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 […]
Hiking in Kyrgyzstan: Chunkurchak Valley There are moments when I want to hike for days on end, climbing a new mountain pass every morning and exploring a new valley each afternoon. There are also moments when I want to get out of the city for a day and take a […]
Kyrgyzstan Climbing Festival: Alpinada in Ala-Archa The outdoors community in Kyrgyzstan can be counted on for nothing if not an embracing sense of community and a dash of craziness. With that in mind, I set off from Bishkek on the afternoon of April 30th to join over 150 other […]
Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan If I were to recommend only one thing to a newly-arrived expat to Bishkek that wanted to meet people and explore Kyrgyzstan a little bit, it would be to join the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan and tag along on some of their weekend trips. In winter […]
Ice-Skating at Medeo With a distinct appreciation for snowy mountains and Soviet-era relics, how could I avoid a trip to the ice-skating rink at Medeo on my last visit to Almaty?
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.