Trans Kirgistan

Kirgistan, Kirgisistan, Kirgisien or Kyrgystan? Whatever the name you start with, the meaning continues through the language, culture and geographic situation. In the West hardly anyone knows anything about this central Asian republic between China and Kazakhstan. This was reason enough for Fred Souchon and his colleague Martin Beaujouan to find out something about this concealed country – by paraglider.

“It was actually a look at the map that decided us to go to Kyrgyzstan”, explained Fred Souchon. The Frenchman is a mountain rescuer in Chamonix and regularly flies on Mont Blanc and the mountains of Haute-Savoie. “But the Kyrgyzstan landscape looked interesting. The mountains in the east of the country especially promised good flights.” So the two of them set off to wander through the country, on foot and by paraglider.

Souchon and Beaujouan delivered up to forty kilometers by the day, and tried to fly as often as possible. This endeavour was not easy because weather and wind here posed bigger challenges than expected. However, they managed some spectacular flights, that usually ended up somewhere in the Kyrgyzstan Steppe. “And there we then met the local people. When they first saw us they usually looked up into the sky, searching for the aeroplane. They thought our wings must be parachutes. Some were so amazed to see two men with canopies like this that they asked us whether anyone had pushed us out against our will. Why else would we want to be here?,” described Souchon.

So we came to experience the visitor-friendliness of the Kyrgyz people: “We had a tent with us, but many of the locals invited us to stay in their yurts. It would be dangerous outside, they told us.” To start with Souchon and Beaujouan wanted to pay, but quickly noticed that the Kyrgyz felt insulted by the gesture. “Hospitality to guests is very important. Everyone shares what they have – even if it’s hardly enough for their own family.

While the two Frenchmen became acclimatised to mare’s milk, the main source of nourishment, the hosts eagerly eyed the two visitors’ equipment. No one there had ever seen a paraglider. “To explain why we were making this journey I showed them pictures from Chamonix. They could then see that we also came from the mountains, and flew regularly there. One or another of them had already heard of Mont Blanc.”

Many of the Kyrgyzstan peaks can be conveniently reached on foot. “This is how we eventually got to a mountain north of the Issyk Kul (warm lake). After a while we could see two vultures circling in a thermal. Time to go. After takeoff the flyers moved to the east, with the goal of reaching a 4,500 metre peak. To start with conditions were perfect – good thermals and almost no wind. The two pilots enjoyed an extended flight along the peaks. “250 kms are possible here”, declares Souchon. “Just flying along these 3000 to 4000 metre peaks.” But after about 50 kms the sky suddenly closes in. Big cumulonimbus clouds develop. Souchon and Beaujouan know they have no choice – they have to land.

Not far from their landing site there’s actually a house. A fallen-down example if you want to be precise – more of a ruin than a human habitation. However, a man and daughter actually lived in it. Souchon and Beaujouan asked if they could shelter there for an hour or two, until the storm had abated. The hour or two became two days. The man begged them to stay. On the morning of the second day he woke the two Frenchmen before dawn and required that they come outside with him. There he grabbed a lamb and knelt in prayer. While he prayed the sun came up from behind a mountain. The prayers were now ended, and without further ado he killed and butchered the lamb, and began to cook it. The Frenchmen took this to be a ritual supplication to the gods, but it turned out to be a special sign of friendship to visitors.

It was unthinkable that the French could leave without a present for their host. Fred Souchon had a selection of sunglasses that he had collected on Mont Blanc - for children. On the last day he gave his own sunglasses to the landlord, as a sort of thank you for the lamb. “He was hugely delighted, because he spends a lot of time high in the mountains with his lambs.”

“Although we couldn’t fly as much as we would have liked, Kyrgyzstan is a wonderful place to fly. Most of the mountains are easy walk-ups, and below there are endless grassy expanses to land on.” That is why Fred Souchon and Martin Beaujouan will return, come what may – and with plenty of giveaways.

PS: By the way, as well as Kyrgyzstan you can call it Kirgisistan or Kirgisien. Translators note: it means ‘forty daughters’ from the tradition that the land was settled by forty families, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.