Just one day exploring the mountains here has made living in such basic conditions for 10 days suddenly more than worth it. Today, as you've probably guessed, I took a day off and tomorrow I will leave for Osh. Things have ended on an immense high. I trekked up the mountain immediately behind the camp early this morning, a two hour climb which was relatively easy to reach a 3,200 metre peak with panoramic views in all directions. The weather was a bit disapp...

Imagine you're in Big Brother - no communication with the outside world - no mobile, no television, no texting or email. Then imagine that Big Brother moved to Russia and you were the only English speaker. Combine that with the fact that Big Brother's just lost the luxury house, the warm shower, the toilets, perhaps most importantly the toilet paper, the warm beds ... welcome to Aksur. My days have been following a regular routine and the prospect of having ...

It is my fourth full day in Aksur. After a morning hike to see the setup of the work here, it has been relatively uneventful. I have, however, mastered the art of taking a shower in the ice cold stream. It's a painful experience and I wouldn't recommend you try unless you find you have to. The nights are getting colder and regularly dropping below freezing, as autumn gradually turns to winter. As strange as that sounds in mid September, it's what's slowly bu...

Last night the temperature dropped sharply, I expect not far above freezing point. The wagons used for sleeping are not particularly insulated, and so the temperature inside is not far above outside. Fortunately I have a warm sleeping bag, and there are plenty of blankets. Not to mention sleeping fully dressed. Things wake up in the camp from about 6am, in time for breakfast at 7am. It's very cold. Although the temperature is probably a few degrees above fre...

If I'd thought that my time in Kyrgyzstan so far had done anything to harden me, then I was in for a suprise. The coming weeks were set to be the ultimate endurance challenge as I headed from the city of Osh into the Fergana Range of the western Tien Shan Mountains. This would be my home for the next two weeks. The valley to which I was heading is really off the beaten track. It's somewhere you won't find written about in the Lonely Planet, you won't find ma...