Kyrgyzstan

An unknown land, an unknown culture, unknown people—that’s exactly what made this trip to Kyrgyzstan so special. We didn’t know what to expect. Martin and I set out hoping to discover and climb new mixed routes. A fellow mountain guide from Kyrgyzstan regularly posts photos from this region. In one of these photos, a large overhang with a diagonal crack immediately caught my eye: an impressive line—obvious, striking, and challenging. It was immediately clear: This is our destination.

There are no hotels there in the winter. So we stayed with a couple who run a small guesthouse. Pavel and Irina were incredibly warm and helpful. Thanks to a mobile phone translator, we were able to communicate surprisingly well. From there, it took us about an hour to reach the starting point of our route. The hike up was pleasant and took about 90 minutes. The temperatures were perfect—around freezing.

Our route took us a total of three days. One major difference from other expeditions was that this time we documented everything ourselves. That’s exactly how we wanted to do it—as professionally as possible. It wasn’t easy, though. Climbing in difficult terrain while simultaneously piloting the drone is challenging. And operating the camera while belaying isn’t exactly without risk. However, since the route consisted of only two pitches, it was possible in the first place.

We also climbed a few other routes in the area and got to know the region a little better.

Our trip ended with a visit to the large market in Bishkek.

Martin and I are very happy with everything we’ve experienced and accomplished. Our journey has truly turned out to be something very special—and above all, Kyrgyzstan and its people are now anything but unfamiliar to us.

February 16–25, 2026 / Martin Echser / Photos: Dani Archive