Ashley Burke, Kazakhstan

KAZAKHSTAN - The Marble Wall and Khan Tengri Traverse

01 Aug 2011 - Flight into the Tian Shan Mountains


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It started as a cold and wet morning at Karkara base camp, but the weather improved sufficiently for an awesome helicopter flight deep into the mountains. The helicopter dropped me in the middle of nowhere with my 2 guides who spoke virtually no English. We took a load of gear up a glacier after crossing a freezing cold glacial torrent. Then we returned to our tent at the helicopter dropoff point and camped - 3200m.

	On the morning of 1 Aug 2011 the helicopter was being loaded up in readiness for our flight into the mountains. The night had been stormy but now the weather had improved, although it was still cold and windy.
	The portholes of the helicopter are open to the elements, with no glass. The cold air blasted through the window as the helicopter gained altitude and followed this valley upstream and into the mountains.
	As the helicopter flew deeper into the mountains, forested valleys and rivers gave way to alpine plains and snowcapped hills.
	The snowcapped hills then gave way to massive glaciers and higher peaks of permanent ice and snow.
	Just one of dozens of glaciers that we flew over as we headed deeper into the mountains.
	Eventually we were dropped at this remote valley in the southeastern corner of Kazakhstan. The mountain range to the right of the valley forms the Chinese border.
	As soon as we had alighted from the chopper it flew off, leaving us alone. From now on my only company would be myself, my two guides who spoke no English, my diary and my book.
	After the chopper left we setoff up the glacier to portage a load of gear further up the valley.
	Our first dinner. Initially the food is quite good - tinned meat, tinned milk and a bag of breadcrumbs.

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Page created 29 Nov 2011, last updated 5 Dec 2011.


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