Tien Shan: Prepped & group 1

Update from our snow leopard volunteer project to the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan

We set off on Thursday for our base camp location. After eight hours on the road we arrived as night was falling only to get our big truck stuck in soft ground. After a few failed attempts at freeing the truck from the mud, we decided to pitch our tents and try again in the morning.

Sure enough the next day, Becca (ranger/guide) promptly freed the truck and it was all hands on deck setting up yurts, only breaking to reacquaint with old friends in the valley who paid a visit, they even mentioned having lost livestock to snow Leopards just weeks ago (more information needs to be gained with surveys) . Two days later, base camp was ready for the arrival of group 1.

On the way back, we went past another possible research site, Archaly valley, which looks good and promising, especially in light of what we wrote in the last expedition report, which we’re sure all expeditioners have read in preparation…. More on Archaly and our plans for this new site later.

Back in Bishkek, more last minute shopping before we met group 1 this morning for the long journey to base camp followed by plenty of learning in the first couple of days.

Update from our Kyrgyzstan expedition to the Tien Shan mountains, volunteering in snow leopard conservation.