I touched down in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, after a short three week break in Germany where I had to sort out some personal stuff, and also built my new bike. Over 90% of Kyrgyzstan is covered with mountains – the third most mountainous country in the world (1. Bhutan, 2. Tajikistan). Cities are usually located in the valleys, and roads connecting cities are sparse as they will require steep passes or kilometre long tunnels.

On my way towards Uzbekistan, I had to overcome two 3200m high passes, firstly the rather unspectacular “Too Ashuu” pass, at the top of which I had to hitchhike to get through a 5km long tunnel. Tunnels in Central Asia tend to be quite dangerous as they often date back to Soviet times and lack proper lighting and ventilation.

The second pass, “Ala-Bel”, was much more scenic as it was a gradual climb through the picturesque Sussamyr Valley which was still covered with meter-high snow. While temperatures of -8C aren’t too extreme, I gladly accepted an offer to sleep in a restaurant, as finding a suitable campsite was near impossible.
In the summer the valley is a popular place for semi-nomadic Kyrgyz to set up their yurts and let their livestock graze on the pastures.

Leaving the snowy Sussamyr Valley behind, temperatures quickly rose as I cycled along the scenic Naryn river/reserve. Because of border disputes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan (thanks to Stalin’s intend of creating ethnic conflicts by drawing senseless borders) one cannot cross the border directly and has to take a detour via Uzbekistan. The Kyzyl-Art Pass on the Pamir Highway is the only exception, but I would use this crossing at a later date.

This detour lead me through the Fergana Valley, the agricultural center of Uzbekistan as it is situated at low altitude and fed by the rivers from the surrounding mountains, creating optimal farming conditions. The landscape is rather boring and the roads can be quite bad, but the people are very hospitable, constantly inviting one for tea and food.
After just three days I already left the country and entered Tajikistan, where I was welcomed by friendly border guards and old Soviet mosaics, which I hadn’t come across in Kyrgyzstan nor Uzbekistan.