South and southwest of Borat lie a series of steep and irregular valleys and hills, cutting back and forth across the land in a series of natural barriers to speedy travel. A few travelers have successfully crossed the area, but most give up after the third or fourth time they are forced to backtrack around an unexpected and impassable cliff face.

As though the ruggedness of the terrain were not enough, the region is laced with a mixture of razor-sharp rocks and a fine, silty black dust in which travelers can sink to the waist if they do not take care. Even if this hazard is avoided, any kind of movement causes the dust to kick up in choking clouds of sooty black smoke.

Despite the many unappealing characteristics of the Cloven Ranges, Borati settlement extends into its fringes. Thick growths of gnarled trees make the ground relatively firm in these areas, and, while the silty dust by itself is unable to support vegetation, it has proven to give excellent crop yields when small amounts of it are mixed into normal earth; however, it also gives the waterways in the area a slightly metallic taste.