Offline in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan

Green hills, wide valleys with fast-flowing glacial rivers, galloping horses and isolated yurts with friendly shepherds. Far from our homegrown Dolomites, I set off on a trip to Central Asia, Kyrgyzstan to be precise. A country whose landscape, mountains, lakes, cultures and faces I was still unfamiliar with.

For my trekking over several days, the backpack is filled with only the essentials, and no weight should be carried in vain on the trails at 3,000 meters above sea level. Functional clothing, such as my absolute favorite, the Alessia Polartec® Alpha® wind jacket, the Martine long-sleeve tee, the Katharina lightweight stretch pants, the Teresa shorts, two T-shirts, the Barbara sweatshirt and the thick reversible Irmi jacket in ReMOCA Pad®will keep me warm on the mountain.

Many Kyrgyz are semi-nomadic and set up their yurts in the mountains in summer where their cattle can graze. On one of my treks, my two friends and I are warmly welcomed by a nomadic family and immediately invited for tea. Thanks to our limited knowledge of Russian, we are able to communicate with the family and decide to spend the night with them in the yurt. We play with the children, help Majramkul, the mother, with the cooking and she shows us how to milk the cows. I soon realize that the woman not only takes care of the household and the children, but also of the cattle, which her husband drives back to the yurt from the pasture in the evening. She is the last to go to sleep and also the first to get up early in the morning.

This encounter is not the only one in Kyrgyzstan. While hiking, we repeatedly meet nomadic families who always invite us in for a cup of tea and bread with homemade butter. Far away from the stress of everyday life, we immerse ourselves in a new culture, play with the children and enjoy the moments full of joy.

The mountains in the north-east of the country, around the Ak Suu Valley and Lake Ala Kul, provide an enchanting setting. Horses with their foals, cows with their calves and countless sheep graze on the lush green meadows. In the background is a kilometer-long valley followed by a steeply rising pass.

We head into the valley along the river up to the first pass. The air is fresh and clean, but the first clouds are piling up above us. It doesn’t take long for the first claps of thunder to be heard. Within a short time it starts to rain, even hail. Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of nature, we have no choice but to carry on hiking until we see a hut in the distance with smoke billowing up. Soaked from the rain, we head straight there, where two shepherds welcome us and we can warm ourselves with them.

After a brief exchange with the men, the sun appears again and we continue our hike. After an arduous day, we arrive at a plateau in the evening, which is perfect for camping. Exhausted, I pitch my tent and can finally enjoy the last rays of sunshine. Pure mountain me-time in the Kyrgyz mountains. Offline without cell phone reception, something I’ve been dreaming of for a long time.

On my other mountain tours, it’s not just the breathtaking scenery that captivates me, but above all the peace and quiet. Not being reachable on my smartphone, the time away from social media, simply the silence of the phone. In these moments, I can concentrate fully on the here and now and live and internalize the moment and the adventure.

In the south-west of the country, the landscape changes; it rarely rains in August and the green pastures have turned ochre brown. Here, too, I spend a few days in a yurt and go on various day hikes. I find myself at 3,500 meters above sea level and hike even higher. At times, there is no path up the steep, grassy slopes, so I make imaginary hairpin bends as if I were ski touring. At 4,000 meters above sea level, the air becomes much thinner and my pulse beats faster. In front of me, the highest mountain in Kyrgyzstan stretches towards the sky and the proximity of the glacier impresses me.

Before I lie down to rest in the mountains, I never miss the chance to look up at the sky. I am always fascinated by the brightly lit starry sky. Up here in the mountains, they shine particularly brightly and the Milky Way is clearly visible. Although it is cold, I stay outside the yurt and enjoy this somewhat different mountain me-time and stare at the endless stars for a while.

Three weeks have flown by and I have gained countless impressions of this country and life. I was impressed by the hospitality, the mountains and the simple lifestyle of the people. I will probably remember this extraordinary trip for a long time to come and remember the great encounters with a smile.

In Kyrgyzstan, I associate Mountain Me-Time not only with time on the mountain, but also with being together with the people, their friendliness and warmth.