Bischkek

Johannes and Yannic's cycle tour through the Tian Shan continues: through spectacular mountain landscapes and past turquoise lakes, the two of them cycle and push their way back towards Bishkek, interrupted time and again by interesting encounters with other travelers and locals.

Some people may look askance when you tell them that you have cycled through Kyrgyzstan, but the Central Asian country is now well known among adventure seekers. Most of Kyrgyzstan is crossed by the Tian Shan, a mountain range that stretches between Uzbekistan in the east and the Uyghur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang in northwest China. Johannes and Yannic spent 4 weeks cycling there and report on their trip.

Our travel reporter Zach Paley, a.k.a. Mr. Worldwide Skibum, spent the spring in Kyrgyzstan taking in the mountain air, drinking vodka, freezing in his tent, carrying his skis over scree for hours on end and experiencing so much more. Here he reports on a special kind of ski adventure: ski mountaineering near Bishkek, in Karakol and on Lenin Peak.

While some people are still puzzling over where Kyrgyzstan actually is, PG author Steffen can't get enough of this country. Together with friends, a driver and tons of Kyrgyz schnapps, he set off on a special kind of ski trip.

Kirgyzstan, Kyrgizstan, Kyrgyzstan: No matter how you turn it around, or write or speak about it - if you mention this vacation destination, you will mostly be met with puzzled looks. Either because the other person has no idea where the country in question is located, or because they don't understand what you are doing in such a remote country. It was precisely this lack of understanding that strengthened our decision to spend our vacation in Kyrgyzstan (we opted for this option), more precisely in the Tian Shan.

Old love rekindled, Kyrgyzstan, a country of contrasts. While the north of the country is characterized by the urban influence of the capital Bishkek, which often manifests itself in rampant alcoholism and corruption, in the south we find what we had hoped for: Semi-nomads who are close to nature, full of joie de vivre and who welcome us with warm-hearted hospitality.

Huge mountains, vodka, chai and a German-Swiss connection in search of foreign cultures, adventure and powder lines in Kyrgyzstan.

Jalpak Tash – A Kyrgyzstan Epic – the new ski short film by Anthony Bonello. The three skiers Izzy Lynch, Leah Evans and Mike Hopkins traveled to Kyrgyzstan in February 2012 to explore the wild, unknown mountains of the Tienshan. A traditional yurt served as their base camp in the largely undeveloped mountain landscape. The result of this unusual ski trip is a no less unusual and extremely worthwhile film, which celebrates its online premiere on Wednesday, November 14, 2012.

We had the opportunity to interview the athletes of the film Jalpak Tash | A Kyrgyzstan Epic, the new ski short film by Anthony Bonello. The three skiers Izzy Lynch, Leah Evans and Mike Hopkins traveled to Kyrgyzstan in February 2012 to explore the wild, unknown mountains of the Tienshan.