The Kel Suu (Kyrgyzstan-2020) winter Expedition with WBB
Having accumulated winter gear for my Iceland and Siberia expeditions, it’s become a compulsion now to go on one winter expedition every year. While in pursuit of a winter expedition, received an email from Nidhi, Founder of Wander Beyond Boundaries (WBB) regarding the Kel-Suu winter expedition in Kyrgyzstan. Even before completely reading the brochure, I had already decided to be on this winter expedition. The next task was to find a competent partner. The first name that came to my mind was Arvind, my childhood friend and classmate, and my partner on the India – Myanmar – Thailand road expedition. Passed on the brochure to him and after minutes of chatting, he was in. When I signed up, my off-roading mate Ashlyn too signed up for the expedition, without any questions being asked. This would be our 4th expedition together. In the meantime, Vikas and Venu, Arvind’s college mates called him to join them on a small vacation. In reply, Arvind told them about the Kel Suu winter expedition and forwarded the brochure to them. In half an hour they were ready to sign up for the expedition. Thus, we started the preparations for this winter expedition. Luckily, I didn’t even have to apply for a Kyrgyz visa as we residents of UAE get a visa on arrival. With regular updates from Nidhi, the time had arrived for our departure to Bishkek.
There is no expedition that happens without a drama or a Hiccup. Here the drama started well in advance. The flight I had booked on the 14th Feb was cancelled and they had rebooked us for the 15th night without informing me. As 15th was supposed to be the first day of our expedition, we were forced to fly out on the 13th itself. Everything was smooth till we were in Bishkek immigration. We got our visa stamped at the visa counter and went to have the entry stamped at the immigration counter. I finished mine and proceeded to the baggage collection area. Even though my luggage arrived, there was no sign of Ashlyn. Tried calling him, but his mobile was switched off. Finally received a call from him 45 minutes later that he was detained by the immigration authorities for having a China exit stamp of January 14th on his passport. The corona virus was playing its part.
Nidhi and Satty (founders of WBB) were at the entrance of Astor Hotel & Spa to welcome us. The weather was perfect (0 degrees) for our welcome. Over a cup of steaming coffee, we again had a hearty laugh on behalf of Ashlyn’s exploits. Since we had nothing to do for the day we decided to join Nidhi and Satty for the shopping of the expedition essentials later in the day. After a short nap and breakfast, we went to a departmental store for the shopping, exchanged currency, recharged the local sim cards (provided by WBB) with data pack and we were done for the day. Once back at the hotel, we got some local beer, packed in 1.5 litres plastic bottles like Coke, and believe me it was so good that we finished 3 of them amongst us.
After food we took a good nap to cover up for the lack of sleep of the previous night. For dinner we planned to go to the city centre to a happening place. The Centre bar was a cosy place and we enjoyed drinks and dinner especially the lamb chops.
15th Feb.: The expedition participants would arrive today from India. Ashlyn and I had a late morning and had nothing to do. Nidhi and Satty had already left to complete some pending works. After a late breakfast, we decided to try out the best spa in city for some relaxation. The authentic Thai massage at the Mystic spa was really rejuvenating and relaxing. Back at the hotel we helped Nidhi pack the goody bags for all the participants with all necessary things for the expedition.
Also came to know of one more hysteric moment from Nidhi. Amit one of the participants was not let to board the flight from Delhi to Bishkek as the validity of the visa began from 16th Feb. Even after lot of pursuing the authorities in Delhi and Bishkek, nothing worked out and he had to be rebooked for the 16th. Finally, the group arrived. In few minutes the calm and quiet hotel had turned into a noisy and happening place. Even before memorising the names of everybody, I knew we were in for a lovely time on this expedition with a lovely bunch of people.
Also, in the 2 days of conversation with Nidhi and Satty, I already had a fair idea on how they operate and was looking forward to it. One thing was very clear. There wouldn’t be any pampering here like we were used to on other expeditions. Evening went on with the expedition briefing, formal introductions, handing over goody bags, drinks and dinner. Ashlyn swapped rooms to be with his nephew/partner Gautham and in came Arvind.
16th Feb.: As scheduled the team mates gathered for breakfast and assembled in the lobby for the days planned proceedings. Apart from the briefing about the expedition, we had a detailed discussion on the expectations, team roles and responsibilities, time keeping and daily vehicle maintenance. The main part of the day was dedicated towards emergency medical treatment as we would be in the wilderness and far from medical support. The best thing that could happen to us was Nidhi is a certified Wilderness emergency Medical technician (WEMT) and holds an urban EMT registration with NREMT, USA. She carries along with her a full-fledged EMT kit to cater to any emergencies. She in fact taught us a lot about emergency medical treatment in the wilderness along with demonstrations where Satty was the patient. It was extremely important to attend this session so that all of us were on the same page to set ourselves up for success and make it memorable for each of us. Now was time to meet our cars which would be home to us for the next 8 days. For that we were ferried by taxis to Rayan’s yard known as ‘Nomads on Iron Horses’.
As we were asking for some authentic Kyrgyz food, we were taken to small place near the yard. The place was really cramped and small but filled with warmth. Believe me; the food was so good that there was not a single morsel left in my plate!
Food tastes differ from person to person. I could see some not so happy faces and the vegetarians having a tough time. When in a central Asian country, a real good vegetarian meal would be a luxury. When on remote expeditions, you either eat what you get or be prepared with enough stock of what you want. That way the vegetarian participants were lucky as Nidhi had come well stocked with rice, lentils, Indian spices, pickles, namkeen and ready to eat packed food. After a satisfying lunch we were shown our vehicles and handed over the keys to them. We would be driving the V8 Toyota sequoia on this expedition.
Once we inspected the vehicles, Rayan gave us a small familiarisation of the vehicles and we would be going on a familiarisation drive of the vehicles and the terrain. All were super excited and stoked to undertake what promised to be a challenging drive on one of the most remote roads/ tracks/ mud alignments in remote corners of Kyrgyzstan. Today we would be given a taste of what was to come in the next 8 days. We would be going in to the mountains towards Ala Archa NP passing the Kashkashu ski base. For some people it was first time seeing so much snow and driving in snow. Nidhi took it nice and slow so that all participants would get to know their vehicles and acclimatise.
It was a wonderful feeling to be in the completely snow-clad mountains and winding roads. The view from the top was surreal and one must be there to believe it. We were running out of time and just 2 switch backs before the mountain pass, the road got so treacherous that we almost spent an hour trying to negotiate it and reach the top. Looking at the road conditions and the depth of snow at the pass, Nidhi our lead decided not to go any further and turn back the same way we had come. The descend from the pass was quite steep with switch backs and would be difficult to negotiate with the dwindling light.
But the experience we had was enough for day 1 and we were happy to return to the camp. Venu and Vikas had taken the responsibility of the food for the next day and we all went shopping to the supermarket. Back in the hotel, we all had a light dinner along with drinks and were ready to retire. Nidhi had volunteered to get up early and prepare Poha (beaten rice) for packed lunch. Ashlyn and Gautham had taken the water duty and were responsible to make sure all hot water flasks and water bottles were full.
17th Feb.: The real expedition begins! We were supposed to have had breakfast, packed the luggage, done the vehicle check up and be ready near the car at 6.45 AM for the morning briefing. Megha and Venu did a good job with the packing of lunch boxes and we were ready for departure early to escape the morning rush hour traffic. We began the day with a small briefing from lead and a silent prayer. The crackling of the radios meant we had hit the road and were heading out of city to our destination for the day Kyzyl-Oi. The initial part of the drive through the city and the outskirts was not so exciting. As we approached the mountains, the landscaped changed and the site of the snow-clad mountains got us excited. The weather got windier and chillier. Driving up the mountains on the snowy and icy roads is much easy when compared to the descends. We need to have lot of patience and steady hands when driving down. Even the slightest braking would swerve the vehicle on black ice. The road up the mountain leads to the Too Ashuu pass in the south to enter the Suusamyr valley. The old pass over the mountain was 3500m. But now they have dug a tunnel of 2.7 km long entering from the north side at 3130M.
The road up to the tunnel was so picturesque that the lead was generous enough to give us many photo breaks. As described earlier, the descend from the pass was very treacherous. The snow had frozen and formed a thin sheet of ice on the road and it was extremely slippery. Driving past the burial mounds from the Scythians who inhabited the area 2000 years ago, the road enters the red gorge leading to the remote village of Kyzyl-Oi. Lunch was on the snow-covered road, once we had taken the detour from the main highway. It was a different feeling to have packed lunch of Poha (beaten rice) with some spicy Indian gongura pickle in the middle of a white blanket of snow at -9 degrees. The beautiful landscapes kept Milind our photographer very busy. It was wonderful to see how man and animals adapted to nature. We could see the horses climbing the steep slopes, digging the snow with heir hooves and nose to eat the grass below the snow. The hot water in the flasks came handy for the tea breaks. We had a good mix of different type of coffee and tea with cookies and snacks.
As we approached Kyzyl-Oi the snow fall became severe and it was a complete whiteout. It was difficult to differentiate between the road and the surroundings. That’s when the land cruiser driven by Amit veered of the road and got stuck in the snow.
Luckily there was no damage to the men or machine and within a few minutes the recovery was done, and we proceeded to Kyzyl-Oi. WBB had arranged a match of KoK-Boru between the local teams for us to watch. The teams were ready by the time we reached there.
Kok-Boru is a game played by the Kyrgyz youngsters on horseback with a dead goat or sheep. The team hauls the sheep from the ground in the middle and makes a dash to the opposite goal post
which is a mound with a pit in the middle. The opposing team defends their goal relentlessly and tries their best to not allow the team to score. The event started with the ritual of killing the sheep weighing around 25 kg with a prayer to keep their village safe and away from evil. Then the dead sheep were transferred to the playground on the top of a hillock on their horses. We followed them with our vehicles as far as we could and hiked up the hillock. The game began with our local guide Azmat explaining to us the rules of the game and how it is played. It was quite windy at the top but the atmosphere was amazing. I must say we were privileged to watch this game live which I had watched only in movies and TV. We couldn’t wait till the end of the match as the temperatures were hovering around -15 degrees. The teams were obliged to meet us and have a group pic with us with their horses.
Hats off to these people. Our stay for the night was at a comfortable
Katya’s guesthouse where we had to share 3 rooms amongst us.
The entire dining table was filled with local bread and delicacies. At WBB the day always ends in a circle as soon as the drive ends before the entering the accommodation and again once we have settled down.
The day’s proceedings are discussed, and each participant has to do the appreciation for the day and also gets space to vent out their frustration or say anything about what they didn’t like. The next day’s briefing is done, and we are free to open the bar before dinner. The group had bonded very well by now including the lone female participant Megha and had become vociferous. We were all having a ball of a time as a team.
18th Feb.: The only drawback on these remote expeditions is you can’t expect to shower every day. Even, toilets with running water are a luxury as water freezes in the pipelines. We had an indoor toilet where water had to be carried in buckets to flush and a winter outdoor toilet. After breakfast and packing the vehicles, we were ready for departure.
As usual, the day began in a circle and silent prayer, said bye to Katya and we were on our way to the destination for the day, Naryn. The road conditions had not improved at all. The snow depth was the same, and the early morning mist made the road more deceptive. We had to tread along the way very patiently and we didn’t have to bother as the lead would set the pace keeping the strength of the convoy in mind. The Loo and sutta breaks were always welcome and the lead wouldn’t miss one place when there was a photo opportunity. We passed a coal mine and naturally had to drive carefully because of the to and fro truck traffic to the mine. We got to see how these trucks used chains on their tyres when climbing up the slopes with a load of raw coal. All the drivers became more attentive when we saw an empty truck gone off the road due to the slippery conditions. Finally, we were at the top of the Kyzart pass completely covered in snow for a break.
We entered a warm cabin where an old Kyrgyz man was frying fresh fish named Siga from the lake Son-kul the largest fresh water Lake in Kyrgyzstan.
The fish tasted great and in no time, we had finished all the fish he had fried. Arvind couldn’t bear the fish smell and stayed out of the cabin sipping his specially brewed coffee.
Once we were down the pass, the snow became thinner; the winds picked up and driving became easier just before reaching Kochkor, a small town. For a change we were back on a smooth Asphalt highway on the way to Naryn. During a break on the highway, Megha had a fall and damaged her knee. It was not that serious but was very painful. We drove through the beautiful Dolon pass to reach Naryn well on time. The entrance to this town is dotted with numerous sculptures on both sides of the road and we couldn’t understand much about them as all inscriptions were in Kyrgyz. The town even though small is very organized and neat. Every junction has a signal light and people obediently follow the traffic rules. We were surprised to see electrified trolley busses even in this small town. The grave yards on the outskirts warn us that we were either approaching a town or city.
We were staying in a nice hotel for a change called Khan Tengri. As soon as the ritual of first circle was done we rushed to our rooms and checked out the restrooms. We all felt rejuvenated after a hot shower. Nidhi managed to get access to the hotel kitchen and we were cooking our own dinner today. The menu was very simple. Rice, Sambar, and sausage fry with plenty of alcohol to drink. We had so much fun together and it was great to have the dining room just for ourselves. Our good times were short-lived as some hotel guests started complaining that we were very loud and were disturbing their sleep. disturbing their sleep. We tried to sober down but were asked to vacate the dining room. It had started snowing and the atmosphere was just heavenly. Tired, we were in for a good night’s comfortable sleep.
19th Feb.: A good night’s sleep can always have you energised for the day and here we were fresh and chirpy. As planned we were all up and early with cars checked and packed and assembled in for a sumptuous breakfast. It was a good spread and easily the best breakfast of the trip. Today was the big day when we were driving to Kel-Suu, the place which gave the name to our expedition. We were all exited and fired up. The place is so remote that again we had to take packed lunch. It was not a great trouble. We had enough sambar and rice from the night. All we had to do is mix it up and pack the lunch boxes. The roll call on the radio sets meant we were rolling and had hit the road. Just as we were out of Naryn and on a mountain pass, we got to witness a rare phenomenon called the Sun Dog. Arvind told us the correct name while we were calling it a rainbow.
The Sun Dog is a member of the family of halos caused by the refraction of sunlight by ice crystals in the atmosphere. We were just lucky to be there at the right time to witness this phenomenon!
Whenever the road was getting monotonous, we would all just jump on the radios and crack some silly jokes to bring in life to the convoy. Also, Nidhi and our local guide Azmat had to answer a lot of questions us. We were driving towards the Chinese border and the roads were completely deserted on this famed Silk Route. The spread of the Coronavirus had forced the Kyrgyzstan Govt. to shut the Chinese border. Once we crossed At-Bashi, the last large major town before the China border we would be in the wilderness and cut out of the world without any connectivity for the next 2 days. 30 kms before the border is the border check post where we must register with our passports and permits. The vehicles were checked thoroughly, and the guards were asking for extra cigarettes. Luckily, we had Azmat with us and he convinced the guards that we were not carrying anything extra with us. We were on the road once again and heading towards the China border. We could see the border fence on our right and a large frozen lake called Chatyr kol on the left. As we reached the border we took a left turn from the main road and said bye to civilization. We started driving parallel to the Chinese border fence on a narrow snow-filled gravel road to Kel Suu.
When we felt safe enough we stopped for lunch along the border. It was quite windy, and some people were wise enough to have lunch in the comfort of the heated cars. The sambar rice mixed with namkeen and pickle were a treat to eat. Had never imagined that sambar rice would taste so good and Ashlyn endorsed it! We kept on moving post lunch as we had a lot of distance to cover and the roads and weather was getting treacherous. The more we went inland, the more beautiful it got. The sheer beauty of the landscape even made me forget to click pictures. This road varies widely in quality – from narrow points to snow drifts to ice and river crossings. We were expecting the temperatures to dip, and it happened in an instant. Few minutes ago, it was -14 degrees and it had suddenly dropped to -23 degrees! We stopped for a while to experience the temperature as it was the lowest we had seen on this trip.
Milind who was taking some drone shots of the convoy bore the brunt of the cold and got immobilised for a few minutes. We had to pour some hot water on his hands to get them back into action. He took nearly an hour to get back to normal. With the sun setting on us and darkness creeping in we finally reached our destination, a train wagon like structure, which would be our 5* hotel for 2 nights.
Fortunately, the locals know where they should live and the wagon was placed on the plains of a valley where the temperatures are better than in open places. It was -17 degrees when we reached there and we were not sure of what the temperature in the night will be. There were exactly 7 bunk beds for the 14 of us, a dining table, a stove heater and a gas stove.
There was no place for any bags in the cabin and we had to bring in only our toilet kits. The cabin was well heated and slowly all were found pealing out one by one layer of clothing from the now warm bodies. As luck favoured us, it was a clear sky and it was the best ever night sky I had seen. The scene of the Milky Way was the best ever too. I spent nearly an hour in -19 degrees getting some awesome pictures of the night sky.
But must say the pictures don’t do any justice to the real sight. You must see it to believe it. I had promised the boys I would sing that night and I didn’t disappoint them. Beautiful memories from that night were packed in a corner for ever. It was the first time that all 14 of us were sleeping in one room and the conversation even after the lights went off were so funny that we had our stomachs hurting from excessive laughter.
20th Feb.: It was a chilly morning to wake up and get out of bed. The coal had burnt off and the room had become cold. Satty tried hard to revive the stove but failed. So, the cabin heated again once the cabin owners were back and put on the fire. I can call today the pinnacle of our expedition. We were visiting the Lake Kel Suu finally. After a good breakfast we were ready to move on. Nidhi and Azmat along with the local lady went on a recce to check if the road to the lake was accessible. But it was not, as the climbs were quite steep and filled with snow. So, the local Kyrgyz horses were ordered to ferry us to the lake from a point where the vehicles could go no further. It was one more unplanned experience for us. The road, up to the point where we drove to was also quite adventurous with sudden drops, crossing frozen rivers and slippery stretches.
The horses were waiting for us at the foot of the mountains where we parked our cars. I was given the biggest and the strongest horse of the lot. These horses are so well trained they refuse to move if they see the way unsafe. We had 10 horses for us and 5 horses had one handler. For many of them horse riding was a first time, but all did well.
The horses easily and safely took us up the mountain and we could see the mighty frozen lake just a stone’s throw down. The journey on horseback was quite funny as many were having humorous conversations with the horses. Here we were at our destination. Kel-Suu is an alpine lake in Al Bashi district of the Naryn province of southeastern Kyrgyzstan. It is located at 3500m elevation in the Tian Shan Mountains. It is fed and drained by the Kurumduk River.
Even though it is land locked by the mountains, the lake drains out through a cave system to the other side of the mountains and the river continues to flow. Due to heavy snow fall, the frozen lake was covered with more than 8” of snow and deprived us the beautiful view of the frozen lake. The cracked-up ice at the shores were glistening in the morning sunlight.
We explored a small part of the lake on foot as we weren’t sure what lay beneath the thick snow. We got a glimpse of the blue ice of the frozen lake at one corner and memories of Lake Baikal came rushing in. Milind took some awesome drone shots of us in formation.
There wasn’t much to do there other than soak in the beauty of the place and we returned to our horses which took us down the mountains to our cars. The area was too good for a round of off-roading. But we had to suppress the itch as we were in a team and due to time restrictions. We got a chunk of ice from the lake and re-created the Baikal kiss and called it the Kel-suu kiss. For this, a nice size hole is carved in the ice, filled with vodka and drunk in one shot and it was so refreshing. (It was done without Nidhi’s and Satty’s knowledge).
The rest of the evening was spent with a good amount of banter, drinking, singing and dinner. For the record, it was second straight night in bed without a shower. It was the same beautiful sky again and spent a good amount of time star gazing. We were expecting the temperatures to dip at night, but that didn’t happen because of the location of the cabin and till now -23 degrees was the minimum temperature we were in. I had gone past my personal best of -17 degree which I had encountered in Siberia.
21st Feb.: Today was supposed to be an early start. The bonus was to reach Naryn early and relax for some time after a much wanted shower in the comfortable hotel Khan Tengri. Nidhi prepared some amazing Puliogre for lunch which we packed in our lunch boxes. For a change we also had upma for breakfast. The temperature outside was -23 degrees in the valley outside our cabin and this raised our hopes of hitting lower temperatures in the plains.
We were off by 7am paying our gratitude to our hosts who looked after us very well with the limited resources they had. We were treading back on the same road absorbing the enormous beauty of the area and landscape. If not told earlier, the drive time was divided between Arvind and me. I would drive till lunch time and Arvind would continue in the afternoons. Once we crossed the wooden bridge and entered the plains, the weather went for a toss and the temperature started dipping. It was almost like a countdown from each car. When we hit -30 degrees, we all got down from our cars to experience the feeling of this temperature. For little bit of fun, we did jumping jacks to warm up. Found out one more thing that day, the Toyotas have limited their thermometers to -30 degrees. But the jeep which was always 2 degrees less than the Toyotas normally was giving us reading of -34 degrees and we assumed that we were in -36 degrees. One more personal best on this trip being in -36 degrees!
10 minutes in that temperature was enough for us. With some pictures for our memories we were back on the road proud of our achievement. As we drove further, we noticed that the snow on the roads had disappeared and the roads had turned dusty. Ashlyn even composed a song on the spot. Again, we were driving along the Chinese border and this time we stopped for a group picture.
The border post looked haunted with absolutely no movement due to the closure. Even the lone petrol pump had shut down. It felt good to be back on tarmac. Again, we had to complete the border check post formalities, but it was faster this time. Lunch was at the roadside bus stop along the highway. Boiled eggs were a surprise for us at lunch. On the road again, Ashlyn observed that my rear left tyre was low on pressure and we had to stop. We were well equipped on this trip and we just filled air from the portable compressor and proceeded towards Naryn. The tyre pressure had reduced by the time we reached, and we headed straight to a tyre shop for repairs.
We were surprised to see that a sharp stone had pierced the soft rubber of the winter tyres and was causing the air leak. Once done, we were back at the hotel relaxing after a refreshing bath.
The restaurant at the hotel was booked for a wedding party and we had to order food for us. We were lucky again to be the only ones in the hotels dining room.
The food really tasted good and the conversations made it more interesting. Venu, a non-beef eater, ate a plate full of beef mistaking it for mutton but didn’t make great fuss of it. We had a good night’s sleep in comfort of the cosy hotel room. It was surprising to see how quickly the body adapts. The temperature outside was -7 degrees and we were pretty comfortable in that temperature.
22nd Feb.: As usual the day began with the vehicle check-up, breakfast and the famous by now circle. The best part staying at the Hotel Khan Tengri at Naryn was the hot water in the bathroom and the sumptuous breakfast spread. The radio checks meant we had lined up and ready for departure to our next destination.
Nidhi and Azmat were giving us insights about the place and terrain. When it was time for the morning tea break, Nidhi stopped the convoy at a very beautiful location just besides a frozen water fall.
With the freshly brewed coffee that Arvind had brought, we cautiously treaded on the ice to get some beautiful memorable pictures. The guys had all become so friendly and it was very easy to communicate with each other. Driving on the mountain passes and the landscapes always got us interested. When by passing the town of Kochkor, we were driving along the partially frozen Orto Tokoy reservoir. A request to the lead for a break was immediately fulfilled. We drove down to the lake side which we thought would be a small break.
While discussing about lunch, Satty came up with an idea of using the ready to eat palak panneer and bread which we had plenty. The team got into action. The cylinder connection was a circus and we had to take turns to sit on top of the cylinder for the continuous gas supply to the stove, in a few minutes, the palak panneer was ready, bread sticks and bread toasted on a pan accompanied by fruit yogurt.
Anything you do and eat in the wilderness tastes good. With filled stomachs we packed up the truck again and we were on our way to the mighty Issyk-kul. Before that we were to meet the local hunter with his hunting eagle. Eagle hunting is a traditional Kyrgyz form of hunting and very popular during winters. They hunt for rabbits and foxes. The facts of the hunting eagle surprised us. The hunters pick up these eagles from their nests in the mountains when babies and taken care like children. Each eagle has only one master in its life time and stays for 20 years with the hunter. Even though the life span of the eagle is up to 70 years, the eagles are released into the wild after 20 years. We also got a chance of carrying the eagle on our arm and got to witness a demonstration of the eagle hunting a rabbit. The eagle hunters’ kids were so cute and we gave them some chocolates we had.
After experiencing one more first in my life the convoy rolled to our designated Yurt camp on the shores of the gigantic Issyk Kul Lake virtually a sea. In fact, it is the second largest salt water lake in the world only to be smaller than the Caspian Sea. It is also the seventh deepest lake in the world and the tenth largest lake in the world by volume. It is 182 kms in length and 60 km wide at a point. The Yurt camp, from outside looked like a normal tent but was luxuriously decorated with hand tufted Kyrgyz rugs and drapes. It was nicely heated inside with a fire stove and cosy. The camp was owned and run by young Kyrgyz couple who had a nice beautiful house at the side. Once settled, we went for a walk on the lake side. The views were beautiful and mesmerizing with the snow-clad mountains towering along the lake.
As usual I collected a couple of pebbles for my collection. When back to the camp, the host offered us a jug of homemade Vodka which is 70% alcohol but blended with honey and grapes to bring it down to 40%. We all had shots like a welcome drink and it really tasted good.
Finally our guide arrived. We were ready wearing the hunter skis armed with the a stick for support. It was not at all easy to walk with these skis. Everyone kept falling and getting up. But when I fell, I couldn’t get up on my own nor could anyone help me except for our huge guide Uri. He was very knowledgeable and just by seeing the footprints on the snow would tell us which animal that was and when it passed by.
A bonfire was arranged by our host and the bar was set up next to it. As the spirits started flowing along with the homemade vodka shots, the mood began building. Very soon we were all singing and dancing round the bonfire. It was an amazing group and was in it to make this night a memorable one. Gautham, again our bar tender for the night started mixing cocktails and none were aware what was being served or what they were drinking. He was making use of all the drinks and juices available on the table.
As it started getting chillier, we moved into our Yurt and the party continued late into the night. Tonight, our host had prepared the tradition Kyrgyz dish Mutton Plov. This traditional Kyrgyz dish typically combines rice, meat, carrots, onions, and garlic. It is usually made with beef or mutton, and occasionally chicken. I remember having it but can’t recollect how it tasted. It was nice to see that Megha was enjoying too and was with us till the end. We had not planned nor thought of it, but it was one hell of a wild party tonight. I was not sure what would be the status of us the next morning after partying like there is no tomorrow.
23rd Feb.: surprisingly all were up in the morning and looking fresh. After a good breakfast at the hosts house and huddled in the circle for the last time we were back in our vehicles for our final days drive to Bishkek. The morning view of the yurts, the lake and the towering mountains with snow was mesmerizing.
We were sad that our wonderful trip was coming to an end and at the same time were happy to have been on this once in a life time trip. The road to Bishkek was good but very boring. Once we had reached the highway, we had to follow the speed limits very stringently.
Every kilometre or two there would be a couple of police officers lurking behind the unsuspecting curves with their hand-held speed trap guns. We didn’t have to do much as we were following the leads car. But still one of our cars was flagged down for being above limit and again Azmat came to our rescue. He convinced the officers that we were law abiding guest of their country and we were let go. We even skipped lunch on the way to be back in Bishkek at the earliest. Finally, we were in Bishkek city by 4pm and headed to Plaza hotel, a plush place right in the heart of the city. All vehicles had to be returned the same evening. So all luggage was removed and sorted out so that only our personal luggage went to our rooms. The rooms were excellent and after a hot shower we felt fresh for the night. We were told to meet at the lobby at 6.30 pm. Our expedition ending gala dinner was again at the centre bar close to our hotel only a 10 minutes’ walk.
We got the full dance room to ourselves with a DJ. Each one had the privilege to order their drink and food. As the mood set in we were all on the dance floor grooving to the local tunes and our favourite numbers. Arvind was in full swing and danced away the night. What a way to end this mind-boggling expedition. We also had a last group picture outside the bar and walked back to the hotel fully content.
24th Feb.: We were all so engrossed in the expedition and never found time to buy souvenirs. So, we decided to spend the free morning hunting for souvenirs. At 10am we all met in the lobby. We already had the location of the Tsum mall from Azmat and preferred to walk the distance than hail a cab. Once we had fulfilled the obligation of souvenirs, we had lunch in the food court and were back in the hotel as the guys were to take an evening flight back to India. The pick up to the airport was at 4pm. It was heart wrenching to say bye to this fabulous bunch of people. Every good thing has to come to an end so that there will be one more beginning. I and Ashlyn were staying back as our flight was early morning the next day. Nidhi and Satty also moved out of the hotel as they had to sort out things. Again, Ashlyn and I found our way to the Mystic Spa for some body rejuvenation. After 10 noisy days, we had a quiet dinner and were back in the hotel. With all bags packed, we slept for a couple of hours and were back in the airport for our flight to Dubai.
What can I say! each time you think that this was your best expedition and journey of a life time, the next one always surpasses your expectation and becomes the best expedition like this has become to me. The days where the itinerary was covered presented Kyrgyzstan in its true shining colour. A wonderful driving expedition covering 1500+ kms through extremely scenic routes, snow covered roads and mountains, high mountain passes, numerous switchbacks, valleys, gravel and mountain roads, frozen river crossings and off-roading, stunning frozen rivers and lakes, gorgeous gorges, staying in a secluded cabin and enjoying the local cuisine – it just has been an epic driving trip. Wow! still feels like a dream. 10 fabulous days I spent in Kyrgyzstan had exceeded my expectation. What Nidhi said came true, “When we head out on these remote expeditions, it’s really not the road that we conquer but just ourselves”. This was one hell of a team on this expedition. Majority of us were in the same age group and became pretty easy to gel with. This is one of the most cooperative groups I have been with. Be it water, snacks, fruits, food, cigarettes, drinks, etc. everything was shared selflessly. Also sharing of expedition responsibilities was done without fuss and with selflessness. Participating in such expeditions helps you to come out of your comfort zone and hones your survival skills by eating, drinking and staying in whatever is available. A few memories from this expedition will stand out forever.
Hats off to you guys for pulling off this fantastic expedition, Nidhi and Satty. You guys were so friendly and warm, never felt like we were meeting for the first time. The first 2 days we spent with you before the participants came in, deepened the bond. Never felt like we were with a commercial organization but felt like with family. You two rock as a team and always be the way you are and run expeditions like you do. Nidhi, the way you control a group of unruly men from different spheres and background is truly commendable. Satty being so cool headed and reassuring was a big positive for the group. Milind, what can I say about you. You are a thorough professional and a good-hearted human too. Hats off to you for the dedication you showed in those negative temperatures. Will always remember you for letting us know that Goa is the capital of Kyrgyzstan. Thank you for the wonderful pictures and video.
It’s always wonderful to have Arvind as my expedition partner. Being childhood friends, the level of understanding we have is unimaginable. We know each other so well that there is no need for words to be spoken. On this expedition one positive was Arvind had raised the bar when it came to the evening spirits. It was great to have his college mates and friends Vikas and Venu on this expedition. Felt like long lost friends meeting again. Ashlyn, my regular expedition mate and his young nephew Gautham were good company as usual. It was a privilege to meet Santhosh Ojha, Megha, Amit and Manish on this expedition. All you guys will be remembered forever for being my partners in crime on this expedition and hoping that we will soon cross paths on some other expedition. Memories for this expedition will stand out for ever.
The Covid 19 has already upset the expedition calendar for this year with many expeditions withdrawn. Hoping that things will get back to normal soon and I can write again on my future exploits, saying Good bye with this quote “THE TIME TO PREPARE FOR YOUR NEXT EXPEDITION IS WHEN YOU HAVE JUST COME BACK FROM A SUCCESSFUL EXPEDITION”.
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