Thing That Go Howl In The Night - The Dangers

We wouldn't knowingly put ourselves, or animals in our care, into seriously dangerous situations. That said, there are inherent risks in any journey of this nature, and many that are part of daily life for Kyrgyz nomads.

There's always the chance we'll be injured while riding or caring for the horses. The horses too, are susceptible to all kinds of injury and illness. We may get lost (I dare say we probably will, at least once or twice). We'll be riding trails that can be narrow and treacherous. Also, while the Kyrgyz are an extremely hospitable, generous and good natured people, they are also quite poor by western standards. The equipment (and animals) we'll possess will represent enormous wealth to them, and the possibility that they may be stolen is not high, but it exists. Naturally the best defence against theft is to generate good will and always be courteous and respectful. Giving small towns with high unemployment a wide berth is also not a bad idea.

Then we have awesome Mother Nature herself. Avalanche and flood are the two big cards that could play against us. The valley we'll be following during the second leg of the trip, just a few short weeks into the journey, is known to be extremely unstable in spring. The Enylchek glacier runs for a hundred kms over the ranges above and it's meltwaters run into the Sary Dhaz river - which we'll be skirting for most of the month of May. We'll need to be extremely careful and gather as much information from locals as possible.

Wolves, even snow leopards and bears, still roam the Kyrgyz wilderness. While a personal encounter is unlikely, the horses will be vulnerable at night. Hopefully crackers and light will scare them, because those are the heaviest arms we'll be carrying. From the animal world however, the greatest danger is always posed by feral dogs and horses. I've also had a closer encounter with the horns of a Kyrgyz bull than I'd ever like to repeat, so I'll be taking the long way around if any of them give me the hairy eyeball.

While not exactly dangerous, the biggest threat to a peaceful onward journey is likely to be Authority. We'll do everything in our power to make sure we have the right permits and papers, but Long Riders are frequently incarcerated in foreign countries, as you can read on their Guild website. I'm not sure if the lads in uniform are suspicious of anyone who wants to ride around on a horse, or if they are just lonely, but we may very well find ourselves in the lap of the law somewhere along the line.

So what precautions are we going to take to avoid these dangers? And what will we do if the worst happens? We'll be taking a satellite phone, and a long list of emergency numbers, including that of a qualified vet. We'll do our best to work on our language skills before and after we arrive, and listen carefully to local advice. We'll be friendly and socially responsible, and we'll try to accurately assess the risks and make wise decisions. Beyond that, it's up to fate.