This is the final day of trekking for us in Kyrgyzstan this summer. It’s our 27th day taking in the sights, sounds and smells of this amazing country, one footstep at a time. As often happens at the end of a well-planned journey, my mind turns reflective as I try to sum up all that we have learned and experienced over the past five weeks. (more…)
I wake up at 2 in the morning and need to use the bathroom, but I’m too lazy to get out of bed. At 5:30, I can’t take it anymore, and I finally decide to get up. The sun is just about to come up over the mountains, and a sliver of a crescent moon is hanging in the deep blue sky just above the snowy peaks. Nobody is up but me, so, after taking care of business, I walk around camp for a few minutes, taking in the beautiful pre-dawn scene at 14,435 feet. (more…)
Camp One stirs to life at 3 am as the first shift of climbers awakes. Breakfast is served twice to accommodate trekkers and climbers, first at 3-4 am for those who need an early pre-dawn start, and again from 8-9 am. Mercifully, we are in the second group this morning. (more…)
It feels like I don’t sleep at all during the night, but, when the alarm goes off at 6, Matt has to shake me to get me to respond to it. My first instinct is to hit the snooze button, but then I remember that we are in a shared room in a tiny guesthouse in the remote village of Sary Mogul in Kyrgyzstan. We are starting a new trek today in the Pamir Mountains, and we are all eager to see what this new area will be like. We certainly have high expectations after our introduction to this range during yesterday’s spectacular drive to Sary Mogul. (more…)
After a brief afternoon rain spell yesterday, we are pleased to wake up to a sunny morning that’s not too chilly. After breakfast we pack up and set off uphill knowing that we have a long day that begins with Akotor Pass at 11,500 feet. The incline as we head up the valley gets our heart rate going right away. We are all in a good mood as today will complete Phase 1 of our trekking in southern Kyrgyzstan. The mountains in front of us are impressive in scale. I love how they subtly change shape and complexion as we walk slowly closer. (more…)
Take A Hike Photography 