пик Дементьева, 4202m, Kyrgyzstan
The second part of the Kyrgyzstan story by Julian Fink & Franz Wimmer
Greetings from Kyrgyzstan! The final preparations are underway, and tonight we are spending our last night in Karakol – authentically in a traditional Kyrgyz yurt. The backpack is packed, but one important detail is missing: fuel for our stove? No luck! So, we set off in search of fuel. Last time, our legendary taxi driver Razul – from our previous adventure – managed to fill a plastic bottle directly at the gas station with some luck. Strictly forbidden for safety reasons…
This time, we were luckier. Our friendly neighbors from the hostel gave us some fuel – and even invited us for dinner. A perfect ending – it couldn’t have gone better! Then, two Dutch travelers from the hostel asked if we wanted to share a taxi with them the next morning – they were heading to the exact same valley as us. We showed them our destination on the map several times, and they assured us it was the same valley.
"Yeah, perfect. What could possibly go wrong, right?"
Everything was going according to plan. The taxi arrived, we drove along bumpy roads into the valley, got out, felt excited… and realized we ended up in the neighboring valley.
Yay! (Instead of the Jeti-Oguz Valley, we landed in the neighboring Ak-Suu Valley.)
Luckily, we had all our gear and were ready for an adventure. So, we reoriented ourselves and simply started walking.
"Let’s go! On to the next adventure!"
Honestly, we even enjoyed the unexpected expedition mode. The landscape was incredible – braided rivers, wild horses, and perfect weather.
"What more could you want?"
After about nine kilometers in the valley, we had to cross a river and then ascended steeply southwest to reach a plateau, where we found our first bivouac spot.
Originally, we planned to cross a saddle to reach our intended neighboring valley. But fate had other plans. In the distance, we spotted an intriguing ridge – far too exciting to ignore!
"Oh boy, this will be another adventure!"
The closer we got, the more inviting the ridge appeared. A summit ascent via the ridge seemed increasingly possible.
"What a beautiful mountain!"
But first, we had to trudge through deep snow.
The Ascent Begins
We pushed our way up to the first saddle (1) – still through deep snow.
"Exhausting beyond belief. But in the end, it's always worth it."
From the first saddle (1), we continued to the fore-summit (2), where the ridge to our target summit (3) began.
"One last climb for today. Let's go!"
At the fore-summit (2), we found a flat snowfield – perfect for our second bivouac.
Sunset, dinner, warm sleeping bags, beer – simply perfect.
The summit stage – but not as planned
Looking closely at the summit ridge, it seemed far less inviting. After our second bivouac at 4,000m, we decided to descend westward via a scree gully – the ridge was objectively too dangerous. But then, a new possibility emerged!
On the northwest side of the summit, we spotted an attractive ascent line:
Short rock sections in mixed terrain and steep snowfields led directly to the summit. So, we spontaneously changed our plan – and started the new route. First, we traversed flat scree and glaciers. Then, the terrain became steeper – the real excitement began!
Now it was all about full concentration! We belayed ourselves – fortunately, there were great placements for protection. Then came the exit from the mixed terrain…
… onto a rock where we set up a belay station. Another short, easier pitch over rock and snow…
… and on to the next belay. From there, we continued without a rope over long, steep snow slopes. The final summit push was along a snow-covered ridge – absolutely breathtaking.
"Yeehaw!"
The joy was immense! A quick summit selfie and then simply enjoying the view. There is something so special about discovering a summit purely out of curiosity and without pressure.
The Descent – Focus Until the End
Now it was all about focus – descending steep snowfields required maximum attention. We each made our own descent tracks – for avalanche safety and to avoid sinking into existing tracks.
It worked perfectly! We bypassed the mixed pitch by descending a steep couloir to "skier's left." After the final snow slopes, we finally reached our backpacks.
Now: music and snacks.
"What a day!"
The route led past melting glaciers and long scree fields back to greener terrain. Suddenly, we faced an impassable rock wall. According to the map, a path should descend here – but the found fixed rope ended in a wet, overhanging chimney.
Turning back? Not an option.
We followed the river and discovered an alternative climbing spot where we could downclimb and cross the river knee-deep.
"Phew, that was lucky!"
Who would have thought the biggest challenge would come after the summit?
"Kyrgyzstan, you wild gem. An adventure awaits around every corner."
Conclusion
In Kyrgyzstan, there are barely any reliable weather reports or current conditions. So, we embraced what lay ahead. This spontaneous route finding, climbing without set routes, and adapting to surprises made this climb so special. Such an experience is rare in the Alps – but here in Kyrgyzstan, everything feels like limitless, untouched wilderness.
"Only life writes stories like these!"
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