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Bright and clear in my mind were the marvelous scenarios, sounds, perfumes, spotted animals I experienced on the Pamir… my camera was exhausted. I showed you just very little … it is really difficult to select “the best pictures”, the pictures that can resume the variety of the beauties and people I enjoyed up there … impossible.

Easily I entered in Kyrgyzstan … country No. 7. The 20 km ride in the no man’s land and the descent to Sary Tash were a spectacle. There you can truly see “la vie en rose”, everything was pinkish, even the rivers!

I was physically tired and I needed to recover a couple of kg. I was happy to reach the next city Osh, BUT … come on! The Peak Lenin, the 7134 m high King of the Pamir is just at 85 km westward (170 km roundtrip) from my way … Will I come back here just to go up to the Peak Lenin Base Camp? Probably not. Until the last moment I was hesitant, but finally I decide to jump on my bicycle and to point toward west.

The Trans-Alay mountain range is awesome. It seems that the mountains are large dominant figures, The Guardians of the region all in a row for over 250 km. Approaching those mastodons I had the impression to enter in an enchanted place, enveloped by mystery … I felt almost in awe.

I camped on the bottom, before the ascent to the base camp. I was already dreaming a hot shower and a delicious soup. Yes, because I have been told that the base camp is really well equipped.

So, can you image my disappointment when the day after I discovered that everything was closed. Nobody there. Just me. A km before I saw a yurt, but here only me and some yaks. Well, not so bad! I will enjoy few days of pure rest by sleeping and walking around.

I pitched the tend at about 1,5 -2 km southward from the camp. The first night was snowing a bit,  but the day after the sun was bright and hot. Pure relax! In the evening it started to snow again, but this time like in Cioss Prato the 21st December … In the distance I could ear landslides breaking away from the slopes and thunders … oh la la!

It was already 18:00. Out of question to ride down … But I couldn’t stay there. If it had fallen a lot of snow it would have been almost impossible to get out from there with the loaded bicycle … and I had to cross a river as well. I jumped out from my super comfy sleeping bag and I packed everything. I wanted to reach the base camp, where two days before I saw a sheltered place.

It was getting dark. I could ear the rustle of the falling snowflakes. I had no time to take my shoes and the 2 pair of socks off to cross the river … I close my eyes and to the sky I declared: “Fore the life!” and I walked in … ???What??? … “For the life”?!? Stef, you are so stupid! But at least I was laughing.  My shoes have soaked with frozen water after  o n e  –  t w o   seconds. Finally completely wet I reached THE shelter:

 

Yes … a shitty place, but sometimes you don’t have an other choice … exactly: For the life! I pitched again my wet tend and I try to warm up my feet … a shot of vodka and inshallah the next day it will be not so bad.

I woke up very early … I could feel a sort of adrenaline in opening the zip of my tent and … woooooow M A G I C !

Only 10 cm of snow (fortunately!), but I had the impression that I woke up in another world. It was so pure, so quite … I could feel peace and joy! I was really happy to be there.

So started my adventure in Kyrgyzstan … a memorable start! Even the way to Osh was “memorable” … but I will tell you about it the next post.

Now I’m still in Osh. Can you imagine? I crossed deserts, rivers, hills and mountains but a couple of days ago I twisted my ankle in a stupid stair step, result: an ankle like a tennis ball … c’est la vie … la vie en rose.

Un abbraccio

Stef and Elvis (my ankle)