In 2013, an eventful solo backpacking trip to find the route to the bottom of an unclimbed mountain took me to unheard-of corner of an unheard-of country.
The guidebook to Kyrgyzstan is over two hundred pages long, covering the six provinces of the country. Batken province is mentioned for two and half pages on it, with just a paragraph about where I wanted to go, noting that it used to be dangerous.
The book was no good. I was going to need a local contact.
Zhunusbek was that person, and by getting me the right papers, getting me to the right places and negotiating with the right people, I got to the right place. Later, when it started going all guns and vodka, he got me out at the right time.
When Zhunusbek and Ernist told me they were coming to Manchester, I was elated. Guests from Kyrgyzstan. What a lovely surprise!
I showed them some of Manchester’s top climbing destinations, showed them round my parents house and even got Zhunusbek on the wall at Climbing Clan.
If you’re ever thinking about making wanderlusty travel plans for the post-covid years, have a chat with Ernist or Zhunusbek and they’ll share some things you could do. From snowy mountainbike touring to yurt stays and swimming – they have the contacts to make it happen.
Originally posted on this post on Instagram
