One day, we were descending from the pastures on the southern slopes of the Passo di Mels Turdaliev (3450m) in Ak-Talaa. It was the fourth day of our bikepacking trip. By late afternoon, we had reached the junction where the asphalt ends and the dirt road to the Tash-Rabat Pass begins. That’s when I got an urgent call to return home.
My friend continued toward the ancient caravanserai on his own, and I waited at the crossroads. Soon, an empty tourist bus pulled up — the guests had stayed behind at Tash-Rabat. The driver, an older man nearing retirement, invited me aboard.
It was the first time he’d met a local long-distance cyclist. His curiosity was immediate and genuine. As we wound through the high-mountain valley — part of the great Silk Road — we spoke openly. He asked question after question, clearly puzzled by my passion for tackling mountain passes and crossing valleys by bicycle. For his generation, cycling was something for children.
“You’ve got adolescent maximalism!” he declared.
“Eh, aksakal (respectful way of addressing the older man in kyrgyz),” I replied playfully, “if you knew my age, you’d probably call it a mid-life crisis.”
As we neared At-Bashi town, close to the Chinese border, he offered to host me for the night. In other circumstances, I would’ve gladly accepted. He wanted to hear more stories, and I was eager to share them — tales of adventure and discovery across the landscapes of Kyrgyzstan.
That moment became part of a bigger journey — not just across mountains, but toward something more lasting: connection.
BikepackingKyrgyzstan.CC was born from the idea that cycling can bridge cultures, tell stories, and show the world a different side of this remarkable country.

Mission
BikepackingKyrgyzstan.cc is a voluntary, independent project built on passion and personal initiative. Through social media, our website, photos, and publications, we aim to collect and share stories about bikepacking in Kyrgyzstan — not just routes and gear, but the human experience of travel.
At its heart, this project is about storytelling — about the people and places we meet along the way, and the unique lens that bikepacking offers on the world.
We believe the presence of a lone cyclist rolling through a remote landscape says something profound:
This place is peaceful, safe, and open.
It’s a quiet signal of harmony — a testament to the land, and to the people who live here.

Principles

• Non-commercial by nature: Any commercial activity will go directly into supporting the website, social pages, and related projects.
• Community-driven: All contributions are credited transparently to their original authors and sources.
• Curiosity-led: We aim to keep listening, exploring, and sharing — guided by genuine interest, not algorithms.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

— Malik Alymkulov
Founder & Editor