The Kyrgyzstan Plan

Inaugural Season Discounts!

2010-08-22T16:45:00.001-06:00

www.fortytribesbackcountry.com/p/index.html

Register in a 2010/11 guided tour before Oct 1 and receive $100 off! Groups of 5 or more receive 10% off the total cost!

Avalanche Courses in Kyrgyzstan

2010-08-19T20:36:00.002-06:00

Slab avalanche in Kyrgyzstan's Terskey Alatoo mountains, March 2010.

As the sport of backcountry skiing/riding progresses and innovations take root, skiers and riders around the world are increasingly taking bigger chances - seeking bigger lines, dropping bigger cliffs, chasing after the deepest powder.

This trend, however, has led to a spike in avalanche-related deaths, even in regions with solid infrastructure and avalanche resources. In recent years, the US, Canada, and many countries in Europe have reported as many as 20-30+ avalanche fatalities per year. Many of these deaths have resulted from inexperienced skiers/riders seeking out adventure in the backcountry, and also experienced skiers/riders chasing out steep routes in poor conditions.

Over the winter of 2009-10, 36 total avalanche fatalities were reported in the US, of which half were skiers or snowboarders. (source: http://www.avalanche.org/accidents.php)

In Switzerland, 3/4 of the avalanche fatalities in 2009-10 involved ski tourers. That's 20 out of 27 avalanche-related deaths between 21 December and 15 April. (source: http://pistehors.com/news/ski/comments/0991-explosion-in-number-of-ski-touring-fatalities-in-switzerland/)

In France, 5 skiers were caught, buried and killed in avalanches as early as 2 January 2010. (source: http://pistehors.com/backcountry/wiki/Avalanches/Accident-Statistics)

In Canada, avalanche fatalities have averaged 14 per year for the 1998-2007 period. (source: http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/library/avalanche-accidents)

The Canadian Avalanche Centre (http://www.avalanche.ca/cac) reports from a study of avalanche deaths in Canada over the past 2 decades that the most common mistakes made by backcountry recreationists include:

Poor trip preparation
Lack of knowledge of recognizing avalanche terrain
Inability to assess snow stability
Unskilled backcountry search and rescue techniques

And as the buzz spreads to places with limited infrastructure and resources (that's Russia and other CIS countries included!), more and more people are putting themselves at risk of being involved in an avalanche incident. Also, ski resorts in many of these places do not manage their backcountry or even their in-bounds slopes!

Fortunately, a unique opportunity is now available to anyone in Russia or any CIS country this winter to receive the equivalent of the US AIARE (American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education) Level One Avalanche Certification.

Unless you want to become a statistic, you have to check this out!!
http://www.fortytribesbackcountry.com/p/kyrgyzstan-avalanche-safety-ru.html
http://www.fortytribesbackcountry.com/p/central-asia-tien-shan-avalanche.html

The Evolution of TKP

2010-05-07T14:20:00.002-06:00

40 Tribes Backcountry Adventures
http://www.fortytribesbackcountry.com/

Skis for Nuts in the South, Revolution in the North

2010-04-11T05:34:00.002-06:00

Suffice it to say that some shit has gone down since our last post. Many stories to tell once we finally return home...

Ala Bel: The Zone of All Zones

2010-03-28T03:25:00.001-06:00

Just returned from Ala Bel yesterday, March 27th. Packed up camp in a raging snowstorm and found the perfect ride in a VW utility van with a trio of Uzbeks who were rocking out to on-demand dashboard music videos, mostly featuring keytar tracks from '80s.

Can't imagine a better zone to close out the month with the team.

It's Always Dumping in Ichke Jergez

2010-03-28T03:01:00.001-06:00

Whether it's falling from the sky or a horses ass...it's always dumping in Ichke Jergez.

Below is a photo essay documenting the week of March 12-19, which we spent in and above the village scouting terrain, tackling first descents, and further dialing our plans to open a pilot yurt skiing program in collaboration with local families by next season.

There is, of course, much more of this story to be told; but we'll let the film do the talking come fall 2010...

Mustache March

2010-03-28T02:09:00.000-06:00

Mullets and mustaches are all the rage in the Russian/Kyrgyz fashion world. We probably should have bitten the bullet and signed up for Mullet March...but mustaches are pretty hilarious, easier to maintain in the backcountry, and a bit more front and center given the negative temps that have required us to stay hatted and hooded 24/7.

The photos below document our team's respectable 'stache-growing efforts over the first 3 weeks of the month.

Enjoy.

Introducing KGZ's first (and only) splitboarder

2010-03-03T02:03:00.001-07:00

It's early afternoon in Bishkek, 3rd of March. Today's inversion is finally burning off. I'm de-layered by now, down to my 'splitboarding is the answer' t-shirt. It attracts confused looks from passers-by, but not many more than in the States.

Street cleaning crews are out in full-force: sweeping sidewalks and drainage ditches, hand-turning medians and park gardens, and shoveling piles of still-frozen leaves from the very places they landed last fall. Song birds can be heard at dusk and dawn, and occasionally over the clamour of traffic and streetside conversation. Spring has definitely sprung.

And yet, 3 hours to the south, in an other-worldly zone called the Suusamyr valley, winter rages on. Snowbound. Gorgeous. The sole focus for our riding and filming for now. And now that we've turned Kyrgyzstan's most ripping snowboarder into Kyrgyzstan's first (and only) splitboarder, the party is getting hot.

El-rod on the first descent of 'Peaches and Cream.' 'Peaches' because that's his nick-name, and 'Cream' because it was oh-so-creamy.

Kalibek Kadyr, Kyrgyzstan's first and only splitboarder, throwing it down...2nd day on his new board. He should shred this well; after all, this is his backyard.

Kalibek and his new goods during an indoor training session. Hard to say who's more stoked here...him or us.

Photos abound, but we've only got a few to share at the moment. Internet is fickle here, expensive too. On top of that, KGZ is sandwiched between China and Kazakhstan, censorship kings of the universe, where blog services are strictly forbidden. In this never dull, and sometimes suffocating, part of the world, access to the backend of our site comes only once in a blue moon.

So enjoy this subtle taste. From here we're off again (with Ellis AND Austin - yeah, yeah!), back to Suusamyr to session the hell out of that place prior to Josh and Andy's arrival on the 8th.

When Life Throws You Lemons

2010-02-22T20:59:00.004-07:00

February 12 marked our third scouting mission departure from Bishkek, a city that was, at that point, under somewhat of a deep freeze. A winter storm had recently wreaked havoc across Central Asia, loading mountainsides in the Tien Shan, but especially in the Pamirs, the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush. One particular series of slides on Afghanistan’s Salang Pass is reported to have claimed somewhere between 150-200 lives.

In Bishkek, a picturesque 10-15cm had fallen and the temperatures induced the greatest number of complaints, understandable given the drop from plus to minus 15 C in a period of days. Any car that wasn’t a Neva 4x4 or worth more than 10 years of a rural family’s income (the number of Lexus sport utilities, Nissan Xterras and Hummers wielded by Bishkek businessmen is both unexpected and concerning) were either chained up or shamelessly spinning their tires to barely, and definitely not safely, make it out of that parking spot or around that corner. Marshutka windows were characteristically caked with a layer of ice that thickened with each breath of the 30 passengers on board. The lucky 15 with seats all proudly maintained each of their peep holes – a job that not only relieved on-board claustrophobia by bringing the outside world back into focus, but that also ensured that stops weren’t missed. By foot, crampons were pretty much required to travel from block to block. The other option: stiletto-heeled boots, and lucky for Bishkek’s female population, the city is severely saturated with this (again unexpected) footwear of choice.

A short 2 ½ hours away, nestled between branches of Kyrgyzstan’s Kungey Alatoo and Kazakhstan’s Zailisky Alatoo ranges, the villages of the Chon Kemin valley operate with a different style and pace—the relieving and true flavor of rural Kyrgyzstan…undeniably similar to what we had found in Ichke Jergez. Proud horsemen gallop the streets trailing 8m cuts of timber, while their sons learn to ride bareback on ponies with simple rope bridals; wood and coal smoke trails waft out of simple, bent chimneys and across housetops; hay piles sag under the weight of the season’s snowfall. There is even evidence of a few warm season crops: apricot and apple trees, hibernating berry bushes, sprigs of still-standing dill weed, and even hops vines that have entangled fences and entryway gates (making our mouths water with memories of a good ol’ microbrewed IPAs back home).

Though skiing hasn’t yet made it to Kaindy, sledding—using blacksmithed poles to gain speed and to travel over the flats—is in full affect.

Evening light on Kaindy village. The lower part of the Chon Kemin valley is quite broad and well-sunned, despite being walled-in to the south and north by the Kungey Alatoo and Zailisky Alatoo and ranges. The terrain in the upper right corner is what we, and Erjan, had originally set our sights on, before gaining a more distant view and deciding in favor of a location further to the west (right).

Our hosts for our stay in Chon Kemin are Erjan Daniyarov and his wife, his sons Termirlan and Aibek, and their families. Their shared home is made up of a modest, 2 -room plus kitchen and entryway/wash room/cold storage room living quarters. The buildings outside house their animals and disassembled yurts, and a baby blue Soviet-era 4x4 van sits parked on the far side of the lot. Stuffed in the corner of the yurt room are a few animal hides, a chainsaw, spinner fishing rods, and an accordion. Erjan is a geographer, a fisherman and fishing guide; Temirlan a summertime horse and trekking guide; and Aibek a hunter of Ibex and mountain goat. Aibek has seen a snow leopard once. The outhouse is a leaning structure just beyond the feeding area for their horse and cows, and due to the lean, the door remains slightly open when shut. The floor is caked with frozen urine. It’s simple and perfect—undoubtedly all that we need, and definitely more than we expected…especially in terms of hospitality.

A trademark Chon Kemin sunset casts warm light across Erjan’s place, our comfortable home during our stay in Kaindy village.

Temirlan, Erjan’s eldest son, with wife and kids, bidding us farewell on our departure from Kaindy.

Erjan may be a man of few words and little expression, but he was full of sincerity and obviously interested as to why we had come to Kaindy village. Wielding an enormous, pink, Chinese wall clock—which he repeatedly pulled and replaced from its home in the kitchen—he made every effort to help schedule our days…a somewhat rigid gesture that we believe to be residual of the Soviet era under which he lived. Lucky for us, he also wielded a killer pair of binoculars and was at any time ready to suit up in his camo gear and ‘Alaska’-brand boots to help us scout prime terrain for shredding.

Abrie, Ann, and our main main, Erjan, scoping the terrain directly behind Kaindy village. Erjan kept meticulous care of his hefty German binocs, removing and then replacing the lens and viewfinder covers with each use. His map collection of the Chon Kemin region, while limited to 2, is stored in the leather portfolio that he holds against his body.

But while our first scheduled walk around the village reinforced the feasibility of our initial plan to tour directly from Erjan’s doorstep, we decided that we needed to gain a better perspective on the true extent of the range at hand. Erjan’s enthusiasm for us to explore the winter approach to his jailoo had become less and less masked, but we just weren’t confident that the promising lines that we were able to scope from Kaindy village were what we had come here for. And so the following day we used the huge pink clock to schedule in a time for a more private walk across valley where we knew we would be treated with expansive views. Erjan acquiesced– but not without assigning his 10-year old son as our unofficial guide for the day.

As expected, back to the west—away from the pinched opening of the upper Chon Kemin valley, which looked somewhat wind-hammered and shallow—we caught a glimpse of what we were looking for: shadows of horse and lumber tracks across snowbound lower terrain, providing gradual access to a higher knoll that seemed a perfect basecamp location. From there, a single snowy ridgeline undulated (again, quite gradually) in the direction of more distant, rocky peaks; and from the ridgelines apparently dropped a-couple-of- hundred-meter lines through perfectly-spaced Tien Shan spruce. Touring to the trees seemed a cinch, and the upper, more distant bowls appeared easily accessible via day tour.

Quite honestly, the terrain resembled an established resort…except for the fact that no one had ever skied there. Imagine the possibilities of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park up high, with Wyoming and Idaho’s great-for-touring ridgelines, meadow bowls and trees down low. Such is what we found above Kaindy’s neighbor village, Karool-Dobo, which just so happens to be home to the Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism Association’s summer trekking program in Chon Kemin. Serendipitous, indeed. We found ourselves lost for the first day touring from our knoll, in powderland, imagining the seemingly unlimited possibilities.

Typical 7:45am view from camp, looking to the S/SW. This was our second morning up, before it began to blow. Our last day’s tour took us out, around, and along the picturesque ridgeline here in order to access unaffected pockets in the trees below the broad, round summit.

The start of each day’s tour, photographed here during an evening stroll from camp.

Ryan and Ann making the approach to the summit of our favorite (and most reliable) spaced trees, which dropped a couple hundred meters to the west (right). This small summit was accessible via a half-hour skin from camp. A shorter skiable shot drops to the east as well.

Delicious (albeit scratchy) wall of an upper, unnamed cirque, easily accessible by day tour from camp. Google satellite imagery suggests that this almost due-north aspect holds snow well into June.

The mind-blowing prospects of Kalmak-Ashuu. We reached this viewpoint following a 1 ½ hour tour from camp. Without doubt, this is an area that we will be exploring and plotting further…either this year or next.

Catching rays at camp following a long day’s tour, enjoying every second of warmth before the onslaught of the bitter evening temps. A portion of the ridgeline that we used to access all of our skiing can be seen in the distance near the photo’s center.

Sunset as we caught it each and every night from camp.

And then, high on our knoll—the above terrain to our immediate south and west and the picture-perfect sight of the near-3,700m Oro-mo peak to our east—we found ourselves catching lemons. 40 to 60 km per hour gusts of lemons. Get the idea? The wind, it started to rip. Our powderland was quickly stripped, or rather reformed, resulting in some of the wildest and most depressing wind textures that we have ever seen.

The morning after the first night of wind. The ‘nose’ feature in the foreground leads up in the direction of a few promising aspects…but all of it was left in a gnarly state of wind-affect once our powder was carried off to Kazakhstan.

But while all of the new high-elevation snow from the previous week’s dump had been carried off to the not-so-distant Kazakhstan, we were encouraged by pocket s at the mid elevations that seemed unaffected, perhaps leeward (though the winds seemed to rip, from every which direction), and from the looks of it, maybe even prime for shredding pow. But that’s not to say the impact of the wind wasn’t freaking humongous: skinning the scoured ridgelines was an absolute junk show, and the hard slab avalanche that we released remotely while bootpacking down one wind-scoured ridgeline scared the living bejesus out of us.

This hard slab avalanche released remotely during our bootpack down this wind-scoured ridge. The slabs crept remarkably slowly, and didn’t travel far. We finished the day by shredding the shadowed meadow further down. Note our skin track and tracks from previous days across the way and to the right. Our camp was set at the edge of the trees on the knoll near the photo’s center.

Still, we pushed through it, and finding pockets of knee to waist-deep pow, we were able to redeem all of those initial impressions about the remarkable possibilities above Kaindy and Karool-Dobo villages.

Life had indeed thrown us lemons. And we were determined to make lemonade.

Ryan drops the gut of a mellow, but tasty bowl a short 45 minutes from camp, while Ann awaits her follow-up descent at top. Though it’s hard to tell in this photo, winds were gusting in excess of 50-60 km/h at the point from which it was taken (we’re heavily indebted to Abrie for this one).

Ryan, shredding the fine line between wind-affect and pow.

Abrie harvests the goods on our final day out—evidence that pockets could be found despite the tragedy of the wind.

Typical scene on the ‘skin track’ out. Skiers definitely yield to local horsemen in Kyrgyzstan.

We now await Ellis’ arrival in just a few days, and it feels good to be hunkered down in Bishkek with all of the luxuries of a big city—gamburgers (goat hamburgers) and retro one-piece shopping at local thrift stores, just to name a few. Austin is scheduled to arrive on the 3rd of March and Josh and Andy on the 8th…and from there, it’s game-on for filming and shredding. Thanks to all who have been staying posted and encouraging us on from afar!

Snowpack Discussion

2010-02-21T03:19:00.002-07:00

We are back in Bishkek now following a remarkable week in the mountains above Kaindy and Karool-Dobo villages in the Chon Kemin valley, awaiting Ellis' arrival on the 24th. We will have a new entry up soon with plenty of photos so stay posted.

The following entry was produced by Ann Piersall, who contributed invaluably to two TKP scouting missions over the month of February 2010. Ann is in Kyrgyzstan for the year conducting social and physical research on glacial recession in the Tien Shan Mountains. For additional information regarding Ann's research: www.tienshanglaciers.blogspot.com.

Located thousands of miles from the nearest ocean, the huge relief of the Tien Shan Mountains draws snow and rain on what would otherwise be a vast desert. The complicated mountain terrain of Kyrgyzstan creates significant differences in microclimates, but in general most of the country is very arid with annual precipitation of ranging from 10-80 cm of water and only a fraction of that falling as snow. While it may be +15 C in Bishkek, less than three hours away the Suusamyr Valley may have temperatures below -20 C and be entirely snowbound.

This season’s snow conditions have unfortunately not fully matched the incredible potential of the terrain that we have been exploring. According to villagers and local heli-skiing operators alike, this winter has brought less snowfall than average. December and January saw long dry spells intermixed with just a couple storms that have brought the majority of the snow. Combining this season’s weather with the arid regional climate, the resulting snowpack is extremely continental, characterized by shallow snow depths and unconsolidated weak layers. Throughout the country, in our touring and digging in the snowpack, we have found a snowpack with bottom layers that are almost entirely made of facets, sharp angular snow crystals that do not bond well.

Sharp, angular depth hoar (size 2-5cm) from the bottom layer of a snowpit dug above Ichke Jergez village.

Look at that crust! Ichke Jergez snowpit.

What this means for us as skiers is first we have to be very careful picking lines. Rocks, barely covered ground, and other obstacles could be devastating on descent. The consequences of injuries are significant here given the remote locations and lack of available resources for rescue.

More importantly the shallow snowpack represents a higher level of avalanche danger. Due to the large temperature gradient formed between the ground and air, shallow snowpacks promote the formation and retention of persistent weak layers (such as facets and their larger more advanced form know as depth hoar). When the majority of the snowpack consists of un-bonded crystals the overall strength of the snowpack is quite low. Stresses, such as a skiers, wind loading or solar warming, also penetrate through the entire snowpack representing a hazard of failure and propagation of an avalanche to the ground given that the base of the snowpack here is almost certainly large depth hoar crystals. Despite this generalization of conditions, we have managed to find decent stability (and good turns!) by examining the strength, structure and potential energy of each individual slope.

Crown of an isolated hard slab avalanche that we released remotely while bootpacking down a wind-scoured ridgeline in the Chon Kemin valley.

Additional photograph of the hard slab avalanche we released.

Given the shallow snow depths and unfortunate combination of poor strength and structure it has been crucial for us to take time to evaluate each slope and utilize the terrain to our advantage. Forecasted storms are on the horizon in the next weeks, which will hopefully will bring some more late winter precipitation.

-Ann

It's Normal!

2010-02-11T06:34:00.005-07:00

(Abrie writing)

We sat in Valentin’s dilapidated army bus, quiet for a moment as we pondered the current dilemma. Snowflakes swept across the windshield. “I have plan,” the crazy Karakol local abruptly announced after downing half our small bottle of cognac in one long pull (he prefers cognac to vodka because of the wicked hangovers the latter leaves him with). “I go alone now to see if we can dig through avalanche. Tomorrow, Schumacher bring you back and you drive together to Altyn Arashan. If still avalanche on road, you come by walk.” We nodded our agreement, our relief twofold: glad that there was still a chance our plans for a few days of day of relaxing and soaking in hot springs to rejuvenate our bodies following our exertion at Ichke Jergez would still manifest , and relieved not to trudge 16 km beneath massive avalanche paths to the small lodge in the snowstorm with a 1pm start – an unsafe idea, at best.

The relief was momentary. Valentin filled our now empty bottle of cognac with vodka, shoved a box of food into a large backpack , checked to make sure his pack of cigarettes were handy, and got out of the bus – followed immediately by the two guides who also accompanied us for the journey, Rosa and Valerio. We realized with dismay that they were all going to walk to the lodge that afternoon – that it was only us tourists who would be waiting until the following day, and that they did not share our concern for the recent avalanche activity, current weather, or late hour. We tried one last time to convince them all to wait, again voicing our concern for the recent avalanches. “Avalanche is no problem during day. Avalanche only after 8pm,” Valentin insisted – a comment that, while it did nothing to reassure us of the safety of the planned route, definitely solidified our understanding that avalanche education has a LONG way to go in Kyrgyzstan.

We (Ryan, Ann, myself) hesitated in the van, staring at each other. Time was short, and we needed to reach a decision fast. Do we just throw on our packs and skis and go now, committing to another exhausting tour through a snowstorm in lieu of our would-be rejuvenating, somewhat pampered retreat? We realized we couldn’t let them walk through the snow while we went alone back to Karakol. We put on our ski boots and got out of the van, leaving a few unnecessary items for Schumacher to take back to the hotel. Valentin grinned, clapped Ryan on the back saying “It’s normal!” one more time before getting a head start on the trail with Rosa and Valerio, as we’d be considerably faster on skis. We wondered aloud how their old school one-piece snowsuits and boots would hold up during the 16 km slog through knee-deep powder and what the chances were of reaching Altyn Arashan before nightfall.

Beacons on, we soon found ourselves skinning along the road we should have been driving, snow falling fast around us. We came to the culprit avalanche which was blocking the road within the first kilometer – a moderate slide that had strewn a solid 5 feet (in depth) of debris across the road. Letting go of initial resentment (mostly on my part) at the unexpectedly demanding task at hand, we fell into a good rhythm and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings: storybook trees laden with fresh snow and the unfrozen river winding its way to our side.

The start of our unexpected journey.

8 kilometers (and 3 hours) in brought us to a second avalanche, much bigger than the first. Two men from the village at the mouth of the gorge, Ak Suu, were there with two horses harvesting massive trees from the debris – presumably to use as firewood. We continued on after a small snack, tired now, and started to climb more steeply. Light was beginning to wane when Ryan announced we were at the base of our final hill, and that Altyn Arashan was just on the other side.

A local takes a short break from harvesting firewood out of avalanche debris to shoot the shit with Ann.

With one final push, we crested the hill and finally laid eyes on beautiful Altyn Arashan – a few quaint cabins with the familiar soviet colors (olive greens, sky blues) dotting the valley. We happily unloaded in front of the fireplace in the main lodge commons area. A fire had recently been started by the nearby hot springs attendant, per the request of Valentin, who was easily knee-deep in his one piece and about an hour behind us. And though the room was far from toasty (a consistent 20-30 degrees F, we would guess… even with the fire) it could not have been more appreciated. We set about drying our soggy layers and started the first of many Scrabble games. Too beat to hit the hot springs, we breathed a full sigh of relief when the rest of our crew showed up (well after dark), enjoyed hot tea and a late dinner, and passed out next to the fire.

Abrie and Ann warm up with hot chai before the first of many competetive Scranbble games.

There is much less snow at Altyn Arashan this year in February than there was last year in late December, according to Ryan. Even so, we spent our first full day at the lodge exploring the upper reaches of the valley by ski – breaking trail through a good 12” of fresh, but wet and heavy, powder to have a look at the surrounding terrain: beautiful and humbling despite still-gray skies and uncommonly windy ridges. Finishing off the day with a soak in the much-anticipated hot springs (near-scalding springs to be exact) and steaming bowls of borsch finally sealed the deal. This was why we had come to Altyn Arashan.

One of the few colorful cabins that dot this beautiful valley.

A leisurely outing through 12" of fresh powder with the glaciated Peak Palatka barely discernable against the gray sky.

Tien Shan Spruce, beautiful with the latest storm's dusting of snow.

The year-round home of the hot springs attendant, 100m from Altyn Arashan lodge.

Following breakfast the following morning, Valentin burst into the room to let us know that he, Rosa and Valerio were going to start making their way back down the road. “You go hot spring – then in one hour you start walk. I think it’s no problem, bus will be just over top of this hill.” Only mildly convinced by his words, we decided to forego a final soak, anticipating that the bus would still be unable to pass and we would have to repeat the 16-kilometer ski. One last card game before the coals of our last fire and we were out, a few hours behind the rest of the crew.

Not far into our return, over the summit of the hill that separates Altyn Arashan from the lower gorge, came the first moment of truth. No bus. Spirits were still high with the prediction that it would be waiting at the base of the next big climb – a set of switchbacks a few more kilometers ahead. Then, the second moment of truth. No bus. The third, at the slide where the locals were harvesting firewood. No bus. By that point we had given up on the bus entirely, but the downhill route was much more agreeable on our knees and our backs and so we trudged on.

About 10 kilometers back we rounded a corner to find a debris pile so large that the continuation of our route was entirely out of view. 15 feet in depth…easily. Across the river, the road, and partially up the other side. In the single day since we had first passed this massive slide had occurred. As we climbed across the solidified snow our minds returned to Valentin’s initial, ignorant claim that avalanches are “no problem this time of day, this time of year.” Long way to go in snow safety education, indeed.

Two freshly-avalanched slide paths visible on our way up to Altyn Arashan.

During our exit, looking back at the massive avalanche which crossed the river and left 15 ft of debris on the road, completely obstructing any view of the other side.

Alas, 3 hours later – just about ½ of the time it had taken us on the approach – we arrived the spot where the journey had begun. The army bus was waiting, Valentin in the front seat responding to our exclamations about the large slide and the importance of being safe in the winter with “It’s normal! Last year same avalanche – but 3 meters taller!!”

As we rumbled our way back towards Karakol, feeling quite a bit more worked than we had originally planned, we laughed aloud at the adventure. Valentin was quiet and obviously exhausted as well – with only enough energy to summon the bus to stop for a fresh pack of cigarettes.

Valentin, our local mountain "expert."

Ichke Jergez Recon - Feb 3-6

2010-02-11T06:25:00.003-07:00

The frame of our boxy, green Soviet-era Lada taxi rattled as we crept our way out of Karakol town. I had the luxury of extra space in the front provided by a seat with a permanent 55 degree lean, not to mention a bit of tilt towards the window…welcomed as a prime perch for scoping the surrounding mountain terrain. Abrie and Ann filled the back seat, which, following proper Kyrgyz ‘share taxi’ protocol, our driver had first insisted on filling with an additional passenger. Had we been more confident that he would have speedily tracked down a lone Ichke Jergez-bound passenger we would have been all for it; but at midday we were quite anxious to make it to our destination. Agreeing to the cost of the extra space, we motivated our departure before the fresh lepeshka breads in our hands had lost any steam. The grand total for the 30km private ride: 200 som, or about $5 – well worth the novelty of the journey in a little green box.

The final stretch towards Ichke Jergez village, nestled against the foothills straight ahead.
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Though we have a hard time believing it still, public marshrutka transport (imagine a Dodge Sprint…after 15 years of heavy usage…stripped of all interior finishing, loaded with seats, outfitted with a few hand-hold bars, and crammed with passengers) from Karakol to Ichke Jergez doesn’t exist. In a country where you can literally make your way anywhere by short bus, it’s share taxi only beyond the first village of Ak Suu. As if Ichke Jergez wasn’t already rural enough, the transport situation means that it is that much further off of anyone’s radars, with the exception of natives and Karakol area locals, of course. For us, it’s a place dreams are made of - the perfect location to focus the efforts of our project.

Not far from the hustle and bustle of contemporary Karakol, a town that is deep in a haphazard chase to reclaim its Soviet-era tourist destination status, Ichke Jergez maintains a calm, agrarian pace that forces you to stop, look around, breathe in the fresh and remarkably crisp mountain air, and appreciate the honesty and the beauty of life as it has persisted in this region for millennia. Women trail simple, metal sleds to bring well water home – for tea, dishes, laundry and the sorts. The same sleds are swiped by village children, who pile on in 2’s, 3’s, or even 4’s and 5’s, and speed down the snow covered route to the village center. Young men ride their proud horses bareback, striking their animals with sticks to encourage a gallop. Husbands and grandfathers tend to their sheep, cattle, roosters and hens, while the babushkas, or grandmothers, meander down the street to a neighbor’s house to pay good friends a visit.

The hill in front of our home in the village; this was where we first clicked in and began our skin into the mountains.

Said multi-use sleds. Nurbek and I actually rallied this thing together down to the center of the village one night under a near-full moon.

Culture. It’s essential to our project…and Ichke Jergez has it. We were inundated with it during our stay and we basked in it: mornings chopping wood; extended tea breaks with endless amounts of fresh apricot, plum, and raspberry jams; filling breakfasts and dinners featuring different variations of the same mutton (including liver and lung), potato, onion and carrot dishes – staple foods for any rural family; Kyrgyz cartoons with the children; nighttime expeditions to the outhouse, past the family’s livestock and the wickedly vicious guard dog; and impromptu language exchanges with the family where we picked up essential phrases like ‘big snow in the mountains’ and they learned ‘have some tea.’ We were the first foreigners that our hosts, Nurbek, Ay Jerken and Babushka, had welcomed into their home. And considering that each night’s stay for 3 provided them with an amount equal to Ay Jerken’s monthly salary as a Kyrgyz teacher in the local school – approximately $20 - our hope is that we won’t be the last.

Gearing up in the courtyard; one of Nurbek's daughters, 'Jasmine,' pictured here to the left.

Our amazing hosts - Nurbek, Babushka and Ay Jerken, left to right.

The morning of our departure into the hills. The whole damn fam was there to see us off.

Location, mountains and access: also essential to the project…and also provided with Ichke Jergez as our base.

For those who have not been following our website or haven’t taken the time to dig too deeply through previous postings, it should be noted that there is considerable intention behind the selection of Ichke Jergez as a potential location for our development efforts. To recap, 30km (1/2 hour or so) to the west is Karakol, home of the Karakol Mountain Ski Base, a resort that was at one time used as a training ground for Soviet ski competitors and is now undergoing a fascinating and successful regenerative process. It’s Kyrgyzstan’s most impressive resort and in its new life the mountain now pulls ski tourists from Kazakhstan, Russia and Europe. Over the past few years the resort (Russian-owned, FYI) has added new lifts, begun developing terrain park features and made plans for future terrain expansions. At this point, it’s the lifeblood of the winter tourism industry for the region…though it’s hard to say if much profit actually trickles down to the community level. Income for those at the top seems good though – good enough that there is talk of another resort development project just 15km to the east, near the village of Kerege-Tash (directly in-between Karakol and Ichke Jeregz). Word on the street this year has it that 15 million Euros are currently sitting in the bank and that ground will be broken on this bigger and better resort sometime in the next year.

Now back to Ichke Jergez: I had first scoped the village’s phenomenal mountain backdrop last January, upon our return from a Jeep ‘tour’ in the direction of the Inylchek Glacier. The trip had occurred at the recommendation of our Karakol-based host, Valentin, who had promised big mountains, lots of snow, and a particular series of switchbacks that could be linked by ski or snowboard. Not exactly psyched with what we found, and given the piles of solidified avalanche debris that blocked the upper stretches of the road, we turned back and accepted the failed expedition as a unique opportunity to scope some remarkable terrain. Upon sight of the stretch of mountains between Ichke Jergez and Sarykamysh villages, we knew that our day’s journey had not been a waste; but as nightfall approached and our return to Bishkek loomed the following morning, we accepted that we’d have to sit on our exploration of the zone until our return in the following year.

Eveningtime view from the lower village, looking to the southeast.

We set our basecamp amidst the spaced trees on the cresent-shaped ridgeline which runs from the center of the photo to the upper right. From camp, we were able to access the upper mountains by skinning to the first major rock outcropping (top right) and then bootpacking from there. The 'cresent' summit approaches 3500m, and that of the aestheitc peak in the distance nears 3600m. We scored the majority of our lines from the first major rock outcropping (top right) down the long spine in the shadows.

And so, February 2-6, 2010 was indeed a momentous occasion: the first opportunity to get into the mountains above Ichke Jergez to see what they are all about. Access from our home-stay location couldn’t have been easier - skins on in the courtyard, skis on in the driveway, a short descent to a bridge crossing, and a mellow and straightforward approach from there, following a route directly up the drainage that is utilized as a logging ‘road’ year-round. For 4-5 kilometers from the village edge, the route is traveled by men on horseback and even tractor - trailing sleighs to ease the return trip with their bounty. The Tien Shan Spruce that is native to the northern faces of this and other ranges in Kyrgyzstan provides a plentiful resource for village building projects, and more importantly, as a fuel for cooking and heating homes. For us, the forested lower faces were appreciated for the nostalgia factor, reminding us of the mountains that we love at home in the Rocky Mountain West. The one thing we weren’t used to: horse shit on the skin track…which provided us with a new definition of the already hilarious term, ‘skid marks.'

The true definition of a multi-use trail. As we later found out, the horseman here was Ay Jerken's brother, heading up into the hills to harvest a bit of firewood.

Our packs from the start weighed anywhere from 35-45 lbs…easily. We had prepared for 4 nights out, with the plan of establishing our basecamp at the site that we had determined as a future lodge location. The exact spot hadn’t been determined, but via map and satellite imagery analysis, and after an initial few days of light physical and photo reconnaissance, we had settled on a general area.

Within 2 ½-3 hours of super manageable skinning via the established logging path we reached the end of the traveled route. From there we plotted an additional climb of about 200m – short, but definitely not easy given a super unsupportive snowpack that collapsed with every step (expect more of this discussion below). And so we ditched our packs in order to set the last bit of trail to camp. We had climbed from 1800m or so from the village edge to just over 2700m. Down and up again to retrieve our packs brought the day’s grand total in elevation gain to just over 1000m…in about 4 hours.

From basecamp it was game-on – in a serious way. The terrain that surrounded us was absolutely mind-blowing. Big mountain stuff. Lines that dropped hundreds of meters. All of it super aesthetic. In no way could our research and recon have prepared us for the immensity of what we found.

Moonset as we enjoyed it each and every morning
.

Beginning our daily climb from camp. The view ahead fueled us, but also fooled us, as the face was just too distant to reach in a single day with a 10am start (light didn't break at camp at 9:45).

The stuff dreams are made of. Ellis, Josh, Andy, Austin - you better be ready for this boys!

View to the W/SW from the near-summit of the 'cresent' feature mentioned above. The high basin beneath the wall in the foreground is one of the villagers' main jailoos, or summer pastures, where they bring their livestock to graze.

Yes, please.

Bootpacking beneath the summit of the 'crescent' peak at about 3,400m. The flat terrain below is the aforementioned jailoo.

View from 3450m, looking SE from the saddle just beyond the summit of the 'cresent' peak. Lines dropping to the E/NE from here looked delicious. We attempted to return to this face the following day to drop a few cornices and learn more about the stability of these aspects, but we were met with ripping winds and unbearable windchills. This was the day that we decided to retreat back to the village - good thing considering it socked in and dumped for the next 3 days straight.

View to the N from the same saddle. Villages can be spotted in the plains below, with the Kungey Alatoo range that forms the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan pictured in the far distance. Abrie and Ann in the top left corner.

Bootpacking my way back up from a sketchy ride (take a closer look). The W/SW aspect was rather mellow (left foreground), dropping to the jailoo mentioned in the above captions. Enormous cracks propagated during my descent, which kept Abrie and Ann at bay at the summit. I radioed from the bottom that it just wasn't worth it, and then began an exhausting solo climb back up.

30cm of enormous baselayer facets...everywhere.

The issue, of course, was the snowpack. Kyrgyzstan’s extreme continental climate makes for a characteristically shallow and volatile snowpack, but this year it had clearly set up in a very scary way. The whumphing and cracking alone made you feel like you were about to soil your drawers, and if that wasn’t enough, consistent pit analyses revealed a 30cm baselayer of enormous facets. Another concern was an 8cm melt-freeze crust and the hoar layer atop of that – a perfect sliding layer for the deep surface freshies. Natural point-release and slab avalanches were prominent on slopes steeper than 30 degrees. What really left us perplexed, though, was the fact that nothing had broken to the ground, and not a single slide had fully propagated or run full path. We guesstimated that the slab crowns were anywhere between 35-40cm, but nothing reached more than 15m across nor did anything run for more than 50-60m. Still, the signs kept us from venturing out onto anything big, and being this remote, we were just fine with playing it safe. We were always pleased at the end of day to return safely to camp to celebrate life and the amazing low-er angle turns that we successfully harvested over a grilled cheese, perhaps a no-bake cookie or two, and a big swig of Bishkek cognac.

So while the shredding was limited this time around, the scope of the terrain and the ease of access – to both the basecamp site and beyond – has left an indelible imprint on our minds. Encouraged by the potential of the site and eager to push the limits a bit further than we did during this first-ever journey up, we are psyched to return to Ichke Jergez once the rest of the crew arrives in March. And if all fails and the weak snowpack persists (which is likely), perhaps we’ll set up camp and hitch joy-rides in the MI-17 helicopter that flies overhead each and every day.

No ski baskets on this chopper, but we can only assume that it was one of the country's various heliskiing operators performing recon over the stretch of mountains from Karakol to Dzerghalan. Each day we laid new tracks above Ichke Jergez they flew closer and closer overhead.

From here we are headed to another rural village called Kaindy in the Chon Kemin valley, a super manageable 2-hour drive from Bishkek, where we will spend the coming week assessing the potential for guided backcountry skiing in Ichke Jergez fashion. Our contacts (horsemen who have been lumbering the surrounding mountains) have reported ~0.6m of snow in the village center and 1-2m in the mountains, so we're stoked.

The Journey Begins

2010-01-29T10:40:00.006-07:00

Ryan and Abrie have arrived in Kirghizia so I, Josh, will temporarily take over the updating and picture posting. Apparently, the amount of snow that has fallen thus far is below average in Kyrgyzstan, but a big storm just came through and we're hoping the month of Feb. will deliver the goods. Ryan sent a few photos to whet your appetite for adventure. From Ryan: " The photos are from Suusamyr, our first expedition out of Bishkek - to a zone that we plan to hit with great fury once all of you guys are here".

Prospective Zones Pt. 3 - Suusamyr

2010-01-19T15:20:00.003-07:00

Below is an archive of Google Earth and Google Maps Terrain screenshots describing the particular ranges, valleys and cirques that we will be exploring in the Suusamyr region, including Too-Ashuu and Ala Bel passes. As much as possible I have included still photography views of the mountains as we discovered them in December '08-January '09. As Ala Bel is going to be a new zone for us this year, we have included a photo taken by another traveler during the summertime.

We plan to provide updates to this posting regularly during our travels. Our goal is to pull in as much information as possible related to:

-access

-relief/vertical drop

-terrain features

-plausible ascent/descent routes

-snow depths and snow conditions

-snow stability

-weather, seasonal weather patterns

-local ecology

-village infrastructure and needs

-locals' relationship to the mountains

-local culture as shaped by the mountains

-locals' interest in winter tourism development

KYRGYZSTAN IS 94% MOUNTAINOUS. No joke. Below is a map of north and north-central Kyrgyzstan, highlighting Chui, Jalal-Abad and Issyk Kol Provinces. Suusamyr is the valley to the SW of Bishkek, above and in between Toktogul Reservoir and Son Kol lake (click to enlarge).

Prospective Zones in the Suusamyr Region, SW of Bishkek

-Including Too-Ashuu and Ala Bel Passes

It has been said that the Kyrgyz Alatoo range, backdrop to Bishkek, 'rises like a wall' in front of you on the drive towards Suusamyr. A cold (or perhaps coal) haze oftentimes softens the view of its 4500m+ summits, but the closer you get, the more they come into focus. The road points into the steep Kara Balta gorge, and after a healthy series of switchbacks reaches the summit of the Too-Ashuu pass - slamming you with distant views of glaciers, snowfields, crags, and scree-covered slopes. And there, at 3600m you enter a portal to another world - a tunnel that spits you out high above the snowbound, and otherwise isolated, Suusamyr valley. To your left and right are bowls of dreams. In front of you is the most miraculous winter view. Drive time from Bishkek? 2.5 hours. Terrain options? A lifetime's worth.

Above: View from the southern edge of the Kyrgyz Alatoo range, looking south across the Suusamyr valley. Not far to the left is the Too-Ashuu Pass and the Too-Ashuu Ski Base, which offers a single lift and slope...not much steeper than 15 degrees. Developed resort skiing is limited, but the backcountry is endless (click to enlarge).

Above: Bowls of dreams, 300+ vertical meters above the road (click to enlarge).

Above: Aerial view of the entire Suusamyr valley. Too-Ashuu pass is the road that leads directly north and over the mountains from the town of Suusamyr. Ala Bel pass is to the west (left) at the head of the narrowest part of the valley.

Above: Summer view looking SW from the Suusamyr valley floor. The photo is an older photo of the Kyrgyz Paragliding Base (www.fly.kg).

Above: Aerial view of the terrain in the background of the preceding photo.

Too-Ashuu

Above: The pass and tunnel (long, straight part) can be seen to the right. The ski base operates on the low-angle N to S-running slope that parallels the road as it straightens out from the switchbacks. The resort 'summit' is accessed via a utility road turnoff at one of the switchbacks (click to enlarge).

Above: Looking west across the Kyrgyz Alatoo. First photo taken from our camp above the Too-Ashuu Ski Base. Second photo taken from the summit of the bowl in the 'Bowls of dreams' photo - less than 2 hours tour from camp. Most faces pictured here are E/NE (click to enlarge).

Ala Bel

The Ala Bel pass is said to be the 'snowier and colder' pass. It is an area that will be new to us in 2010.

Above: Summer view of Ala Bel.

Above: Aerial view of the Ala Bel pass - the summit of which is at the first major bend in westbound 'M41.' The road continues on to Toktogul and is one of the only roads that connects the north of the country with the south in the wintertime; it is therefore heavily traveled year-round (click to enlarge).

TO BE CONTINUED...

Prospective Zones Pt. 2 - Chon Kemin

2010-01-15T15:32:00.006-07:00

Below is an archive of Google Earth and Google Maps Terrain screenshots describing the particular ranges, valleys and cirques that we will be exploring in the Chon Kemin region. As this zone is new to us this year, the only photos included were taken by others... in the summertime.

We plan to provide updates to this posting regularly during our travels. Our goal is to pull in as much information as possible related to:

-access

-relief/vertical drop

-terrain features

-plausible ascent/descent routes

-snow depths and snow conditions

-snow stability

-weather, seasonal weather patterns

-local ecology

-village infrastructure and needs

-locals' relationship to the mountains

-local culture as shaped by the mountains

-locals' interest in winter tourism development

KYRGYZSTAN IS 94% MOUNTAINOUS. No joke. Below is a map of north and north-central Kyrgyzstan, highlighting Chui, Jalal-Abad and Issyk Kol Provinces. Chon Kemin is the valley that runs west-east/east-west, just north of Lake Issyk Kol, along the border with Kazakhstan (click to enlarge).

Prospective Zones in the Chon Kemin Region, NW Corner of Lake Issyk Kol

The Chon Kemin valley isn't far from Bishkek - about 170km or so from the city to the mouth of the valley. From there it rises gradually for a distance of more than 80km, with valley floor elevations ranging from 1400m-2800m. The highest point in the valley is encircled by 4000m+ peaks, and peaks in excess of 3000m-3500m line both sides of the valley from start to finish. To the north is Kazakhstan and the Zailisky Alatoo range, and to the south is Kyrgyzstan's Kungey Alatoo. The high point of the Chon Kemin valley marks the meeting point of the 2 ranges. It is heavily glaciated and oftentimes bears the brunt of significant winter storms, explaining why it has been developed as one of the hottest heli-skiing destinations in Kyrgyzstan come late spring and summer. The lower, north-facing slopes in this region are spotted with swaths of the magnificent Tien Shan Spruce, again contributing to mountainscapes that are very reminiscent of parts of the Central and Canadian Rockies.

The Zailisky and Kungey Alatoo ranges are the first to catch storms after their long travels across the Kazakh steppe and Lake Balkash; thus, snowfall in this region is generally greater than in other parts of Kyrgyzstan. The most popular resort in Kazakhstan, Almaty, is not far (as the crow flies) from Chon Kemin, located in the northerly Zailisky Alatoo.

While a popular destination for trekking, horsepacking, rafting and kayaking in the summertime, the Chon Kemin valley sees barely any traffic in the wintertime. Our interest is in a particular village in the region called Kaindy. It is literally at the end of the winter road, only 170km from Bishkek - gateway to the 80km long Chon Kemin valley to the east and its own micro-range to the south.

Above: Kaindy village (left), at the head of the Chon Kemin valley (click to enlarge).

Above: Kaindy residents' own backyard (click to enlarge).

Above: Alternate perspective on Kaindy village and the micro-range that forms its backdrop. Note the flipped orientation here: Kaindy actually sits along the northern foothills of this range...so in this case left is E and right is W (click to enlarge).

Above: A more intimate view showing the correct orientation of the terrain directly above Kaindy village (left W, right E, up N). The entire U-shaped grouping of features seen at the center of the image is remarkable terrain, better pictured in the Google Earth screenshots below. Much like the terrain behind Ichke Jergez (see Eye Candy Pt. 1), the terrain here is accessible by tour via low-angle valleys that slope right down to the village's edge (click to enlarge).

Above: Again, imagine that you're looking south (left E, right W). The drainage at the center provides longer access to deeper terrain. The terrain to the left is much closer to the village, accessed via a shorter drainage to the east...just out of view. The closer terrain is pictured with greater detail below (click to enlarge).

Above: Typical lower slope in the northern Kungey Alatoo. This photo taken at an unidentifiable location in Chon Kemin. Courtesy of Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism (click to enlarge).

Above: Remind you of Colorado? Chon Kemin region in all of its (summer) glory. Photo also courtesy of KCBTA (click to enlarge).

TO BE CONTINUED...

Prospective Zones Pt. 1 - Karakol Region

2010-01-15T00:11:00.033-07:00

Below is an archive of Google Earth and Google Maps Terrain screenshots describing the particular ranges, valleys and cirques that we will be exploring in the Karakol region, including Altyn Arashan, Ala Kol, and Ichke Jergez. As much as possible I have included still photography views of the mountains as we discovered them in December '08-January '09.

We plan to provide updates to this posting regularly during our travels. Our goal is to pull in as much information as possible related to:

-access
-relief/vertical drop
-terrain features
-plausible ascent/descent routes
-snow depths and snow conditions
-snow stability
-weather, seasonal weather patterns
-local ecology
-village infrastructure and needs
-locals' relationship to the mountains
-local culture as shaped by the mountains
-locals' interest in winter tourism development

KYRGYZSTAN IS 94% MOUNTAINOUS. No joke. Below is a map of north and north-central Kyrgyzstan, highlighting Chui, Jalal-Abad and Issyk Kol Provinces. Karakol is marked on this map (click to enlarge).

Prospective Zones in the Karakol Region, SE Corner of Lake Issyk Kol

-Including Altyn Arashan, Ala Kol Pass, Sarykamysh/Ichke Jergez

Karakol, situated at the base of the northern Terskey Alatoo range, is home to the Karakol Mountain Ski Base, the country's most impressive developing resort. Karakol was a vacationer's paradise during the height of the Soviet Era, and though the recent development of summertime ecotourism programs has reinvigorated Karakol as a destination for trekkers, it is remarkably clear that the town's glory days are a thing of the past. At least for now. The forested northerly faces of the Terskey Alatoo, home to the Tien Shan Spruce, contribute to mountainscapes that are reminiscent of those found in Colorado and British Columbia. Beyond the Karakol Ski Base the mountains stretch for another 65km before meeting the Chinese border. The range is home to Kyrgyzstan's tallest peak, Peak Pobeda (7349m), which is also the most northerly 7000m peak in the world. Plans to develop another winter resort near Karakol have been reported - the area in mind just outside of a village called Kerege-Tash, within 20km of the current Ski Base. We have also heard from a somewhat less reliable, but still valid, source about plans to develop a network of 4 or 5 resorts in the region.

Above: View from the summit of the Karakol Ski Base - looking west, across the Karakol valley (click to enlarge).

Above: Karakol town marked 'A.' The Ski Base is just S/SE of town. Peak Pobeda (7439m) and the massive Inylchek Glacier are visible to the right. All areas discussed below (Altyn Arashan, Ala Kol Pass, Sarykamysh/Ichke Jergez) are also found on this map to the E/SE of Karakol (click to enlarge).

Altyn Arashan

The mouth of the Altyn Arashan valley is just outside of Ak-Suu village, not far from Karakol town. Altyn Arashan is famed for its natural hotsprings and picturesque setting alongside a raging river that flows from the direction of the distant, glaciated Peak Palatka (4260m), at the valley's head. Valentin Derevyanko, our main man in Karakol, owns a makeshift tourism business and wonderful guesthouse called Yak Tours. He is also the proud owner of the only unofficial ski lodge at Altyn Arashan...100 meters from the hotsprings.

Above: Touring back to the lodge at Altyn Arashan following a multi-night expedition to the Ala Kol Pass (see below). Terrain in the background of this photo is accessible by tour from the summit of the Karakol Mountain Ski Base (click to enlarge).

Above: The Altyn Arashan valley runs from the upper midpoint of the image towards the bottom right. The E/NE (right) faces of the pyramid-looking feature near the center of the image are the same faces pictured in the background of the previous photo. The summit of the Karakol Mountain Ski Base is to the left, next to the '-' symbol on the zoom bar (click to enlarge).

Ala Kol Pass

The Ala Kol pass (3860m) is best accessible by tour from Altyn Arashan. The tour from Arashan takes you past the hotsprings toward Peak Palatka, before sending you up a remarkable drainage to the west, deep 'behind' the Karakol Ski Base. The pass features an amazing NE to SE-facing cirque with big walls and plenty of aesthetics.

Above: The remote Ala Kol Pass (3860m), pictured December 2009 (click to enlarge).

Above: Google Earth images of the Ala Kol Pass. The namesake for the pass is the lake on its far side, which is completely frozen over during the wintertime (click to enlarge).

Above: The couloirs above the lake fill in nicely in the deep winter and stay filled in long into the spring (click to enlarge).

Above: Ala Kol and the Ala Kol Pass as viewed on Google Maps. The pass is the left arm of the V-shaped feature near the center of the image. The lake couloirs are in the bottom left corner (click to enlarge).

Above: A more intimate view of the terrain offered off the pass.

Sarykamysh/Ichke Jergez

The villages of Sarykamysh and Ichke Jergez are within 30km of Karakol town. We have proposed these villages as potential sites for ski lodge development.

Above: Sarykamysh and Ichke Jergez can be seen here to the E/NE of Karakol town. The valley directly south of Karakol is the Karakol valley. Altyn Arashan is the valley further to the E (right). If you look closely, you can pick out Ala Kol at its high perch between the two valleys. This view provides a good orientation to the Karakol Mountain Ski Base and its proximity to Ala Kol. Notice the broad, 'upside down ghost'-looking drainage that runs towards Karakol from the peaks above the lake. The slopes dropping N/NE into this broad drainage make up the Karakol Ski Base 'backcountry' terrain. Skiers are shuttled along this aspect by snowmobile from the summit of the highest lift.

Above: The mountain backdrop to Ichke Jergez village (click to enlarge).

Above: An aerial perspective on the terrain directly behind Ichke Jergez. The 'cirque' of summits in the left half of the image can be accessed via low angle slopes directly from the village edge (click to enlarge).

Above: An aerial view of the peaks above Ichke Jergez (click to enlarge).

Above: North faces above Ichke Jergez (click to enlarge).

Above: This wall is also pictured in the shadows of the previous screenshot - it's the ridgeline that leads down to left from the third (lowest) summit back.

Above: Seasonal perspectives - this is the same summit pictured in the foreground of the "North faces above Ichke Jergez" image above (click to enlarge).

Above: An aerial perspective on the terrain directly behind Sarykamysh, also pictured in the distance in the photo below (click to enlarge).

TO BE CONTINUED...

TKP teaser on tour with The Risan Project

2009-12-29T11:21:00.003-07:00

The Risan Project has launched an international multimedia tour to raise awareness of climate change and the praxis of alternative lifestyles. The tour will feature concerts, presenters and film premieres such as Teton Gravity Research's "Generations" and Sweetgrass Productions' "Signatures." TKP will add to the stoke with the premier of our newest cut - a 6-minute adaptation of the first teaser release. Big thanks to Todd Anders Johnson for bringing us on board.
RISAN TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS

TKP Featured in Skiing Magazine, Jan '10: "Documentaries You'll Actually Enjoy"

2009-12-28T12:10:00.017-07:00

Click to zoom on any page

TKP joins Project WOO for Dec 17th fundraiser event in Boulder, CO

2009-11-23T13:53:00.092-07:00

Thursday December 17th at the Avery Brewery warehouse {directions here} or {ride the JUMP east to the Flatirons Golf stop}.

$15 at the door = FREE BEER! for the night. $5 at the door sets you straight with $3.50 pints.

All proceeds will benefit TKP and Project Wave of Optimism (WOO), two like-minded community development initiatives with roots in the Boulder area. Project WOO is a surf-inspired organization that spearheads economic development projects in coastal Nicaragua. TKP is stoked to have joined forces with WOO for the event - both orgs look forward to building awareness and support to advance this unique global movement. http://www.thekyrgyzstanplan.com/ and http://www.projectwoo.org/ for more.

Funky good LIVE MUSIC! courtesy of Fourmile Canyon's own, Farview.

Don't miss the SPONSOR GIVEAWAYS! and CHEAP GEAR! we've got lined up in the silent auction and raffle. See below for a SNEAK PEAK! of the goods. $15 at the door also includes 2 raffle tickets, $5 entry includes 1!! Additional tickets available 1 for $7, 2 for $10.

Stay tuned until Dec 17th for additions as contributions are still coming in...

BCA AVY PACKAGE
Beacon
Shovel
Probe
Pack

BCA PACKS

FLYLOW GEAR

Men's Hardshell Higgins Coat, Size L

Men's Stormshell Magnum Pants, Size L

Lift Hoody, Size S

OSPREY PACKS
Switch 26L

Variant 52L

NEMO EQUIPMENT GOGO EX TENT

2 1/2-lb one man super bivy

22 DESIGNS AXL BINDING

Award winning tele binding, released December '09

ZEAL OPTICS GOGGLES AND GLASSES

Polarized Photochromatic goggle lenses

PLUS SCHWAG, LOTS OF IT!!

Snow Report from Kyrgyzburg!!

2009-11-13T11:46:00.003-07:00

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Russian Dan, www.bigmountaintime.com, Bishkek, KGZ
Date: Fri, Nov 13, 2009 at 3:40 AM

Ryan,
There are a tons of snow crashed on Karakol mountains :)... the season started today.

Teaser Release

2009-09-22T17:46:00.001-06:00

Filmed in brilliant HD. Full screen recommended.

A sampling of the twelve+ hours shot during our Dec 2008 - Jan 2009 expedition to Central Asia. We plan to continue filming in Kyrgyzstan through the 2010 winter season. Feature release scheduled for August/September 2010.

Co-produced By:

Ellis Smith, Blacksmith Productions, Fort Collins, CO USA

Ryan Koupal, Squeak of a Pika Productions, Boulder, CO USA

Music and Motion Graphics By:

Toby Hendricks, Dead Space Volume Design, Fort Collins, CO USA

TKP Part Deux

2009-09-21T09:38:00.000-06:00

20 January - 20 April 2010

AAC Breaking Barriers Grant Application - Keeping The Plan Alive

2009-03-22T12:39:00.000-06:00

Learn more about the Breaking Barriers Grant here.

Application abstract, submitted March 13, 2009:

HUMANITARIAN OBJECTIVE: (Succinct and concise discussion of importance, need, continuity, 300-400 words). The humanitarian objective must be reasonable, and sustainable. Objectives that continue after implementation will receive the highest level of consideration. Focus the objective to affect the greatest human change.

The overarching goal of The Kyrgyzstan Plan is to inspire the establishment of a new model of winter tourism in Central Asia—one that employs existent resources and is attainable, eco-friendly, and hugely impactful at the community level.

With a nomadic yurt-dwelling population, a topography that is 94% mountainous, a surprisingly consistent continental snowpack, and a growing Russian and European tourist base that has already been lured in by the resort and heli-skiing experiences that are currently offered, the Kyrgyz people have at their fingertips all of the necessary resources to implement an enormously successful yurt-based backcountry skiing program.

Given the proper support in infrastructure development and education, the proposed idea will present rural Kyrgyz families, mountain guides, and travel agencies with a viable off-season solution for income and livelihood. This initiative is not just needed, but realistic and completely sustainable.

The main draw for the formative years of the program will be avalanche training and backcountry travel courses offered mostly to the growing population of Russian and European ski tourists. These courses would be taught by certified guides, most likely from the United States. By the second or third year, the idea is to integrate local guides from Kyrgyz ski resorts and mountaineering associations once they have the training and mentored field experience that they need.

Ultimately, the goal is to establish the program in cooperation with the Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism Association, pairing trained local guides with semi-nomadic families, so that they can run a sustainable yurt-stay/ski touring facility that will be part of a country-wide network. Of the ~5 people it would require, 1-2 would guide and the other 2-3 would manage the “hospitality” side of the business: maintaining the yurt, introducing guests to Kyrgyz cultural traditions, sharing culinary techniques and preparing meals with/for the guests.

On the global scale, the project will help define the growth of Kyrgyzstan’s budding ecotourism industry, enhancing the progressive and “eco” image of low-impact, self-driven exploration of the backcountry.

It is our goal and intent to employ the resources made available through the ZMBB Grant to get this program off the ground.

At this point, we are over 1 year into our preparations. With most of the necessary research and reconnaissance addressed during the winter of 2008-09, and having built a strong community of important in-country contacts, we have a strong foundation from which we can leap forward.

ALPINE OBJECTIVE: (A concise and definitive statement of the objective, purpose, scope, etc. 200-300 words) The alpine objective should focus on climbing and exploration but need not be at the leading edge of climbing or alpinism.

It has been said that travel within Kyrgyzstan “isn’t always as easy as it may seem on a map.”

With 94% of the land within its borders covered by the north and south branches of the Tian Shan Mountain Range, peaks that rise well above the 7000-meter mark, and a fantastic history as a former Soviet Republic that only “opened” to non-communist travelers in 1991, Kyrgyzstan is the ideal destination for an expedition that looks to break barriers in terms of remote mountain travel and first ascents and descents.

Over the course of our travels in 2008-09, we noted a wide variety of zones that have never before been explored on skis.

Though the humanitarian and development focus of the expedition takes precedence over the alpinism focus, we plan to pioneer and establish a number of alpine travel routes in a variety of different ranges, including: the Kyrgyz Alatoo above the Suusamyr Valley, the Kungey Alatoo along the Kyrgyz-Kazakh border, and the Terskey Alatoo in the Karakol region.

Most areas that we will plot for guided skiing will be between 3,000-4,000 meters in elevation, allowing for great access to more remote, technical objectives. In further establishing the program, our goal is to target both tourists who are looking for an introductory backcountry experience, and also those who are seeking a more technical ski mountaineering experience.

2009-03-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Teaser slideshow for the upcoming documentary release.

Bringing it to a close at Tor-Ashuu

2009-01-22T02:40:00.000-07:00

Images are huge. Click on through for full view.

Look closely. Elrod is shredding the foreground.

Tired. No, exhausted. It's been a long 7 days since the last post. Our status? Out from the mountains...warming in Bishkek's early spring-like weather and preparing to head home. We're done braving long and restless sub-zero nights. We're over the startle of waking up to frosty condensation crystals flaking off the tent walls onto our faces. We're happy to have cotton against the skin. We're gulping water that's fresh, cold, and readily available - without floaters from the previous night's soup-making session in the snowmelt. We're recovering from the intense high elevation sun that - no matter the amount of sunscreen worn - wouldn't lay off the inside of our nostrils. We're being thanked by each other and all around us for having bathed. We're craving some dins other than fried sausage, pasta, and ketchup. We're ready to kick it past our mountaintime bedtime of 9pm.

All of this said, there's no doubt that come another day or two, we'll be craving it all again. We'll be tripped out in the airport in Moscow, or Frankfurt, or Chicago, or Denver: Where's that fried sausage? It tasted so damn good. And the Suusamyr Valley sunrise? That lavender glow was so damn beautiful. No staring down never-before-skied lines? That game was so damn exhilarating, and those mountains were so damn giving. No playing beneath Kyrgyzstan's deep bluebird skies? Well...we are lucky to call Colorado home.

Above are a handful of images from our most recent stint in the magical zone of the Kyrgyz Alatoo called Tor-Ashuu. Captions will come for all photos sometime in the next few weeks, as will a post that'll bring The Kyrgyzstan Plan full circle, explaining in greater detail how our explorations during this 6-week expedition have laid a solid foundation for helping to develop the future of backcountry skiing and riding in Kyrgyzstan.

Also, keep an eye on the blog for additional information regarding the documentary release covering the story of The Kyrgyzstan Plan, scheduled to make it through the post-production phase by mid-to-late summer 2009.

A BIG thanks to all of our sponsors who helped to make this 1st installment of The Kyrgyzstan Plan possible:

Prior is a Whistler, BC-based ski, snowboard, and splitboard manufacturer that specializes in hand-crafted boards that simply kill it. Beautiful boards & beautiful rides. Pete Wagner with Wagner Skis is a Telluride, CO-based manufacturer who produces skis that are custom to a T. The boards that he built Brian - the original 3rd member of The Kyrgyzstan Plan - feature the design of the Kyrgyz coat of arms on the topsheet and are, I'd say, some of the pimpest looking boards in the world. Osprey is a Cortez, CO-based manufacturer that stays true to it's involvement in positive-minded and progesssive expeditions...and their packs are hands-down the most comfortable on the market. On this trip, we've been super impressed by the Variant Series. Get one. Backcountry Access is a Boulder, CO-based manufacturer specializing in bomber avalanche safety gear. Let it be said that BCA needs to tap into the Russian market...because as far as we can tell, Russian "freeriding" translates into "taking huge chances in the backcountry." Zeal Optics is also a Boulder, CO-based manufacturer that specializes in goggles and sunglasses with optics that are downright impressive. Loki is a Grand Junction, CO-based manufacturer that deserves to have a hold on the outerwear market with designs that are innovative and so goddamn functional. If you don't know about the Loki Mitt feature, you better check it out. Nemo is a New Hampshire-based tent manufacturer that was started by an engineer and graduate of RISD. Need we say more? These tents are innovative as hell. Flylow is a Denver, CO-based manufacturer that specializes in outerwear with good fit and impressive style. Raw Indulgence is a New York State-based producer of Raw Revolution organic live food bars. Even if you're not looking for an alternative to Clif or Luna, you've got to get your hands on some Raw Rev bars...especially the Spirulina-Cashew or Chocolate-Coconut flavs. Wingnut Gear is also a New York State-based manufacturer that's leading it when it comes to innovative pack and expedition support products that incorporate unique solar panel and power storage technologies. Last, but not nearly least, is Ellis Smith of Blacksmith Productions - the other 1/2 of The Kyrgyzstan Plan. Ellis bases his backcountry ski and snowboard film production company out of Fort Collins, CO. Why Fort Collins? It's a secret...and you don't deserve to know.

To all those who have signed on as followers of The KP blog, many thanks for your support. There's no doubt that we'll be keeping it alive long into the future as we continue to push ahead with the project. We're stoked to have pulled over 1500 visits on the blog thus far, from every continent except for Africa...and that's something that I'm working on...getting the word out to some of my homeboys in Senegal.

As we were told by a local in Karakol, there is a popular anecdote about Kyrgyzstan that goes something like this (told, as much as possible, as it was recited to us): "Once there was a time when all people lived on the same contintent. All ethnicities living together. But then there were some problems. People saw differences in their religions, their thoughts, and they looked to God and said, 'Please, God, give us our own land.' And God said,'OK, Japanese over here, Russians over here, French over here, Americans over here...' Then, everyone was happy. 'Thank you, God, thank you.' But the Kyrgyz - you know, because they are traditionally nomadic people - weren't happy with the land they were given. All other ethnicities had settled their land and they were making money and things, but not the Kyrgyz. Their tradition was to live the nomadic life. So they again looked to God and said, 'God, we're not happy with the land you gave us.' God looked at the Earth, thought and thought and finally said, 'Sorry, there is no more land to give.' And the Kyrgyz people were very sad. And then, God thought and thought some more and finally spoke again, 'OK, Kyrgyz people, you can have my garden.'"

God's Garden. Kyrgyzstan. Kirghizia. A remarkable place indeed.

Wolves!

2009-01-16T00:06:00.000-07:00

"Look, Mister, you cannot go to that place. You will be eaten by wolves." A lone Kyrgyz guest sat across the table from Sabyrbek, anxious to make direct eye contact with the two crazy Americans who were dead-set on heading to live for a week in the mountains of the remote Suusamyr region. The guest spoke up, and Sabyrbek turned to us with a translation: "This man, he is from the countryside. He is a hunter. He says that the wolves will eat you." I looked at the man. He looked at Sabyrbek. I looked at Ellis. This was something we hadn't considered.

"Do you have a gun?" Sabyrbek asked. "No...we have splitboards. And ice axes. And a tripod." The hunter spoke again. "It's love-making season. He says many wolves will be together, not just one. One is OK...but many will be a problem for two American boys." More words from the hunter. "He says you should wait until February 22."

February 22 wasn't an option - it was January 12, and our flight out of Kyrgyzstan was scheduled for January 25. We had thought about all of the possible things that could go wrong in Suusamyr: Plunging off the edge of a 3856m pass in a shared taxi with a rowdy local driver; losing a few toes, fingers, or a nose to an average winter minimum of -25; taking some big chances in big terrain. Getting eaten by wolves had not made the list. Sabyrbek and the hunter continued with their exchange. They took turns shaking their heads. a sure sign that they were stressing over our plans. The word "crazy" also showed their disapproval.

And then - with an "Aha!" - Sabyrbek turned quickly in our direction. The hunter also looked up. Had he just remembered the spare handgun stashed upstairs? Had the hunter lined up a friend to join us on our mission? Not exactly...but what was about to come out of his mouth was even better yet: "Fireworks!!" he said with great expression, and he held out his hands as if he were shooting a Roman Candle. "Yes, fireworks. You will get some in the morning."

So we woke up early: 7:30am, with an hour and a half to track down Roman Candles before catching our taxi to Bishkek's western bus station. But in our early morning mind space, the thought of rushing around in search of fireworks to protect us from the wrath of a pack of hungry wolves seemed ridiculous. We've got splitboards, we confidently reminded ourselves. And besides, the man who had inspired the concern was from the countryside - a hunter, and with cattle no doubt. Of course he spat stories of crazed and hungry wolves. We're in this for the adventure...and if it's wolves that the adventure is going to throw at us, then "Bring it on" is our response.

By quarter after 9:00, our shared taxi had filled. As our splitboards were being fastened perpendicularly across the roof rack with twine, I turned to Ellis and asked - half-jokingly, half-seriously - "Do Audis rally in snow?" "Hell yes," was the response. "My buddy rages his Audi wagon all over CO."

And with that, we were off - west out of Bishkek towards Kara Balta, where we would turn for the road that climbs to the summit of the great Tor-Ashuu pass at the crest of the mighty Kyrgyz Alatoo range. A low fog hung above the valley. "Inverted," we said to ourselves...fingers crossed. Outside, Kyrgyzstan flew by: Baby blue and olive green houses with leaning picket fences and ruffled tin roofs; heavy steel Gyspy-like trailers; mosques with glittering, metallic domes; Russian Orthodox cathedrals; streetside cafes; piles of coal; horses trailing wooden sleighs; children on sleds.

The heat was cranking. Fingers were still crossed. We prayed for clear skies, and as we turned to the south at Kara Balta, our prayers were answered with a break in the inversion and an in-your-face glimpse of the peaks of the Kyrgyz Alatoo. It was at once awe-inspiring and gut-wrenching - dramatic as all hell...with a relief that resembles that of the Tetons on the Jackson side, but a bit dry for our liking. Though disheartening at first, we quickly let go of our worries by reciting the words of a few previous wintertime travelers in Kyrgyzstan: "Don't worry if there's little snow on the climb to Tor-Ashuu. The other side of the pass might as well be in a different range, oftentimes boasting an 80-inch base." The skies had cleared, but we crossed our fingers again anticipating the deep powder that had been promised by every single person who uttered the words "Tor-Ashuu" and "Suusamyr."

Just below 3500m, we saw that the road, which continued to switchback to the full height of the original Tor-Ashuu pass, had been updated within the past few years with a tunnel. And so it was. We entered a dark portal that would transport us to the other side...a dark portal that would transport us to the place of our dreams. Fingers were still crossed, and by this point, we were also holding our breath.

At the point where we were sucked in, this epic place called Tor-Ashuu was bare, windswept, and though dramatic, uninspiring for powder hounds. 2km later - where we were spit out - we had officially entered The White Room. Blower terrain. Massive bowls crested with picture-perfect cornices. Down ahead of us lay the Suusamyr Valley, and to all sides stretched endless snowbound ranges. Like kids in a candy store, we wrestled about to catch the best views of the surrounding terrain from the car windows. We let out massive sighs of relief. Paradise had been found.

We had planned for 6 nights out. With us was everything we needed to make it through to see the 7th day: Our Nemo 2-man expedition tent, sleeping bags rated for brutal conditions, stoves that we'd fire up with Iso-Butane Propane gas picked up in Bishkek, and a slew of locally-purchased food rations including oats, raisins, flatbreads, cheeses, dried soups, (huge) sausages, pastas, and ketchup - yes, ketchup - to use as pasta sauce.

We set camp at 3400m, just above the hilarious "ski base" of Tor-Ashuu, which boasts a single lift accessing a 1-km 10-15 degree groomer. In line with the goals of our project, we're interested in scoping the terrain that's within reach of Kyrgyzstan's already "developed" resorts. This one, Tor-Ashuu, is rumored to be a Korean-Kyrgyz joint operation...explaining, to some degree, the huge loudspeakers outside of the main "lodge" which blare cheesy techno beats and the spotlight that they swirl in the night sky above this remote valley on choice occasions - signaling a powder day, perhaps.

The terrain here is hard to describe. "Endless" is one word that works well. "Untouched" is another. And though abused enough already on this blog, those are undoubtedly the 2 most fitting words that come to mind when talking about this place and its potential. What we're talking about is this: 25-40+ degree powder-coated faces - some dropping from the heights of mighty cirques, others dropping from lower ridges, and still others featuring pillow lines that run through super aesthetic rock gardens. The snowpack: well-set and begging to be ridden.

A short half-hour skin from our camp is a shot we dubbed "The Kitchen Window" - a consistent 400m, 35 degree slope that pinches through rocks at the top before opening up into a luscious, clean and clear powder apron. An hour-long skin puts you atop voluminous bowl that mimics Jackson's Little Tucks. And from there, the choices are - if you'll again stomach the word - endless. All of this within 3 hours of Bishkek by road.

While the second half of Day 1 and all of Day 2 were full of setting skin tracks, exploring, shredding, shooting and filming, Day 3 had something different in store. A storm ripped in to close out the skies by early morning, and by the time the oatmeal, raisin, and honey breakfast ritual had been wrapped up, we were socked in - tent-bound for the day...holed up with an MP3 player with a single set of headphones, some playing cards for some Rummy, and a water-logged, but tasty, bar of chocolate.

In a tree-less and exposed region like Suusamyr, white-out storm cycle conditions are something that you don't want to brave. And let it be said that the human condition resulting from a solid 24 hours in the tent is also something scary.

And so on Day 4, waking up to find the storm still raging, we made the tough decision to retreat back to Bishkek. Camp had just been set a few days earlier, and the prime terrain had been plotted, but to save ourselves and our freezing fingers and toes - and to let the new snow set up - we decided to duck out. Hitchhiking in Kirghizia. It's a trip.

Today, the 16th, we're feeling good, rested, and well-fed...ready to head back to the same site to continue with what we started. If you're interested, here's where we'll be playing for the next week straight:

Signing out...

Mid-Point Synop

2009-01-11T02:02:00.000-07:00

Mid-point synopsis of the trip, written for the Prior Flyer during the first week of January. Photos follow in the post below.

Two and a half weeks into The Kyrgyzstan Plan. We've stood before gnarly glaciated peaks, endless cirques, and spines that have made our legs tingle. We've slashed hidden alleyways and toured in search of aesthetic lines. We've had snow beneath our feet and the bite of a -30 windchill ripping at our faces. We've come to know the mountains of this far-out place, and we've come to know the place itself at a surprisingly intimate level...especially considering our illiteracy when it comes to the Russian and Kyrgyz languages. Through the kindness of a handful of locals, we've learned to navigate the wild story that is Kyrgyz history and culture, and we've learned how to fend for ourselves to make even the simple things flow in an environment where we're oftentimes caught in an eddy to the side. We know where to find the warm bread in the daily market, where to find the man who sells the wicked good goat hamburgers, and how to greet the locals who are streetside selling apples, sunflower seeds, and the hottest Russian pop CDs. We're inspired by a place where practicality rules - where dustings of light powder are swept using a bundle of twigs, where shovels for the bigger dumps are crafted from wood, and where simple metal sleds are used to tow firewood and water pails towards home down icy alleyways. Each day, Kyrgyzstan teaches us something new. And each day, we embrace another answer to the question of why we've come this far.

It is the unknowns that have inspired The Plan from the beginning and continue to inspire us now that we're here. The first question we faced in pulling this trip together was regarding the posse: Who was in for the epic adventure? Who was going to make a solid expedition crew that could handle rough travel, remote big mountain riding...and the vodka that was scheduled to be free-flowing from New Years straight through the Russian Orthodox Christmas on the 7th? The invite was one that many wanted to jump on, and after a few email exchanges and a splitboard.com forum posting, we had lined up a solid threesome. Then, one week before departure, we were hit with a big slump that promised to up the ante as far as the unknowns go: 1 of the 3 team members, Brian, had to bail, leaving Ellis and I as the last men standing. The culprit attributed to this wicked kink: the economic crisis that took everyone by thew neck this fall. With Brian's company considering a possible downsize, they came out to say that he'd likely lose his job were he to take off for more than Christmas week.

2 seemed impossible at first - really compromising the safety and the ambition of our proposed mountain travels, and definitely throwing a curveball into the thorough work we had outlined for ourselves in documenting our journey and project in film format. We tried hard to fill the spot for a day or two, but soon threw the white flag high into the air, surrendering to the fact that the whole switch-up was going to be a logistical nightmare. Brian's ticket was non-transferable, expedited visas for the newcomer would be heavily taxed, and the overall 6-week time frame was difficult for most people to work with. Ellis and I had to buck up. There was no turning back this late in the game. "We'll go, and we'll kill it...and we'll have to stay smart to stay safe." That was the attitude that we had to maintain.

And so we were off, taking the next giant leap as a twosome: getting our asses into the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Most North American airlines don't have routings that will get you anywhere close. Denver-Chicago-Frankfurt-Moscow was it. From there, we had the choice between a few obscure airlines - like Tajik, Kyrgyz, and Aeroflot - who run infrequent flights to Bishkek, another 5 hours away.

Do 2 mountain men from Colorado stand out in Moscow...and in Kyrgyzstan? Absolutely. Our mustard yellow backpacks, red and green puff coats, and beanies are islands of light in the black sea that is Russian and Kyrgyz fashion.

Once we hit Bishkek, it was confirmed that we were fish out of water. We tossed around an ugly mix of Russian and Kyrgyz basic greetings and civilities, pointed at Cyrillic menus with fingers crossed, and found our synthetically-clad asses enshrouded by leather and fur. It didn't take long to get our bearings, though, and we were soon confidently after it - starting to fill out the many holes that we had dug to fill through the realization of The Kyrgyzstan Plan. We began by filling our days as smartly as we could, tracking down as many local English-speaking operators as possible in pursuit of additional beta regarding the mountains and the snowpack that each range offers. Our best contact was Slava Alexandrov, a Russian who's father was in the Soviet military, first inspiring him to fire up uber-huge MI-17 military choppers for heli-skiing in Kyrgyzstan. Slava guided us in a few promising directions with stories and pictures of big mountains, steep lines, and promising snow.

The info was good, no doubt. The photos he threw at us were tasty, and the stories he recited in his Russki-English echoed the popular anecdote that Kyrgyzstan is the "Switzerland of Central Asia"..."Paradise"..."God's garden." A region called Suusamyr - 3 to 4-hours by Jeep from Bishkek, accessed via the 3586m Tor Ashuu Pass - was his main plug. "If you want good first impression, you go to Suusamyr." These were his parting words. But for the two of us, coming with mountain and avy training, experience, and knowledge that we have from our years riding in the Central Rockies, we knew we had other things to take into consideration...historical and current weather models being key. With forecast maps for Suusamyr claiming close to 50-100cm/week consistently over the previous 3 weeks, it'd would have been unwise not to stick to continental snowpack protocol, letting the new snow set up. It was clear that despite Slava's esteemed position as the man for skiing in Central Asia, it just couldn't possibly be true that the avalanche season in Kyrgyzstan stretches "only September-October and March-April," especially in an area like Suusamyr, where the terrain sits entirely above treeline, high and exposed.

So we stuck to our guns to make the best decisions in this far-out and decided to head over to former Soviet vacationers' paradise of Karakol, which had been getting steady but less precipitation. The peaks of the Terskey Alatoo range rise to heights greater than 5000-7000m just south of town, and our hope was to find snow that would be prime for some big mountain riding. Following an early morning visit to the local (and rowdy) livestock market, we headed up to the Karakol Ski Base to sample some lift access terrain and to scope possible backcountry zones. The scene at the base was reminiscent of any Colorado resort parking lot, with Europeans and Russians bumping foreign techno music as they prepared for a day of shredding. It was a major plus that they were all rocking in-your-face dayglow and those jester hats from the early 90s. And the comedy didn't stop on our way to the lift, where we found a full-on Ushanka hat stand, featuring close to 50 different styles of leather hats with fox and wolf linings and accents. They were super stylie...wouldn't really fit beneath our helmets, but we decided to try on a few to really understand why Ushankas are all the rage.

The terrain at the Karakol Ski Base, and especially out of bounds, really blew our minds - endless...with plenty of opportunities for big, untouched lines. With a whack snowpack of 50 plus centimeters of faceted depth hoar with maybe 12 to 15 cm of fluff on top, though, we had to dig around to find the safe and rideable stashes. We managed to find some decent snow on certain aspects, and ran some good tree shots, but spent a good portion of the day laying it out on the groomers.

Our sights were set at the next valley to the east, having been told of deeper snow and seriously out-there and uncharted stashes by our Ukranian guesthouse owner, Valentin. A mechanic by trade, Valentin styled us out with a rowdy military Jeep tour up into the valley, where we made our base at his cabin at close to 2800m. Little did we know, we had stumbled into a full-on backcountry ski lodge operation, with a fire always raging in the cabin, hearty soups simmering on the stove, yak steaks roasting in the oven, and natural hot springs scattered everywhere along the river at the heart of the valley.

After a few days touring from the cabin, we headed up for an extended tour, with our objective being the Ala Kol region and a pass which sits just below 4000m. We set our basecamp just above treeline, in a sheltered cove with dramatic and craggy peaks rising on all sides. Touring to nearby ridges on the first day out, we scoped the prime riding further up the drainage, easily reached via a 3-hour tour. We went for it the next day. Big mountains, endless riding, and picture-perfect high cirques and spines. Though higher and undoubtedly more blower, the snowpack we encountered on our ascent of the pass had similar characteristics to that which we found near the Ski Base: unconsolidated hoar that was very unsupportable for travel. Downright scary...and at least 4-5 days out on foot were something to go wrong. With collapsing slopes, shooting cracks, and huge fractures scaring the living shit out us, we made the tough decision to let off of the big terrain and keep our riding confined to exposed 30 degree shots and lower glades. Though not what we had envisioned, the 500-800m descents that we harvested featured great knee-to-thigh deep celestial Tian Shan powder.

Traveling into unknown mountains with little to no knowledge of the snowpack is part of the game when it comes to splitboarding in remote international ranges. Sometimes you'll hit it right and find perfect conditions that open up any and all aspects to first descents; other times, you have to take what the mountain gods throw at you and get after it as reasonably and safely as possible.

We're psyched to be keeping it real, keeping the free-spirit alive, and in one piece...ready to greet whatever it is the next day will bring in this land of incredible unknowns.

Images from God's Garden

2009-01-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Captions to come when we have the time. In Bishkek for a night...heading out in search of the goods in the Suusamyr region tomorrow a.m.

On standby

2008-12-29T22:45:00.001-07:00

Here in Karakol. Internet is unreliable. Technical difficulties will keep us from posting for another 9 days or so, when we return from the hills.

Until next year...

Ryan and Elrod

Oh, and did we mention that it's nuking?

2008-12-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

The ball:it's rolling

2008-12-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

"Luxurious yurtas?!" Asylbek Rajiev, reservation manager for the Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism Association, was digging through the web pages of Pacific Yurts and the Colorado Yurt Company, which I pointed him to as references. He immediately clicked through to the "pricing calculator" on the CYC site. His mouse hovered above the diameter selection tool. 30-foot...click: $9,385. His eyes lit up in surprise. 20-foot...click: $6,670. 27-foot...click: $8,430. He closed the calculator.

The photo gallery was next. I cringed, a bit embarrassed. Yurts with jacuzzi tubs. Yurts with gas-burning stoves. Yurts with refrigerators. Yurts with elegant light fixtures. Yurts with couches.

I had to explain that these were unusually nice yurts - those built as homes...and not for your average Western "nomad." "The yurts that we use in the mountains," I explained, "are very simple...not the luxurious type."

The photos weren't helping. He pulled up a picture of a yurt with a bar. Two yurts connected by a dining room extension. A yurt with a king size bed with lace accents.

Suddenly, he struck the money photo...and it spoke a thousand words:

THIS, Asylbek, is why we're here. (Well, we're actually here to heat it up quite a bit more than shows in this picture...but you get the idea.) THIS is why we're standing in your office...in Kyrgyzstan...half-way around the world...armed with splitboards, a thick stack of topo maps, a 3-ring binder representing many months of research, a weather log documenting the accumulated snowfall for the region since early November, and, of course, cameras poised and ready to document this adventure and tell this story.

THIS is it: An idea that utilizes Kyrgyzstan's existent resources in the promotion of a new model of winter tourism - one that would so necessarily compliment the commercial "ski base" and helicopter skiing models that are taking hold, with the promise to generate income opportunities at the local level.

THIS is a viable off-season solution for many rural Kyrgyz families, mountain guides, and the agencies that have, since the beginning, stuck to their guns to promote grassroots, community based programs.

The picture spoke a thousand words, and it inspired a few from Asylbek in return: "I have never seen this before. An interesting idea."

Immediately, he began shuffling through photos, setting some aside and pulling me over to a map to pinpoint the approximate locations of the mountain valleys pictured. He was inspired to share with me information on all possible locations for this type of program development - areas with promising terrain and relatively good access...areas where current CBT yurt-stay and horse trekking operations completely shut down for the long and cold stretch of November to April.

We talked about places like the high Suusamyr Valley, which - despite its proximity to Bishkek (4 hrs. or so over the 3,500-ft+ Tor Ashuu Pass) - is one of the more underdeveloped and lesser-visited areas in all of Kyrgyzstan. We talked about Chon Kemin, a stunning 80-km long alpine valley that divides Kyrgyzstan's Kungey Alatoo and Kazakhstan's Zailisky Alatau ranges...a site that Asylbek says may be in the running for a new resort development funded by yet another Russian tycoon. We talked about Karakol on the southeast side of Lake Issyk-Kol, and Arslanbob in the south, outside of Jalal-Abad, both of which are a small step ahead as far as winter tourism goes. Finally, we talked about the western reaches of the Terskey Alatoo range near Kochkor, and specifically, Kol Ukok, an alpine lake tucked beneath steep mountain slopes...which literally translates into English as "lake in a chest."

By the end of our conversation, Asylbek was amped. He turned to me and said, "You know, if we don't try, we'll never know." I told him that in the States, we say: "If you build it, they will come." He retaliated with a Kyrgyz saying: "No offer, no demand."

So here is word that the ball is rolling...and that all remains hopeful as we push ahead with The Kyrgyzstan Plan.

We're off tomorrow - finally headed out and into the environment for which we came. Our first stop: Karakol, at the foot of the mighty Terskey Alatoo mountains. We're jonesing to get out and away from it all, but we'll do our best to post our revised January itinerary before we head out to reap the goods on our first self-sustained 10-day tour.

In the meantime, enjoy the images below, documenting a few of this week's most significant interviewees - those who have been key to helping us lay a foundation for this project here in Bishkek.

Ellis gearing up for interview number one: Anar Orozobaeva, Executive Director of Kyrgyzstan Community Based Tourism Association (KCBTA).

Slava Alexandrov, owner of Edelweiss Travel Company and Kyrgyzstan heli guide.

You don't say

2008-12-23T08:05:00.001-07:00

Lonely Planet's list of top 10 countries to visit in 2009:

1. Algeria
2. Bangladesh
3. Canada
4. Georgia
5. Greenland
6. Kyrgyzstan
7. Oman
8. Peru
9. Rwanda

That's #6...only because it's in alphabetical order.

Do we get props for being here in 2008...and the first 2 travelers n 2009?

Full article can be found here.

A few images from the day

2008-12-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

A sunny Sunday in Bishkek.

In search of Slava

2008-12-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

"If you are skiing or riding in Kyrgyzstan, you MUST get in touch with Slava."

7:30am. Second day in Bishkek. Still dark...at least 1/2 hour until daybreak. Winter Solstice is still a few days off. I suit up in the same outfit that I've been wearing since I left home, and shuffle into the empty kitchen of Sabyrbek's ramshackle house. I'm lucky to have found an informal home-stay - very modest, very comfortable, very welcoming - and I couldn't be happier.

Sabyrbek says that he began opening his home to passers-through more than a decade ago when a Swiss diplomat humbly asked if he could stay the night. These days - mid-winter - I've got the place to myself, with the family of course. There are few travelers who make the journey into Kyrgyzstan this time of year...and that's, in large part, why I'm here.

I pass a massive charcoal-on-canvas portrait of Sabyrbek's father, which hangs on the wall along the main corridor. He was a writer - famous for his narratives documenting inter-ethnic and other struggles faced by the people of Kyrgyzstan. It's a powerful image, indeed.

A cold, 3-ft fluorescent bulb clings to the wall of the kitchen, lighting this important social space, where the night before I sat around the table with the family talking about a hodgepodge of things - like life in the Soviet Era and the success of Bush's War on Terror in protecting this hospitable Central Asian capital from the influences of radical Islam.

Deep shelves above the kitchen table hold a mess of papers, ditched guidebooks, and photocopies of topographical maps. Just about everything is in French, German, or Norwegian, as those are the nationalities accounting for the majority of summertime visitors.

There are a few maps that seem relevant to our projected mountain travels. I pull them down, and glance outside, still surprised that even by 8:00am, light is still a quarter-hour away.

A small, stainless steel teapot lives at the center of the table. Here in the north of Kyrgyzstan, tea is served by diluting a third-cup over-steeped concentrate with straight boiled water, then mixed with sugar and maybe even a small slice of lemon. Bread and butter seem to accompany any conversation, or make up any midday, nighttime, or early morning snack.

To the Kyrgyz, "Bread is life" - never to be wasted or treated with disrespect.

8:15am - A cold, blue-grey light overtakes the darkness outside. The five inches of snow that fell two nights before still clings to the branches, and it has just begun to slide from the roof of the yurt-like structure in the backyard. Though Kyrgyzstan's weather is generally characterized by a continental climate that is cold, dry, and sunny in the winter (with an average of 250-300 days of sunshine per year), the months of November and December in Bishkek are oftentimes socked-in under a layer of low-hanging clouds.

During my first few days here, the clouds hang as forecasted - preserving the snow in a perfect cold and unaffected state.

With powder on the mind, I recall the mission for the day. "You MUST get in touch with Slava." So I head out - Razzakova 21 to Usenbayev 68/9...just a few blocks away.

Ducking through a nondescript gate, I emerge into an inner courtyard, where I see a pair of skis tacked to the fence. Parked in an adjacent lot is a fleet of heavy-duty military trucks tagged with "Edelweiss Travel Company" on the driver-side doors - not your average expedition vehicles...but for Kyrgyzstan, it makes sense.

Slava is the man when it comes to skiing in Kyrgyzstan...or at least, that's the image that he upholds. He's a short Russian bloke - somewhat hard to read (my experience with most Russians), but very generous with his time and with plentiful information on Kyrgyzstan's secret stashes.

Slava's father was in the Soviet military, stationed in Kirgizia - as the republic was known under the USSR - meaning that he's been around these parts for countless years. It was over a decade ago, in fact, that he instigated a helicopter skiing program based out of Bishkek, utilizing Soviet-era M-17 high-altitude choppers to access distant reaches of the Kyrgyz and Terskey Ala-Too ranges.

He has photos on his walls of him, his family, and his friends skiing above the Suusamyr Valley. The most spectacular shot is a panorama exposing the high mountain terrain that sits between the Ala Archa and Alamedin Gorges, just south of Bishkek. The centerpiece behind his desk is a raised relief map of Kyrgyzstan that affects some sort of unconscious reaction in me, pulling me to reach out and FEEL the extreme physicality of this place.

All of this said, it doesn't take long for me to intuit that Slava and his European clientele don't quite "get after it" in the mountains as we're used to in the West. Nonetheless, I'm eager to hear what he has to say, and see what he has to show me.

First up: images from the 2007-2008 season - a series documenting a few European tour groups gaping some serious powder on 20-30 degree slopes outside of Karakol, above Jeti-Oghuz and Jergalan. It is here that the snow is rumored to be "most deep." Next in the show and tell: a series of images that he snapped on a recent helicopter reconnaissance mission over the Suusamyr Valley and Ala Bel Pass, less than 4 hours from Bishkek, where at this point he reckons there to be a base of 1m or so.

I like powder on a 30 degree slope angle (kind of). What I like more is that every single 35-45 degree slope that rises above the terrain where Slava runs his heli-skiing operations remains untouched.

If you could have only heard the number of times that I screamed, "Wait! Go back to that one!!"

I'll try to get some photos from Slava and have them posted in the next few days. Until then, I'm wrapping up meetings with other locals who are "in the know," and preparing for Ellis' long-awaited arrival at 5:10am on the morning of the 23rd.

Happy Solstice to all,

Ryan

Damn happy to be here

2008-12-19T04:05:00.000-07:00

Privyet, Salam, Hello:

Playing catch-up here - trying my best to share the intensity of the past few days:

December 15th, 5:45am, Colorado Time: Alarm screams after a short 3 hours of sleep. I rise reciting the precious winter morning mantra: "Board, boots, poles...beacon, shovel, probe...hat, gloves, goggles." Check. I add to it to fit it to my destination: "Sat phone, solar panels, adapter...down bag, pants, booties...layers, layers, layers." Check. "Passport." Check. "Tickets." Check.

Kyrgyzstan, here I come.

December 16th, 3:30pm, Moscow Standard Time: Flight from Germany touches down 9 hours behind schedule, after heavy delays in both Denver and Chicago. I step forth from customs to realize that I no longer have time to connect to Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport via public transport as planned. The alternate option: taxi...in the world's 2nd most expensive city. Did it hurt to throw down an unexpected $100USD for a ride around Moscow's grimy ring highway? Absolutely. Did it hurt when my driver, Alexander, aka "Sacha," slammed my head in the trunk as I was rearranging my pack, which wasn't quite fitting? Absolutely. But it didn't hurt to sit next to Sacha for the 2 hours in his Chevy sedan - whizzing past boxy Russian Lada cars from the 80s, trying hard to make sense of his broken English, and intuiting gestures that simulated shooting heroin and smashing car windows to mean "I don't have a car stereo because of local gangs." Sacha was a careful driver, but he got me to the terminal on time. Granted, it was the wrong terminal. He corrected his mistake for no extra fee and I was finally at Sheremetyevo 2 by 7pm - just in time for my 9:55pm connection to Bishkek.

December 16th, 9:30pm. MST: The embarkation line for Aeroflot Russian Airlines flight #179 to Bishkek was just like any other line that I've ever been a part of in Asia: madness...a sea of bodies, proceeding with no regard for one another or interest in the restrained single-file method. And a black sea it was: leather, fur...ushankas galore. Winter style in these parts is hot!

December 16th, 9:45pm, MST: My eyes are closing. Russian is flowing over the speaker system in the aircraft. Everyone stands: The flight has been cancelled due to poor weather in Bishkek. It's the black sea of bodies again - first as the agents re-staple the stubs to our boarding passes - one-by-one - and again as they make every single passenger pass in the reverse direction through passport control.

December 16th, 1:00am, MST: Aeroflot has put the entire plane up in a nearby hotel, and they offer us a free meal: meatballs over noodles, carrot and mayonnaise salad, and a few slices of bread. Tastes like the Midwest.

December 16th, 2:00am, MST: I lie in bed next to a random Russian man who I was paired with for the night. He's a diplomat, heading to Bishkek for the last time to finish up his 4-year mission in the Russian consulate. Lucky for me, he likes to ski...and he wants to share about his experiences in Kyrgyzstan. He tells stories of Karakol this past November, at the southeast corner of Lake Issyk-Kul: "Deep," he says. "For November, so, so deep." Russian meatballs followed by stories of powder - not sure that I would have liked to have ended this long, long day in any other way.

December 17th, 7:30am, MST: My new Russian friend and I have both overslept our 6:00am wake-up time for our 8:00am flight. I'm not sure that I've ever moved as fast as I did in the following 30 minutes: sprinting from the hotel to the airport, retrieving my baggage from storage, to the counter, refusing to accept "boarding is closed" as my fate, finally convincing the Aeroflot woman that I could make it, and then rushing through passport control, the security checkpoint, and down the terminal with nearly 40 kilos of combined luggage weight with little, but some, hope that they'd actually accept my bags at the gate.

December 17th, 3:30pm, Kyrgyzstan Time: That's right, Kyrgyzstan Time. Landed. Damn lucky, damn tired...

...and damn happy to be here.

Quotes to keep you entertained

2008-12-14T09:32:00.001-07:00

Salamatsyzby,

That's "good morning" in Kyrgyz.

Quotes to keep you entertained - blog is on hold until I land in Bishkek. There are some good ones in here. Enjoy!

"They are having a hard time in Kyrgyzstan these days--harder than last year. Electrical service in Bishkek is unreliable, inflation is bad, politics are uncertain."

"It is still transition time in the country, from the Soviet era to the market economy system. People are in the "transition mode" as well. A lot of international organizations try to help us find the right way and to show us the pattern, and one should be aware of the possible difficulties... The reality in Kyrgyzstan is different, and much depends on the mentality and experience - many centuries experience. I'll try to put it in the right words, but to really feel it one needs to live this reality through."

"Transport system is going through a hard time. As you probably know, after the Soviet Union collapsed, infrastructure fell into decay and is just barely starting to revive... A lot of roads are in terrible condition (sometimes no road at all), and so-called military 6-wheel drive jeeps are often used for trips into remote mountainous places."

"Travel in Kyrgyzstan is not always as easy as it may seem on a map."

"In general, avoid hospitalization in Kyrgyzstan."

"The Celestial Mountains. Third highest in the world. Nomads, camels, yurts, multi-colored carpets, funny felt hats, horse meat sausage, and cheese balls as hard as rocks."

"Kyrgyzstan is made for ski touring, which a few facts will illustrate: the country is 94% mountainous, with 40% of that being over 10,000 feet high, and it is crisscrossed with high road passes, 7 of which are over 10,000 feet and open all year round."

"I am no expert on touring there, but from what we saw the best is outside of Karakol... If this town - ringed by awesome mountains to the south, a beautiful lake to the north and west, and China (along with yet more mountains) to the east - was in North America, it would (justly) be a tourist mecca, for it is truly an outdoor lover's paradise. Think Tahoe with glaciers and 20,000-ft + peaks."

"I have to tell you that the road over the Tor-Ashuu Pass (from Bishkek down to Suusamyr) is not something that I would do in the winter. It's the singularly most scary road I've ever been on, and the trucks that drive the road are in very bad shape. It's very long and very steep. Also, I think it closes quite often."

"Even before you climb out of the Chuy Valley from Kara-Balta, the craggy Kyrgyz Alatau range rises like a wall."

"p.s. Are you ready to witness heavy (really heavy) drinking during the holidays? I mean a week of drinking or even longer...starting on December 25-27 till Jan 3-5, sometimes even 7-13 :)"

Yes...we are.

Ryan
Less than 24 hours before departure

Message from the man

2008-12-06T22:03:00.000-07:00

What we've heard and seen of Simon Clissold's Prior Snowboards and Patagonia Dirtbag Grant-sponored journey to Kyrgyzstan last year simply blows our minds:

Click for full view

See also: http://www.priorsnowboards.com/clissold_report.php

Objectives Explained

2008-12-04T13:41:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to further clarify our project objectives, I’ve decided to post excerpts from an email that I recently wrote to one of our primary contacts in Kyrgyzstan, Polina Zivert.

Polina was a trekking guide for 7 years prior to teaming up with the Jackson, Wyoming-based organization, Vista 360, as the operator of their Bishkek office. In addition to coordinating Vista’s yearly exchange programs, she is actively involved in the development of the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan, an organization that is taking shape through the collaborative efforts of the Norwegian Tourist Association, the Norwegian Ministry of Finance, and Anvar Yusupov of NoviNomad.

Polina describes NoviNomad as a “very progressive, open-minded, enthusiastic young company,” one of the early and most ardent supporters of ecotourism in Kyrgyzstan—wholly invested in developing jobs and infrastructure to support the local people.

We are very fortunate to have the attention and support of both Polina and Anvar as we tie up our necessary logistical arrangements and dive head first into the nitty-gritty details regarding the feasibility and desirability of our yurt-stay/ski touring project proposal.

The intention of my note to Polina was to provide both a “big picture” summary, encompassing our desire to invest long-term, as well as an overview of the goals that are specific to the upcoming trip.

The posting is long, but important in that it represents the most thorough review of our proposal to date.

The big picture:

We are inspired by Kyrgyzstan’s community based ecotourism projects, and would like to advertise the country's rich potential throughout the United States and the world. We especially see potential for wintertime development in the region, to balance out the seasonal income that has recently been contributed through CBT Kyrgyztan's summer yurt-stay model.

Throughout the Rocky Mountains of the western United States and Canada, wintertime yurt-stays and yurt-to-yurt ski touring programs have become incredibly popular, attracting a growing population of adventurous off-piste, or “backcountry,” skiers and snowboarders.

Establishing a program like this is relatively simple—requiring few resources and minimal financial backing. To start, all that is required is a yurt and direct access to off-piste skiing and snowboarding. The yurt is occasionally located on private land, though oftentimes, it is located on government (U.S. Forest Service) land, which is leased for the duration of the winter season.

The yurt may be accessed via snowmobiles, or sometimes helicopters, though they’re generally reachable via self-powered transport. The guests ascend to the yurt using their own skis or snowshoes. This method of self-supported backcountry travel (ski touring) is a popular pastime amongst mountain residents of my generation, and it’s attracting attention as developed mountain resorts become more and more overcrowded.

Supplied with a wood-burning stove or alternate heating device, the yurt provides refuge from the harsh winter climate. Yurt amenities are simple: basic cooking equipment and eating utensils, sleeping pads and sleeping bags, an emergency first-aid kit, etc. Food is transported to the yurt by the guests themselves (via backpacks or sleds), or it may be transported via the snowmobile or helicopter.

During the days, the guests “tour” from the yurt into the surrounding mountains to find slopes that are suitable for off-piste skiing. The touring and skiing may be guided, but guides are not necessary as long as the guests have sufficient training in avalanche mitigation, climbing and glacier travel, downhill skiing, and wilderness medicine, etc. Generally speaking, those who are seriously interested in off-piste skiing (those who would travel to Kyrgyzstan for this) already carry all of the necessary certifications and training.

Of course, as soon as the program begins to attract wider attention, the clientele may grow beyond those who have training in this type of winter recreation, meaning that guides would be necessary. For the first few seasons of the program, it may be necessary to limit the clientele to those with sufficient training and experience. During that time, we can source potential guides from local ski resorts and mountaineering associations and get them the training that they need.

The end-all goal, of course, is to pair trained guides with a semi-nomadic family, so that they can run a single yurt-stay/ski touring facility on their own. Of the 4 to 5 people it would require, 1-2 would guide and the other 2-3 would manage the “hospitality” side of the business. It wouldn’t require much as far as human resources, meaning that a few family members could pursue extra income while still maintaining the resources needed to care for children, livestock, etc in the lower village.

Generally speaking, the families would not require much specialized training; though if they sought it, we would work to offer it. They would mostly be responsible for maintaining the yurt, introducing guests to Kyrgyz cultural traditions, sharing culinary traditions and preparing meals with/for the guests, etc. In many ways it would be as simple as applying the summertime yurt-stay model to the wintertime environment.

That said, the wintertime environment in the Tien Shan Mountains presents many challenges that would be unique to this program. It would be our responsibility to support the families with their travel to and from the yurt location for the guests’ length of stay, and it would be our responsibility to provide them with the necessary resources to stay safe, warm, and healthy.

We would like to purchase yurts for specific use on this program—preferably traditional Kyrgyz frames and walls, though I know nothing about their ability to withstand the weight of accumulated snow, sustained cold and winds, etc. There is always the option of “importing” a few frames from U.S.-based yurt companies, such as the Colorado Yurt Company, or Pacific Yurts. These two companies, among others, make frames specifically for high mountain environments.

Most importantly, we need to make sure that the families would be sufficiently compensated for their work, and that they feel that this would be a lucrative income opportunity. Similar wintertime yurt-stay programs that run in the mountains of the United States typically charge a group of up to 8 guests $300-$400 USD per night. Below is the specific price breakdown for yurt and porter costs for the program with which I am most familiar, Rendezvous Backcountry Tours:

2008 Yurt, Porter & Guide Rates:

• Weekend and holiday rates: $350/night with exclusive use for up to 8 people
• Weekday rates: $300/night
• $25/night for each additional person (max. 10 people)
• First-day Guide: $150
• Mountain Guide: $400/guide/day for groups up to 4 people
• Porter $85/day (per load up to 45 lbs)

And unless there’s a decline in our generation’s interest in traveling to far away places in search of unique cultural interactions and explorations, I think that the clientele is out there…not only in the US, but especially in Europe and in Russia. In the past few years alone, ski films, magazines, and professional athletes have all contributed to the snowballing exposure and promotion of “obscure” ski destinations like Kashmir, Iran, Japan, Turkey, and Morocco.

I really do think that a program like this will provide a viable compliment to the heli-ski and resort developments that are currently taking hold in Kyrgyzstan. It’ll help define the growth of the ecotourism industry, and it’ll definitely contribute to the “eco” image due to the low-impact and self-driven qualities of the activity.

And as for the small picture, our specific plan for the upcoming trip:

Our primary goal is to produce a film. At the crux of the film will be the journey on which we embark to discover the answers to our many questions.

A huge part of the trip will revolve around making contacts, conducting interviews, and doing research—learning about the limitations of current community based projects and the obstacles that they are up against, and learning about the things that may complicate the success of our proposed project…or even render it impossible or unbeneficial.

Specifically, we hope to identify ~3 communities in ~3 different physical regions, where there is access to snowbound mountainous terrain that would be suitable for a program of this type. We’d like to stay with families in their winter villages, learn about their life in the “off-season,” and learn about the challenges they now face relying on a tourism program that freezes with the onslaught of the winter season.

Ultimately, we’d like to learn what the families know about the surrounding valleys and pastures, and then tour to those sites to experience them in the winter and assess their potential. We intend to head into the mountains without local guides—ski touring with sleds to carry our own gear, including tent, food, cameras, solar panels, etc. Of course, some animal-assisted travel may be necessary right out of the villages, until we reach sufficiently snow-covered elevations.

In the end, we plan to edit a full-length documentary film, showcasing Kyrgyzstan and its incredible natural resources and potential. We plan to submit the film for consideration in mountain film festivals throughout the world in 2009-10, and schedule as many independent showings as possible.

"The Wish List," Blacksmith Productions 2008

2008-11-26T21:27:00.000-07:00

Ellis Smith's mountain sports and mountain culture-focused films have inspired skiers and riders since 2005. Ellis will wrap up his 2008 film tour in Silverton, CO on December 18th, one day before joining The KP crew on their most ambitious project to date. Check out "The Wish List" teaser here - another preview of what's to come...

A Touristical Wonder

2008-11-25T00:21:00.000-07:00

For the Prior Flyer.

There are stories being told of “Bluebird sky and knee-deep at 13,000 feet. High mountains as far as the eye can see, and not a track.” The word has spread across the pages of Backcountry Magazine. Soviet choppers are being resurrected and mounted with ski boxes. Suddenly, Kyrgyzstan is the nearby equivalent of India’s Kashmir—a dream to audacious skiers and riders...a true "touristical" wonder.

Courtesy of Glavtour Bishkek's awesome marketing campaign. www.glavtour.kg

What differentiates the eruption of Kyrgyzstan from that of Gulmarg, Kashmir, though, is that as far as we can tell, there are only a handful of Western riders who have been privy to its delectable secrets. What’s happening in Kyrgyzstan isn’t as much a movement as it is an odd hobby for a couple of die-hard adventurers and riders. And, by virtue of the fact that 98% of the West finds it impossible to pinpoint the country on a map—let alone pronounce its vowel-less name—we have a sneaking suspicion that there’s some virginity to this continental powder. According to our friends over at Curry Powder, the snow quality is just incredible: “Very light, dry, fluffy and deep.”

Over the past 6 months, we have been drawing up this ethereal world around us in which we have projected our dreams of an endless mountain paradise, flavored by rootsy nomadic customs, heavy vodka drinking, and a limitless culture of hospitality. We’ve been tracking accumulated snowfall and weather reports for the region, and we’ve been learning about the harsh realities of the Siberian winter. On the social front, we’ve heard that there’s a major holiday that we’ll intersect during our travels, when it’s customary for most Kyrgyz nationals to return home, hole up, and drink for two weeks. And then there was the report about the Tor-Ashuu Pass, southwest of Bishkek, which is long, steep, easily closed in the winter, and traveled by trucks that are in very bad shape. It’s funny how our Western mountain lifestyle has bred us to get hot over such reports. Snow? Closed mountain passes? Drinking away long cold nights? Kyrgyzstan sounds like the prime destination.

!!! www.heliski.kg

Next came the long process of making it a reality: Finding and convincing a few friends that it was a smart idea to take 6 weeks away from work, scraping my savings to cover the overhead, and squeezing 50,000 frequent flyer miles out of my United account for a free roundtrip between Denver and Moscow. Only after digging ourselves out from a mammoth avalanche of logistics have we been able to set our sights on more important things, like the “we need this or we are going to die” gear list that Brian so graciously put in front of us the other night. We figure that some things you just can’t afford to skimp on when you’re preparing for 6 weeks in the Tien Shan Mountains: a ripping -40 degree bag is one of those things, as is a newly-crafted Backcountry Split.

Big thanks to Prior for all that they’ve done to support the adventure. We’d also like to extend a thank you to Simon Clissold for making it his in 2008 and inspiring us with his stories of fifty cent beer, dollar kebabs, and 3,500-ft lines within a day’s reach of Bishkek. We are psyched to follow in his footsteps and represent Prior’s second consecutive year in Central Asia.

Family portrait outside of their summer yurt, near Kochkor. www.anthonyplummer.com, for Lonely Planet.

We’re pretty sure this winter’s going down in the books. Here’s to snow on all continents! And to this awesome Kyrgyz family!

Ryan, Brian, and Ellis
3 weeks until departure

Dec 14th Send-Off Extravaganza

2008-11-23T03:15:00.000-07:00

Join us Dec 14th in Boulder, CO, at the West End Tavern to support The Kyrgyzstan Plan.

Silent auction will feature items donated by our sponsors, including a BCA avy package and pack, Osprey ski packs, Zeal goggles, Loki outerwear, and much more.

Come as well for softgood giveaways and $3 pints from Avery Brewing. 7pm, 926 Pearl St., Boulder, CO.

"Ashmneporthindk"

2008-11-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

North India and Nepal, fall 2007. A preview of what's to come...

Weather Log

2008-11-16T16:51:00.000-07:00

Accumulated Snowfall for the Greater Himalaya Region, November into early December 2008.

Qinghai/Tibet Plateau and Tarim Basin at center. The country of Kyrgyzstan, easily identifiable by the great Lake Issyk-Kul, is located to the northwest of the Tarim lowlands.

Click map for full view

The Tien Shan Mountains

2008-11-16T15:59:00.001-07:00

http://veimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/6113/Kyrgyzstan.A2003337.0805.250m.jpg

www.jagged-globe.co.uk/exp/asia.html

Project Overview

2008-11-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Steppe Magazine, http://www.steppemagazine.com/.

VISION

In late December 2008, two splitboaders and a telemark skier are headed into remote areas of Kyrgyzstan on an ambitiously-timed and themed expedition and film-making project. Our goal is to intersect the nomadic trail in the heart of the “Celestial” Tien Shan Mountains, to expose the harsh realities faced by many of Central Asia’s mountain dwellers during a time of year when heavy snow, bitter temps, and impassable stretches of road dictate the boundaries of survival. For local transients, inhabiting a land that is 94% mountainous during the harsh Siberian winter is a test of tradition as much as it is a test of the human spirit and will.

Inspired by the grassroots, Jackson, WY-based organization, Vista 360, the overarching ambition of The Kyrgyzstan Plan is to generate an exchange of tradition, culture, and knowledge between the mountain communities of Kyrgyzstan and the mountain communities of the world. Via video documentary, we will expose the lifestyle and livelihood of Kyrgyzstan’s nomadic population, scrutinizing both the benefits and drawbacks of the inevitable development of the region as a mountain sports paradise. Suffering from long-standing economic challenges, many of the mountain communities along our route are at their tipping point – destined with struggles, but within reach of developing the local infrastructure needed to promote the region as a world-class destination for mountaineering, skiing and trekking. Enriching the scope of our film is the age-old issue surrounding development – that it provides livelihood and economic stability, while also marking a sometimes irreversible impact on community tradition, motivation, and concentration.

Photo courtesy of www.mdnphoto.com/visionsofmodernity.

Our goal is to tell the story of Kyrgyzstan as, where making a camp is to establish a home, and where braving the winter is more about survival and tradition than it is privilege and passion. By promoting awareness amongst already mindful film audiences, The Kyrgyzstan Plan aspires to be a positive vehicle for integration of the underexposed country into the snowballing industry of adventure sports travel.

BACKGROUND AND INSPIRATION

In the fall of 2006, a journey inspired by three Jackson, WY-based adventurers took shape. Four months later, we ventured off into remote mountainous regions of Southwest and Central China, with a pile of backcountry equipment and the minor support of a few professional sponsors. The allowance included a box of coffee extract from Java Juice (much appreciated), and a few necessary donations from Cloudveil, JetBoil, Osprey, Brunton, Backcountry.com, and Smith Optics. With the bold ambition to perform wintertime circumnavigations of multiple sacred peaks, the trip was driven by the vision to link the Western privilege of backcountry touring with the Eastern mentality of accruing spiritual merit. The itinerary alone was tough, and contributing to the difficulty of the undertaking was our decision to travel solely via public transport. On top of that we had determined to rely on local hospitality for “front-country” lodging, plus manageable temps for sustained high-mountain camping. While not entirely fruitful on the circumnavigation front due to permit and authority issues, the trip resulted in some amazing first ascents and descents.

An introduction to the 2006 Tibetan Boarderlands Expedition can be seen here: http://tibetanboarderlands.blogspot.com/

And below, a few of the images returned from the adventure:

Images copywright McNair Evans Photography, info@mcnairevans.com

Now joined by documentary film producer, Ellis Smith, 2 members of the Boarderlands expedition have turned their sights to a more ambitious destination: Kyrgyzstan, home to “Central Asia’s greatest mountain ‘architecture’ – the highest and most dramatic parts of the Central Tien Shan and Pamir Alay Ranges.”

The allure of the proposed adventure is as much in the region’s mountains as it is in its fantastic history, having been granted independence from the USSR and only “opened” to Western travelers within the last two decades, in 1991. Kyrgyzstan’s neighbors also contribute to the intrigue and complexity of the story: Today, as the more prominent, low-lying of the Central Asian Republics, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan have the brightest economic possibilities due to their oil and gas reserves. Uzbekistan and Tajikistan have conversely struggled with a lack of natural resources, poor infrastructure, history or civil war, and the prominent influence of Islamic fundamentalism. Sandwiched between Western China and the above republics, Kyrgyzstan stands somewhat alone, defined more by the beauty of the land and the hospitality of the people. The country has been shaped by many regional influences and has still emerged as a semi democracy-driven society with many promising development programs. Inspirations for the development focus of our film are numerous, including the budding mountain resorts of Ala Archa and Toguz Bulak, the Soviet chopper-driven heli-ski operation based out of Karakol, and the Kyrgyz Tourism Board’s recently marketed “Community Based Tourism” yurt-stay program – an example of positive and smart ecotourism development that promises to assist nomadic families at a true grassroots level.

TEAM MEMBERS

RYAN KOUPAL, 27 – Inspiration for the 2006 exploration of Tibet’s border areas, and long-time proponent of The Kyrgyzstan Plan. A dedicated explorer of Tibet, China, South and Southeast Asia, Ryan has spent a fair amount of the past 7 years pursuing adventure travel. In 2006, he began work for the Boulder, CO-based organization, Where There Be Dragons (http://www.wheretherebedragons.com/), directing challenging cross-cultural learning experiences in developing countries. Following his first adventure into China’s northwesterly Xinjiang Province in 1999, Ryan became interested in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia and fell to the mystique of the Tien Shan Mountain Range. Ryan is a photographer and videographer with a killer eye for inspiring images. A sample of Ryan’s video work can be seen here: www.vimeo.com/1285159.

BRIAN GAULT, 27 – With a BA in International Studies from Middlebury College in Vermont and a passion for exploration, Brian has skied mountain ranges on nearly every continent – from the Chugach and the Andes to the Alps and the Kunlun Shan in China. Now enveloped in the sustainable development industry in Washington DC, Brian works for a top firm as a green building and development expert. In his work, he seeks to draw and apply inspiration from the international cultures and traditions that he encounters. Brian’s desire to continue to push unique and rugged boundaries and document raw and challenging environments led to his involvement in The Kyrgyzstan Plan.

ELLIS SMITH, 31 – Environmental missionary, visionary, videographer, adventurer. Ellis received his BS from Colorado State University’s College of Natural Resources Recreation and Tourism, with a focus on Global Tourism Impacts. While finishing his degree, Ellis began training as a ski guide in Alaska, Argentina, and throughout the US under UAIGM and AMGA guides. With the opportunity to train in remote corners of the world, Ellis began focusing in on documentary film as a means for communicating his adventures. In 2005, he started Thrillhead Creations (http://www.thrillheadcreations.com/), producing 2 award-winning films on skiing and environmental stewardship. In the summer of 2008 Ellis started Blacksmith Productions (http://www.blacksmithadventure.com/), a new company focused solely on adventure documentaries. Ellis’ interest in shattering boundaries through film inspired him to dedicate his talents to the co-production of The Kyrgyzstan Plan.

TENTATIVE ITINERARY

20 December, 2008 – 25 January, 2009

It has been said that travel within Kyrgyzstan “isn’t always as easy as it may seem on a map.”

20 Dec – International travel: US – Moscow – Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

21-24 Dec – Bishkek: Preparations in the Kyrgyz capital: meeting with aid workers, development professionals, and gathering supplies for the coming month of remote mountain travel.

25-26 Dec – Bishkek to the Suusamyr Valley: Via Kara-Balta and the 3856m Tor-Ashuu Pass. “Even before you climb out of the Chuy Valley from Kara-Balta, the craggy Kyrgyz Alatau range rises like a wall.”

27-28 Dec – Suusamyr: Suusamyr sits in a rarely-visited valley that provides backdoor access to the Song Kul Lake and Kochkor regions. This is “classic yurt country,” deep in between the Talas Alatau and Kyrgyz Alatau mountain ranges.

28-8 Jan – Suusamyr to Song Kul Region: When clear of snow, the road between Suusamyr and Song Kul is well-traveled by coal trucks. As passes are often closed October/November-March, we expect these 10 days to mostly involve self-driven, overland ski and splitboard travel.

9-11 Jan – Song Kul to Kochkor: At 3016m, the alpine lake Song Kul is a lively place in the summer, particularly as a site for a growing demand of community-based tourism yurt-stays. Song Kul is nestled beneath peaks that form the Kara Katta range. Uninhabitable during the winter, Song Kul is expected to be rather quiet during our stay, offering uninhibited access into surrounding mountain valleys.

12-13 Jan – Kochkor: Rest and recuperation in a sleepy Kyrgyz village, known for its summertime yurt-stay and horse trekking programs, plus a reportedly active Saturday livestock market.

14 Jan – Kochkor-Karakol: Transport via local bus along the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, the world’s second largest alpine lake (following Lake Titicaca in South America). Immediately to the south rise the peaks of the Tersky Alatau range, an arm of the northern Tien Shan. The Tien Shan form a sensitive and oftentimes inaccessible border between Kyrgyzstan and Xingjiang, China’s northwesterly Uyghur Autonomous State.

15-16 Jan – Karakol: Much of Kyrgyzstan’s most impressive trekking and mountaineering is offered in this stretch of the Tien Shan that dominates the vista to the southeast of Karakol. “For better or for worse, Karakol looks like headquarters for a new wave of tourism, from overseas.” Filming is our primary goal in Karakol and surrounding communities.

17-19 Jan – Tien Shan Range: The valleys and passes of the Tersky Alatau are beginning to attract a fair number of international trekkers and climbers, almost entirely during the hospitable summer season. With most roads and trails snowbound by November, the hot springs and vast high alpine terrain above Karakol can be difficult to access. That said: Soviet choppers have begun flying and promoting heli-skiing in the region, advertising mostly to Russian and European skiers and riders.

20 Jan – Towards Bishkek, via Balykchy: Completing our circumambulatory travels around Lake Issyk-Kul, we bus our way back towards Bishkek, with the Kungey, or “Sunny” (south-facing) Alatau range to the north. Beyond its high passes and the further Zailiysky Alatau range is the steppe of Southeastern Kazakhstan.

21 Jan – Bishkek: Exchange of mountain tops for building tops, ditching gear and preparing for a closing visit to the Ala Archa Mountain Ski Base.

22-23 Jan – Ala Archa: High in the Kyrgyz Alatau range is a true gem of development – the ski resort known as Ala Archa. We admit that in late January, at a great time of year for resort skiing, Ala Archa may be just what we’re looking for to liven things up.

24 Jan – Ala Archa-Bishkek: Bringing the project to a close with final meetings and celebrations in the Kyrgyz capital.

25 Jan – International travel: Bishkek – Moscow – United States