The Flyin' Liz Ryen

 23 July 2022 Some people go to the beach for vacation. This is sounding like a better idea as I pack and repack everything into smaller bags for my mountain bike and hoping I brought enough for 4 weeks of camping in only mild discomfort.  Kyrgyzstan is home to the Tien Shan mountains, a massive range in central Asia with peaks over 24,000 feet tall. In the summer, nomadic herders bring their animals up to the high Meadows for the two months out of the year when they are not covered in snow. With amazing scenery, a culture known for its hospitality and kindness, some hastily learned Russian, and Kyrgyzstan being rated safer for travel than France or the United kingdom, it's time to stop dreaming about it and just go.  With very limited space, certain things did not make the cut; shorts, trendy clothing, or deodorant. However, there are some luxuries I would not compromise on; a book, a light coffee mug, sandals, and a very small pumice stone so my feet will still resemble...

 26 July 2022- Despite my lack of faith that my bike would show up the same time I did, my box came off the plane on time and unscathed.  I probably could have found a quieter place to assemble my bike than right outside the taxi drivers booth, but I was fast more entertaining for the drivers this way. "I have big car for big box, ok?" "You need taxi, bicycle no good" "you give me bike for my son when finish trip." It was good incentive to move quickly. The road from airport into city was a busy 4 lanes with a shoulder full of broken glass and exit ramps with overpasses  I was feeling apprehensive about cycling on the highway until I watched several herds of cows slowly cross all four lanes. Not as hectic after all. Massive mountains covered in snow set the back drop for the city of Bishkek but the smog from the city partly obscured the view. I managed to exchange money, find a canister for my stove, get food, and order a milkshake via charades. My attempt...

July 29, 2022 Time change and jet lag left me taping my feet in the wee hours of the morning waiting for daybreak to start riding.  My ride out of Bishkektook me 40 miles along the base of the range before heading up a river valley where the relentless elevation began. A quick stop to grab some pine flavored soda and mushroom flavored chips to fuel my climb. The road was fairly smooth and the surface got better, for the most part, the higher I went. If you had momentum you could ride the road, but I had none, so I pushed. I decided to camp around 10,000' since I was wary of the weather and the elevation. That evening rain periodically pelted my saggy tent then lighting flashed and before I could even count to 1, thunder shook the mountains around me.  The morning was clear and calm so I resumed my push. If I tried to ride, I would go for just a short bit before my lungs and legs left me gasping and draped over my handler bars. I figured a steady push was better all around. Aft...

 31 July 2022 Once down from Kegeti and ready for more after buying a carton of apple juice and some oats, I headed to Kyzart Pass. Sometimes my sit bones say enough is enough so I found a nice spot in-between two yurts to pitch my tent for the night. The next morning I left the road for the "trekking route" to Son Kul lake. My full suspension mountain bike is slight overkill for most of the riding I'm doing, so I figured I might as well take it on a more sporty route.  The riding was fantastic and I found myself riding smooth single track along very steep side hills, crossing rivers, and dropping into an isolated valley full of yurts and herds of horses and cows.  My route took me high up to what looked like an impossible grassy headwall. Step by step and hour by hour I pushed my bike uphill. It was questionable if throwing it on my shoulders would have been easier.  At last I pushed and lifted my bike through the final rocks on the ridge and got my first glimpse of...

 4 Aug 2022 After a fantastic descent and my first shower of the trip at the perfectly named Solviet era Hotel Desperation, I felt almost ready to tackle the next climb.  A cycle through hot valleys, past hilltop cemetery cities, and then up, up, up. The climbs are so steep, upwards of 12% on lose gravel and rocks. Just when I was thinking this was crazy, I'm was passed by a guy driving a 2 wheel drive dinky car towing a trailer with a large cow in it. If that thing could make it, so could I.  Mels Pass was of course gorgeous and the struggles are quickly forgotten when a good view is in front of me. With storm clouds chasing me, I zoomed downhill, crossed a river, and started the next climb. With tired legs and the storm catching up, I decided to camp for the night. As soon as I set my tent up, the rain started and lightning lit the sky around me. The next morning I climbed an 11,000' pass and on the way down I stopped to have some tea and conversation with 2 Spaniards a...

 9 Aug 2022 After a night in Naryn where I had a fantastic meal, a magically decorated room, and even better, real coffee! I was ready to grind my way into the mountains once more. With dark clouds coming up behind me, I decided to stop at a yurt camp for tea.  Tea of course involves cup after cup of tea, but always you are strongly encouraged to eat bread, salad, yogurt, potatoes, gristly meat, melon, hold wiggly babies, and stay the night. With the weather clearing up I managed to extract myself and continue on my way. With the biking relatively easy, I decided to make a detour and head up the turn off towards Tosor Pass. 6 miles up the road are the Jily-Su hot springs. After being invited in for tea, an hour and a half later I was was able to use the springs. In a little hut, the water is hotter than bearable, so instead of the nice soothing soak I was hoping for, I poured dipper after dipper full of scalding hot water over my body and emerged bright red and much better sme...

 15 August  After Tamga, I feel ready to conquer the world again, very, very slowly. The road along the south shore of lake Issy-Kul, the second largest alpine lake in the world, is flat and lined with ripe apricot trees. High mountains give a dramatic backstop to the lake and grassy spots along the Lakeshore make it easy to stop for a break. I end up cycling a short day and staying at a guesthouse above a grocery store. The owners insist I join them for dinner and so my mostly recovered intestines are treated to a meal of fried fish, apricots, and peaches. The mother knew a little English and dinner conversation kept me giggling into my tea and her son shaking his head, "I love you Elizabeth! I love you fish! I love you coffee! I love you, love you, love you cigarette!!" The next morning I decided to add a side trip up a canyon to Jeti-Oguz to see the "Broken Heart" and "7 Bulls" rocks. The canyon was of course stunning and has a sanatorium in the town. ...