better-known Moeraki boulders in New Zealand. The concentration here is unusual, with thousands of them scattered over a wide area, and the setting of bare pale desert with the Sherkala hill on the horizon adds to the effect. The site is unfenced and unmanaged, reached by track.

What you actually see

• The stone spheres - concretions from fist-sized to over two metres.
• Split spheres - the broken examples showing the internal structure.
• The bare valley - the pale desert floor they lie on.
• Sherkala on the horizon - the isolated hill visible from the site.

When to go

April to May and September to October for bearable temperatures; there is no shade whatsoever. Low sun early and late throws shadows that make the spheres photograph better. Spring can bring brief tulip flowering.

Honest expectations

Nothing is signposted, fenced or explained on site. Access is by rough track and a guide or driver who knows the location is needed. Some spheres have been taken or damaged. There is no water or shelter.

Nearby

Sherkala mountain is close by; Shetpe is the nearest town.