That trip had happened because of the joke. I visited hunting show, which took place in 2013 in Rostov-on-Don, and met my old fellow Benjamin Kaschaev. We were talking about everything and then began to joke about my trip to Kyrgyzstan, Benjamin’s motherland, where he invited me. It's known that mountain hunts are one of the most expensive and I’ve never thought about myself as about mountain hunter. I dreamed about in and even imagined myself in the mountains but in the distant future. Later in summer we talked about it once again and it was not a joke. I felt that I wanted to go there. I needed a good company and somebody who would support me that’s why invited Yuri Gonnov to join. He easily agreed and from that time our adventure depended on the ticket’s dates only.
The local representatives warm welcomed us at the airport. We went through the customs, sat into the car and drove to the hunting area. We arrived to Bishkek by the night flight and were tired that's fell asleep as soon as sat into the car. It seemed that I just blinked when opened my eyes and saw mountain by both sides! The impression was intensified by the contrast between the plain and the mountains and I wasn’t even sure that it happened with us not with somebody else.
The car stopped on the bank of the well-known Issyk-Kul lake. I heard about it a lot but was surprised by its salted water. It seemed that I could watch endlessly its calm surf and waves, hide the depth of that ancient reservoir.
That day we spent in Karakol town (Przhevalsk in the past). Next morning, we were going to the camp, located on the height 3200m. We tried to acclimatize (1600 masl) and visited the museum and the grave of the famous researcher of Asia N.M. Przhevalsky I read his books but could hardly imagine that see his last refuge where he wanted to stay forever. Those mountains were the witnesses of his adventures and great discoveries.
We got up early in the morning, loaded all equipment and drove to the camp. It was rain and snow but we all were in a high spirit.
We reached the mountains at sunrise. They mutely looked at us and didn’t allow the bad weather to come through. The blue sky and the sun accompanied us till the end of the trip. The ground under the wheels wasn’t firm and it made me nervous when I looked to the deep abysses by the road's sides. The passes are created to help the travelers to feel better because it took your breath away by the amazing views each time when you cross it. And then you move ahead but down. The highest pass, we crossed, was 4200 masl and I didn't feel well there. Probably it happened because of altitude.
In one place, near the spring we found the ibex bones - the result of the successful wolf hunt. By the way, we saw the remains of the wolf feasts each day.
At noon we arrived to the place. The guides and cooks waited for us already. They met us with smiles, everything was ready for the hunt. We had lunch. The both chefs cooked all dished we wanted and introduced us lots of tasty dished from the Kyrgyzstan cuisine.
After a lunch we tested guns, we both used the rifles of the host side, and prepared for hunting. The average temperature in the morning was about -5-7 C, it was warmer during day hours. It was windy on the tops but in general the weather was fine for that season. We all were in high spirit the run-up to the real adventure. I enjoined everyday riding by horses, admired the views of deep abysses and high mountains rosed around us and could hardly believe that all were happening with us!
The only thing sobered us was, that Yuri’s blood pressure rose at the end of the first day and it made us worried about him. He stayed in the camp next day to acclimatize. We hadn't to forget about altitude in the mountains! Fortunately, everything was well and in a day Yuri was well.
In early morning on the second day I, accompanied by two guides, rode to my first mountain hunt. We moved along the gorge, crossing springs and stone rubbles! I wasn't experienced in riding horses before and soon felt all muscles in femurs and tibia. It was nothing in comparison with emotions, I felt. I expected to get the new experience and waited for it. We crossed the dry springs, stormed tops, made lots of stops, monitoring the surroundings and each time discussed what we saw and then moved further. There were groundhog holes everywhere and I imagined what happened there in the springtime when everything got alive and air was full of those whistles. One of the holes had been dug and ruined by a bear and I stopped for a while examined what it had done.
Sometimes I got nervous. I felt wonky each time when saw how the horse was going by the wild goat path at 45 degrees angle and realized that the horse was too huge for that way. The only glance to the bottom of the deep abyss made me to forget about the future trophy.
At noon we detected the group of ibexes but they noticed us first and ran away for some distance. The guides used the natural shelters led me to the distance where I could dismount. We had to take the decision. Ulan stayed with horses while I and Turat ran down for about 200 meters and tried to approach, using the ridge as the shelter. It was uneasy to run on the height 4000 masl that's why I followed the guide’ advice, restored my breathe and only then crawled to the herd.
The rangefinder showed 240 meters distance to the group. The rifle was tested on 300 meters. I made the corrections and prepared for a shot. Carefully I leaned out from behind the rock and looked at those ibexes. The guide whispered me advices which I could hardly hear. I caught the male into the cross, took the breath and fired.
But meanwhile a small digression.
The ibexes stood by chain from up to down and were on guard. The guide recommended to shoot the fifth one from the top. But it was partially closed by the six males.
The goat fell after the shot. The guides began to congratulate me (I didn’t know when the second one joined us), I stood up and was almost glad when notice how the killed ibex were jumping towards to the top and did it faster and faster. In a second it could disappear behind the ridge. I fell down, catch it in the cross once again and shot. It fell! The third time I shot, when it was rolling to the abyss but tried to stood up. The guides shouted once again that I got it! At last I deserved those congratulations. I didn’t know why but was not sure in my shooting.
Later in the camp when we analyzed the situation I understood that first time I hit the six’s ibex nape and stunned it. It wasn't wounded it but it couldn’t move for a while.
There was the next perspective hunting place just in front of us in case if we failured the first attempt. The moody peaks and rocky cliffs from the opposite side beheld us in silence. Fortunately they told me about it after I got the trophy because I wouldn’t be sure in the confident shooting at all.
Then we had made pictures where tried to look in the best way.
The way back, after we cut meat, took us several hours but I was so happy and didn't feel tiredness. The vultures appeared. I had noticed eleven of them, sitting in a row on the on the far side of the mountain. They sat as if thought about something. We talked while riding back to the camp and I asked guides if the wolves caused troubles to the horses. They replied me, no. But next morning my horse had been attacked by wolves and it was a miracle it could escape.
It was pleasure to go back to the camp. Everybody waited for us. We replied endless questions, described what had happened and shared our mood with all.
Yuri was also successful. His hunting was full of adventures and emotions. I could hardly believe that the human being were in condition to feel the full spectrum of emotions, describing the hunt. But it was so. I guess, I was one of them. You can only envy those, who just going for the first hunting trip.
Yuri's hunting was different. But I think that all hunts are different. They found the group of ibexes on the opposite side of the gorge. It was far from them but there was the possibility the herd would come close while feeding. They had nothing but wait measuring the distance from time to time. Everything was going pretty well; Yuri was ready to shoot and needed only the guide’s instruction. It is always hard to wait for something but not in the mountains when you watch those giants. They stood around you in snow caps, sewed by the Kyrgyzstan style. You could observe gorges and abysses, and even rocky cliffs. The main zest of that landscape was the desirable first mountain trophy!
Each day we went back to the camp in the full darkness. The mountains were left behind in the darkness and we stretched out in a row and entered the gorge. The only light sources were our lanterns and the only sounds were hoofbeats on the stones.
One of the days Ulan showed me ancient cave drawings. It was getting dark; the horse wanted home and didn’t understand why we stopped and made pictures of that stuff. I decided to go back there next day. It was hard to imagine that human dwelled in those mountains long time ago before us. The ancient people climbed those rocks to leave signs from the darkness of the centuries. I used to see such things in museums or books only. But my emotions were absolutely different!
Once we even took hot shower! We enjoyed hot water, friendly conversations and tasty dinner, prepared by our professional cooks from the trophy meat. I slept like a baby when we went to bed.
I can't but say few words about the variety of birds and animals in those mountains. I watched lots of partridges, crossed the road just in front of us, hares which preferred to dwell in the river valleys and pheasants, known by their low-level flights down along the slopes. I noticed and not once, Alpine jackdaws and other animals who decorated our trip and filled those mountains with life.
At last the time to drive back to Karakol came. The way back was much easier. The sun was shining and we couldn’t but admiring a brighter blue of the sky. Yuri and I looked back furtively, to the place where we left the parts of our hearts. I wouldn’t never forget that trip.
We visited one more mysterious place, shrouded in legends, while were there. It was “the accounted stones” or Santash in Kyrgyz. Genghis Khan had asked his warriors to throw stones in the pile when they were going to the war in Asia. They did it to account their losses when they’d came back. The second legend is that he has hided his treasures under those stones. We discovered the foundation under one of the dismantled heaps. Why or for what? It was a rare possibility to touch the relic as the ancient warriors did.
At the end of the trip we could even take part in fishing, organized in the neighborhood! I caught just few fish but really liked the process. We were overwhelmed with emotions.
I fully agree with people who say that if you have been in the mountains you will definitely come back. I want to believe it’ll come true!
