#VisitJyrgalan – Backcountry Skiing in the Tien Shan There’s something special, I daresay sacred, in the quiet of a bright winter morning. A silence that seems to stretch for miles, disturbed only by the faraway call of a lone bird or melting ice crashing to the ground. It’s a […]
Victory! Celebrating Victory Day in Bishkek. I’m currently out of the country, missing this year’s Victory Day celebrations in Kyrgyzstan. This is a big year, though, the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and likely the last big anniversary that will see a significant number of […]
Defenders of the Fatherland Day: Holidays in Bishkek, Soviet-style (This article originally posted on Defenders of the Fatherland Day in 2014. To follow updates from 2015’s holiday in Bishkek, follow my Facebook Page and Instagram feed.) Once ‘Red Army Day’, then ‘Soviet Army and Navy Day’, and now finally ‘Defenders of the […]
Winter in Kyrgyzstan: Snow Camping at Ala-Archa The long frozen Bishkek winter takes it toll on my traditional pastimes. Growing up in Louisiana, deep in the US south, my love for the outdoors has always extended to camping and hiking and multi-day backpacking but given the locale usually only the warm-weather […]
Kumtor Gold Mine: Kyrgyzstan’s Fine Line Between Ecology and Economy Standing squarely at the heart of countless clashes, the Kumtor Gold Mine is equally one of Kyrgyzstan’s most important economic contributors and one of its most controversial environmental and investment considerations. The Kumtor Gold Mine is located high in the mountains […]
Saving Snow Leopards in Kyrgyzstan: the NABU Rehabilitation Center Alternate Title: Gratuitous Pictures of Snow Leopards The whole thing started, really, with a ‘Special Exhibition on Snow Leopards’ in the Kyrgyzstan State Museum of Fine Arts. Walking through those quiet halls looking at a hundred-odd photos and drawings snow leopards […]
Hey there! I'm Stephen, this is my travel blog, and that's me in the poofy hat.
I'm a photographer / writer traveling since 2008, and I've been doing my best to visit amazing places.
My current focus is Central Asia, because for a hiking and camping enthusiast it's as good as it gets.