Climbing in Kyrgyzstan?

[Sol]

I an considering applying for a grant at the Fairhaven college at WWU. the grant is called an adventure learners grant and is for $15,000 to travel abroad for 10 months. Most importantly the grant givers want you to go somewhere in which you are personally challegend. I've been considering the Kyrgyzstan for a number of reasons. One, it would proably blow my lid off (very, very poor country), It has killer climbing, and it is about as far away from my security bubble as I can get. Anybody ever travel or climb there? I know tommy and beth got kidnapped there, I can't find their book anywhere, do you folks know the titile? Also I remember in a somewhat recent issue of climbing or rock and ice an article about some graduate student living there, climbing, and building schools, does anybody remember what issue that was? or the guy's name? Also besides kyrgyzstan can anybody recomment any other exotic foreign locations in which I could challenge myself and do some killler climbing? any thoughts would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

[cj001f]

If your looking for information on the current status of a country, start here , a brand new Kyrgz warning was issued last Friday. Also try the lonely planet & other travel websites. You can find interesting climbing in much of Central Asia. Or look at Africa - there's much interesting climbing there, place like Mali , and for a real adventure - head to the Ruwenzori right now! And the puns (unintentional?) were bad in your post.

[Sol]

cj001f said:

If your looking for information on the current status of a country, start here , a brand new Kyrgz warning was issued last Friday. Also try the lonely planet & other travel websites. You can find interesting climbing in much of Central Asia. Or look at Africa - there's much interesting climbing there, and for a real adventure - head to the Ruwenzori right now! And the puns (unintentional?) were bad in your post.

If the puns were intentional they would be bad. but they weren't.

[salbrecher]

Baffin Island, Antarctica.

[Jason_Martin]

Sean Issac mentioned that he was going there at the Indoor Ice Comp in Everett. He said he went there before with no problems. He told me that he was going back to the same place he went last time this year to climb some more crazy routes.

 

I'd check in AAJ's for recent activity there. And there were two books written about the kidnapping. One of them was by Greg Child and the other was by someone else I can't remember.

 

Check Climbing Magazine#199 and #206 for more beta on the kidnappings.

 

Jason

Edited November 5, 2003 by Jason_Martin

[Winter]

Krz is a good choice if you're into objective politcal danger. If not, check out Madagascar and Mt. Kenya - just one thought. Tons of new routes to put up on Mt. Kenya, which I've seen. I've heard there is a lot of new route potential on the big walls of Mad, although I haven't been there. Overland travel is East Africa is an adventure.

[Sol]

thanks for the info. folks, keep it coming. after reading that state department warning i'm thinking about south america......

[Pencil_Pusher]

I don't know if he posts here, but there is a self-professed dirtbag skier who has skied every month for the past 90-100 months named Bill F. I think he went to that wacky-named Kyrzygstan-whatever place about two years back. He's a white boy so maybe he pulled off some german or russian accent to keep his american butt out of trouble, I don't know. Gregm on this bored might be able to point you in this dude's direction.

[carolyn]

Garth WIllis is the persons name. He is actually a fellow minnesotan. Great guy with a lot of passion for what he does. He is always looking for people to do internships over the summer months, if that interests you. At the moment he is in DUsanbe, Tajikistan where he is helping them set up an internet network in the schools thru out the country. You can contact him at garth@alpinefund.org

I believe his website is www.alpineorg.com. If thats not correct and you cant find it, let me know and I will dig it up.

 

Garth is a super kewl and very approachable. He can fill you in realistically on the security issues and other things to expect if you choose to go over there. I would highly reccomend dropping him a line.

 

Good Luck.