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.

Floss the Taco

"...sometimes there's a man... I won't say a hero, 'cause, what's a hero? But sometimes, there's a man. And I'm talkin' about [Bill] here. Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there. And that's [Bill], in [Dehli? Last I heard he was in Dehli]."

Ойлонбой кылуу: Kyrgyz for Spontaneous

This Referee was having a good time Chronological schedule of selected events that occurred during the weekend of February 21st, 2014.

Teacher & Pioneer

Matt coming down We snapped photos, especially of the steep north face. I spent a good amount of reflecting on this zone, gazing at Amangeldi Peak, Komsomol Peak, Chimbulak Peak, and so many others that I have had such an amazing time exploring. This is a truly amazing zone that has very much influenced my alpine skills.

Пик Локомотив (Lokomotiv Peak) 4128m – Summertime

Ice-capped summit The climb and descent were great, but the thing that blew me away about this climb was the views from the top. This was the furthest I have ventured into the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan, and they only get bigger and better the further south I have gone. The pictures hardly give the views justice.

Timur’s Revenge

The Chorsu Cafeteria under a shashlik smoke-screen I have had a number of students from Uzbekistan while working in Almaty, and three of them had advised me to make sure I try both Samarkand plov and Tashkent plov. The main difference between the two, in theory, is that Samarkand plov is cooked with the rice separate from the meat and carrots, whereas in Tashkent plov it is all cooked together. Blinded by the incredible goodness from the Samarkand bazaar plov, Saranna, Eli and I anxiously ordered bowls of plov in the Chorsu bazaar. The Tashkent plov was notably different, probably because no one else in the complex was eating it, unlike in Samarkand where we had to wait for a table because everyone within a mile radius was eating the delicious concoction.