travel, adapting for others’ pace without fuss or anxiety. We quickly figured out Rule One; watch out( esp in the mirrors) and be prepared to avoid shit ahead. The second order of business was tackling the first of many mountain passes, this one being the Too-Ashuu pass. The pass itself is at an altitude of 3585m but to ease the severe climb and winter driving conditions, 50 years ago they punched a 4km long tunnel through the top the mountain 500m below the summit.
We descended to the plains of the Susamir Valley, the largest alpine pasture in Central Asia and onto our first nights’ accommodation at a camp near Suusamyr.
DAY TWO Sampling other countries’ culture and adjusting to their norms jolts you out of the layers of protection and control you get all too comfortable with at home. Gas stations, for example, have a comprehensive selection of liquors, including a greater selection( by a mile) of vodkas than beers. Drivers are busy on their phones everywhere you look but they all seem to manage it without causing a wreck. Our route took us through the incredibly colourful gorges of the Kokomeren Canyon
KIWI RIDER 41