The crew over at Powder.kz put together this rad footage for a Backcountry Season compilation, which I am honored to be a part of.
Category: Kazakhstan
A Marathon in More Ways than One
What I did not anticipate was that I would lose feeling in my toes during the mountaineering mission in Kyrgyzstan, so I ended up running this marathon without feeling in most of my toes, except pain when I ran downhill, especially on asphalt.
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The *Mental* Traverse: Peak Panfilov to Peak Karlytau
We took our time on the tip of the summit, taking lots of photos and having lots of laughs. I think when you complete an exposed climb like this, there is something psychological about the summit that makes mountaineering become more than a sport or hobby, but as something one cannot live without. I had experienced an even greater relief and stronger positive energy at the summit of Komsomol Peak the summer before after free-soloing the Northwest Face, but this feeling is exponentially increased when the experience is shared with partners, perhaps because other people have overcome the same fears and obstacles, and they too have the electric feeling that only a hard-earned summit in difficult circumstances can provide.
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Пик Молодежная (Peak Molodezhnaya) 4147m – Summertime
The climb of the western ridge of Molodezhnaya is pretty simple, if you stray too far left, you'll be on glacial ice, and too far right will put one on loose rocks. The snow was perfect to climb and we made short work of it. The summit was easy to find, and we took plenty of photos of Peak of the Soviets and the surrounding mountains of Tuyuksu Glacier.
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A Day Lasts More than 100 Years (The Visitors & the Cosmostansiya)
I dropped into a slot first, jumping hard to get it to break below me, which it eventually did and ran the entire path wall-to-wall. I found a protected spot, where Eric and Anya joined me, and Zack was able to get the rest of the hangfire to break off above us. We stuck to the slide path after that until the slope shallowed, allowing us to enjoy some powder. Definitely tricky conditions for my brother's first line in Kazakhstan!
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The Grand Abai Couloir with Powder.kz
Back in March, I got a call from my buddy Rage to check out a line on Abai Peak that is very visible from the city of Almaty. Arrangements were made for an early start, and we ended up snagging this line which was probably the best of the Spring season for me.
