Chapter 11: ‘Look at that Beard, you Could be from ISIS!’ (Kyzyl-Art Pass, Kyrgyzstan to Kosh-Agach, Russia)
Descending through rain and mud on our way down the far side of the Kyzyl-Art passThe winner of the most precarious toilet of the journey so farThis young kid challenged us to a race down the hill. He won easily.One last look back at the glorious Pamir MountainsOne of the joyous descents that led us out of the Pamirs and into the plains of central KyrgyzstanA Soviet era arch hanging over the road as we close in on OshKim and I knocking back some cold beer while waiting out the hottest part of the day on the Kyrgyz plains north of OshKim photographing a beautiful sunset over the plains of the Fergana ValleyA friendly roadside watermelon vendor who waved us down and invited us to eat and chat with himLeaving the Fergana Valley behind as we climb into the hills lining the Naryn RiverThe striking waters of one of the Naryn River’s reservoirsThese raised platforms outside chaihanas were the ideal place for Kim and I to rest during the hottest part of the dayTrying to take a more unique summit photo at the top of the 3,175-metre Ala-Bel pass between Osh and BishkekA Kyrgyz shepherd and his dogs rounding up some horses on a ridgeline above meKim beginning the sharp ascent of the Töö Ashuu passThe Milky Way visible behind Kim’s tent. Starry nights like this had been the norm ever since entering Central AsiaAfter sprinting past the police, we made it into the fume-choked Tunnel of DoomThe long, winding descent on the far side of the tunnel which dropped 2,300 metres to Kyrgyzstan’s capital, BishkekMy Dad and me in Bishkek. It was easy to see how the police mistook me for a member of ISIS!Reaching the cosmopolitan city of Almaty after my month-long wait for visas in BishkekArriving back at my Almaty hostel to find my locker smashed open and my belongings scattered everywhereThe summer heat of the Kazakh steppe would sometimes cause the tarmac road to start meltingThis hill allowed me to see the true extent of the Kazakh steppe and its flat plains of yellow grass stretching to the horizonThese kilometre markers broke up the monotony, showing how far I had pedalled out into the nothingness of this steppeStopping in at a rare chaihana. These kind Kazakhs insisted that I sit with them before immediately buying me lunch.The Kazakh drivers were always so shocked to see a cyclist out here. I was regularly stopped for photos like this one!The sunbaked plains of the Kazakh steppe stretching on and onThe sun setting over a vast field of sunflowers on my first evening in RussiaA statue of Lenin overlooking Barnaul. Statues of him abounded throughout this part of Russia.Wild camping amongst the dense foliage of the AltaiAnti-litter billboards in the Altai. My other favourite involved two hikers littering, only for a giant spirit deer to appear in the sky and strike them down with lightning.A typical village up here in the Altai MountainsThe beautiful autumn scenery surrounding me as I climbed higher into the thick forests of the AltaiClimbing alongside the Katun River, ever deeper into the AltaiThe road sweeping along the narrower and more colourful Chuy riverSnowcapped peaks becoming visible as I reach the much more remote eastern end of the AltaiBy this point, I had this brilliant road mostly to myself as only a few villages remained before the Mongolian borderMy last wild camp in the Altai. The unspoiled nature of this part of the world was something special.A parting shot of the wonderful Altai landscape as I close in on the last Russian village of Kosh-Agach
Irregular Adventures 