THIS MONTH:

Departure at the end of September for a scouting mission into a new region of exploration for USnomads — the famed Silk Road across Central Asia. This initial recce will lay the groundwork for a longer and more ambitious journey tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2018. Using this first trip in the region to get an introduction to some different nomadic cultures and adventurous terrain that poses new challenges…

COMING UP SOON:

Women’s Wheeling Day at Rausch Creek, on Saturday October 21st. This is the second annual edition of this ladies run for all levels from beginners to advanced, focusing on encouraging women to build more confidence out on the trails and learn what their vehicles are capable of…


A brief visit to a laid back Florida location to reconnect with friends and family…


Heading back to the city of light, for old neighborhoods, good friends and some background work for the next Sahara segment…

HUNTING WITH EAGLES

Eagle Hunting is a traditional form of falconry found throughout the Eurasian steppe, practiced by Kazakh and Kyrgyz people in contemporary Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as in Mongolia and some parts of China. Archaeologists trace back falconry in Central Asia to the first or second millennium BC. The hunters, on horseback, use golden eagles to hunt primarily foxes and rabbits. The tradition of eagle hunting is more than a thousand years old. Genghis Khan is believed to have engaged in the sport. Marco Polo described it. In the Mongol era, it is said, a fine eagle and good horse cost the same price and both lent prestige to their owner. Golden eagles are massive birds with wingspans up to two and half meters. Hunters prefer females because they are larger and regarded as more aggressive. Females weigh up to seven kilograms and it takes a great deal of strength to hold one of these large birds in your arm. When horses are on the move the eagles unfurl their wings for balance. A quality golden eagle can hunt for 30 years or more. The capture and training of eagles is a highly ritualised activity. The hunters climb up high into the mountains to capture a bird from its nest when it is around two years old, which is old enough to know how to hunt but young enough to be pliable to human training. The eagles are domesticated, fed by hand, and will live with the hunters’ families for years. Training eagles takes a lot of time, (3-4 years), must be done by one person, and requires constant daily attention. The bird learns the sound of his master’s voice — eagles can distinguish human voices and will obey only that of his master)…

TASH RABAT

Tash Rabat is a well-preserved 15th century stone caravanserai located at an altitude of 3,200 meters in Kyrgystan not far from the Torugart Pass and the border crossing to China. Caravanserais supported the network of trade routes along the Silk Road. They were protected places where the caravans could stop and rest. The structure at Tash Rabat consists of 31 rooms, including chambers in the central hall. The main rooms are dome-shaped and the caravanserai is constructed of crushed stone on clay mortar with gypsum mortar sealing joints. Tash Rabat is an example of a typical caravanserai with a rectangular walled exterior and a single portal wide enough to permit large or heavily laden beasts such as camels to enter. Inside rooms include animal stalls, bays, niches, or chambers to accommodate merchants and their servants, animals, and merchandise. Caravanserais provided water for human and animal consumption and had shops where travelers could re-supply. They also served as trading centers, for the merchant caravans en route to their final destinations…

THE SILK ROAD

The Silk Road was an extensive network of trade routes across Eurasia connecting the East and West. More than simply a trade route, it served as a conduit for cultural interaction and an exchange of ideas as well. The trade routes became known as the Silk Road because of the lucrative trade in silk that began during the Han dynasty (207 BCE – 220 CE). The Han dynasty expanded Central Asian sections of the trade routes around 114 BCE, largely through missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang Qian. The Chinese took great interest in the safety of their trade products and extended the Great Wall of China to ensure the protection of the trade route. Trade on the Silk Road played a significant role in the development of the civilizations of China, Korea, Japan, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe, the Horn of Africa and Arabia, opening long-distance political and economic relations between the civilizations. Though silk was certainly the major trade item exported from China, many other goods were traded as well…

THE PARMIR HIGHWAY

The M41, more commonly known as the Pamir Highway is a road traversing the Pamir Mountains through Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia. It is the only continuous route through the difficult terrain of the mountains and has been in use for millennia, as there are a limited number of viable routes through the high Pamirs. This route formed one link of the ancient Silk Road trade route. Today, the route starts at Termiz at 37°12′39″N 67°16′20″E and ends at Kara-Balta to the west of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan at 42°49′40″N 73°52′53″E. With some sections at an elevation of 4,655 meters, the Pamir Highway is the second highest altitude road in the world. The roadway is unpaved in some areas and is heavily damaged in places by erosion, earthquakes, landslides, and avalanches…

THE UAZ PATRIOT

The UAZ Patriot is a Russian-built vehicle designed to be comparable to a US Jeep. Produced by the UAZ division of SeverstalAvto in Ulyanovsk, Russia, it is a capable off-road vehicle adapted to extreme driving conditions. With locking differential, high clearance, and body-on-frame construction, the upgraded UAZ Patriot is able to conquer rough roads, while still offering a comfortable and safe ride. The petrol-fueled version (2.7 L gasoline engine, 134.6 horsepower) we used in Kyrgyzstan has ground clearance measured up to the axle housing of 210 mm, with an approach angle of 35° and a departure angle of 30°. It has a body-on-frame construction and part-time 4WD with a gear ratio of 2.542…

ABOUT KYRGYZSTAN

The Kyrgyz Republic is a landlocked country in Central Asia, bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek. Characterized by mountainous terrain, Kyrgyzstan has been at the crossroads of several great civilizations, most notably as part of the Silk Road caravan routes. Though long inhabited by a succession of independent tribes and clans, Kyrgyzstan has periodically fallen under foreign domination and attained sovereignty as a nation-state only after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ethnic Kyrgyz make up the majority of the country’s 5.7 million people, followed by significant minorities of Uzbeks and Russians. Kyrgyz is closely related to other Turkic languages, although Russian remains widely spoken and is an official language. The majority of the population are non-denominational Muslims. In addition to its Turkic origins, Kyrgyz culture bears elements of Persian, Mongolian and Russian influence. However, many aspects of ancient Kyrgyz culture have been preserved due in part to the geographical isolation provided by its high mountain terrain…

HISTORIC ISTANBUL

The historic old city center of Istanbul is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is frequented by millions of tourists each year. The distinctive and characteristic skyline of Istanbul was built up over many centuries and encompasses the Hagia Sophia whose vast dome reflects the architectural and decorative expertise of the 6th century, the 15th century Fatih complex and Topkapi Palace, the Süleymaniye Mosque and Sehzade Mosque which reflects the climax of Ottoman architecture in the 16th century and the 17th century Blue Mosque. The protected status ensures that this area of the city is preserved from the combined threats of population pressure, industrial pollution and uncontrolled urbanization. Strategically located on the Bosphorus peninsula between the Balkans and Anatolia, the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, Istanbul was successively the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Ottoman Empire and has been associated with major events in political history, religious history and art history for more than 2,000 years. The city is situated on a peninsula which is surrounded by the Golden Horn, a natural harbor on the north, the Bosphorus on the east and the Marmara Sea on the south. The Historic Peninsula, on which the former Byzantium and Constantinople developed, was surrounded by ancient walls, built initially by Theodosius in the early fifth century. The Outstanding Universal Value of Istanbul resides in its unique integration of architectural masterpieces that reflect the meeting of Europe and Asia over many centuries, and in its incomparable skyline formed by the creative genius of Byzantine and Ottoman architects…

Nesconset | Istanbul | Bishkek

MORE NOTES FROM THE ROAD:
1-17 September – Rebelle U
15-31 August – Arizona
8-14 August – TFT9
1-7 August – Serbia
July – NY and Serbia
June – NY and Paris
May – Wheelers Overland
22-30 April – Algeria
15-21 April – Algeria
8-14 April – Algeria
1-7 April – AOAA
March – Long Island
February – Sand dunes and Paris
January – El Camino del Diablo and more
December – Roadtrip
November – Paris
October – Rebelle wrap up
1-7 Oct – NY to Reno
Archive

SPECIAL REPORT

ALGERIA SCOUTING

A look into south-eastern Algeria on the border with Libya and Niger: overlanding with the Tuareg in one of the most remote corners of the Sahara … [read]

SPECIAL REPORT

INTO THE MAZE

Detailed series on a solo scouting journey into some of the remotest backcountry around Moab. The six day 450-mile off-pavement trip into the Maze district of the Canyonlands National Park offers insight into the challenges of expedition planning… [read]

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