It took us eight hours form Bishkek to base yesterday, including some scouting stops. We were lucky to have a sunny day on the Bishkek side. Driving over the pass, the views are spectacular on a clear day. The tunnel through to the other side, however, is dark, dank, full of fumes and scary.
Without the truck and scouting stops, it should take us about six hours on Monday with Group 1. Yesterday, we arrived by 19:00 and put up the kitchen and mess tents, as well as our own. When darkness fell at around 21:00, we had something resembling a base.
It drizzled when we put up camp. When we rose at 05:00 this morning, this had turned into snow. Pack acrrordingly! The snow did not stay for long on the ground, but the mountains around us are covered in icing sugar not far from our base.
The pictures show a bird’s eye view of camp. Our British Ecological Society approved toilets are marked in red. If we have time, we will produce a video of how to s**** amongst the rocks. Watch this space… Other pictures are Shilo and Volodya putting up tents, Ronald sorting out paperwork in the mess tent with our maps and summary datasheets in the background and Emma in action in the kitchen tent. As I write this, the drizzle has turned into rain. Don’t you love the sound of rain on a tent flysheet!
From our snow leopard volunteering expedition in the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan
Biosphere Expeditions: blogs from the frontline of wildlife conservation and the fight for a more sustainable planet 
Have a successful expedition Marion and Pete from Bunbury Australia. The MTF crew will be keeping tabs on you. Have fun s******* amongst the rocks!!