Immense Kyrgyzstan!

Kyrgyzstan is immense. If I have to choose one word I choose immense. I could choose many more, beautiful, scenic, rugged, stunning, mountainous, jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, but if you give me just one word it's immense!

The skies are full of mountains, birds of prey, cloudscapes and starscapes, everywhere you look.

Kyrgyz comes from kyrk which means 40 after ther 40 Kyrgyz tribes, each represented by a flame on the national flag.

After speaking with my friend Tony (on the trip) I think 'Kyrrrgyzzzzz' sounds much better in a Scouse accent! 

So I landed in Bishkek (Derived from peshagakh, meaning below the mountains) the capital of Kyrgyzstan in the middle of the night, slept at the airport and met up with the good people at http://www.oasisoverland.co.uk/ and a mixed bag of Brits, Kiwis, Ozzies, Dutch and Belgians , slightly jet-lagged.

Ala-Archa was a 1st port of call where we did a day trek in the atmospheric fog to Ratsek, an alpine hut and back in the rain, missing out on some of the views. 

Little did I know that Kyrgystan was to turn in to something of a trekking holiday, with 3/4 day treks and almost a short hike every day. Totally unplanned, but I travel prepared and certainly no complaints from me. Every extra ridge gained offers yet another stunning view of the mountains. We trekked/walked  in the Kyrgyz Ala-too, the Kumgey Ala-too, the central Tian Shan and the Fergana mountain ranges by my reckoning. 

Back to Bishkek and then on to impressive Lake Issuk-Kol the world's 2nd largest Alpine lake after Titicaca in South America, LAke Titicaca last visited by me in 2005. More trekking before an unexpected attempt to be the 'first to find' FTF on a Geocache https://www.geocaching.com/guide/default.aspx in Jeti Oghuz.

Without a doubt, the toughest FTF that I think I have gone for and accordingly the longest un-found (it had been avaialble for 10months) I had ever gone for.

Around a 20mile round trip, without map, following an old borrowed GPS, 2 hours in torrential rain and 2 more, eventually led us to the wrong side of the river.

There was no way we were giving up now so venturing up-river where the glacial cold river split in to 3 I waded across all 3 with boots on. Yes I admit I was scared and you would have been too if you'd seen the pace and temperature of the river. Look ahead, not at the water and feel with your feet, that seemed to work, as I made it across.

So ariving at the cache I located it in after around 5mins searching and after being placed 10 months ago, someone beat us by 4 days!!!

Yes it was worth the walk as without this cache we would never have attempted this distance.

A lift from a Kyrgyz horseman for around a quid, back across the river and we begun the descent back to base. My 1st cache in Kyrgyzstan, an extreme one, meant to take 2 days, but completed in 1, well worth the effort!

There was eagle hunting in 'eagle hunter valley' where we watched an eagle take a live rabbit and got to hold the eagle. At several Kgs they are heavier than they look!

There was the well-earned homestay and Yurt visits where we stayed with Kyrgyz families and I was slightly ill. On the way to the yurts there was the impromptu snowman building and snowball fight on a high pass on the way to lake Song-Kol.

There was the re-creating of The Ashes where I whacked some tricky Aussie spin bowling out of the park. At over 3000m possibly the world's highest cricket match at that time.

Then there was Ulak Tartysh which is like a 2 aside rugby match, mounted brawl (on horses) using a recently deceased Goat. (sans. head and feet)

The object of the game was to score a try on a matt a few feet across. Unbelievable skill and stamina involved you have to pretty tough as there were several horse headbutts, to riders.

Amazing fitness as there is an almost constant wrestle for the ball or rather goat.

A multitude of silk road ruins including the jaw-dropping Tash Rasbat, a stone  fortress caravanserai from the 15th century and an amazing night for star gazing, eventually led to us back to Bishkek and a full complete circle around what had fast become one of my favourite countries in the world. Immense Kyrgyzstan! Now on to Kazakhstan...