TIan Snan Range

I first came across Central Asian mountains in Kyrgyzstan's northern neighbor Kazakhstan. So, when I hopped into the marshrutka from Almaty to Bishkek, I thought I had a good idea of what lay ahead. Then I saw them for real and realized just how foolishly wrong my assumption was. While Kazakhstan's mountains were pretty incredible, Kyrgyzstan's Tian Shan were out of this world. And I'm only slightly exaggerating by using that expression. At some places they were so high that it seemed as if they were reaching into the stratosphere. They stood taller and were sharper and more jagged than any I had ever seen before (Georgia included), and they were so numerous. It didn't matter if I was in Bishkek, Issyk Kol, Karakol, or (presumably) any other place within the country. Lining the horizon in every direction, these giants stood like a jagged wall.

But there was more than just their appearance. There was (thankfully) no tourist industry developed around these peaks, they weren't barren or deserted by any means. During my numerous hikes, I rarely came across other backpackers, but I did see other things like herds of sheep and/or cows being led by men on horseback and families gathered around circular white tents. These mountains we're still being used as they had for centuries, as homes for animals and nomadic herders. They felt alive, as such an environment should be, not on display for photo ops. So, naturally, I ended up spending a majority of my time there. And it was amazing.