Photos

Silkroad travels: Kyrgyzstan
We have descended from the Kong-Alay Kirkasy, the Trans-Alay range. A last glance back over our shoulders shows the green Northern flank of the Trans-Alay. We are at 3'350m asl. and heading for the great Alay öröönü (=valley).

Sven Hedin passed here on March 3, 1893 and tells us about the deep snow and about the horses breaking in from time to time. On top of the Pamir at the Kara kul he encountered little or no snow cover but very low temperatures. (Literature: Sven Hedin, Durch Asiens Wüsten von Stockholm nach Kashgar, 1893-1895. Edition Erdmann). Marco Polo mentions for the same stretch the lack of food and shelter for 18 days.

On the horizon to the right you notice the 6'008m high pik Korzhenievskovo. In the foreground there are not Yaks but cows and Carex physoides, a low grass with stems of triangular crossection.