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	<title>40 Tribes Backcountry Adventures</title>
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	<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com</link>
	<description>Yurt-Based Skiing and Fly Fishing in Kyrgyzstan</description>
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		<title>Kara-Zo</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/kara-zo-splitboardmag/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/kara-zo-splitboardmag/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 05:18:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2013]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trip Reports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=3812</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Article written for the 8th issue of Splitboard Magazine, &#8220;Viva La Revolucion,&#8221; published May 2013. &#8220;Is there any place in the world you&#8217;d rather be during the Apocalypse?&#8221; A friend had made the comment a year previously. These days it&#8217;s on repeat in my head anytime we are hanging out in front of the yurt [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><i>Article written for the 8th issue of Splitboard Magazine, <a href="http://www.splitboardmag.com/08-viva-la-revolucion/?lang=en" target="_blank">&#8220;Viva La Revolucion,&#8221;</a> published May 2013.</i></p>
<p><strong>&#8220;Is there any place in the world you&#8217;d rather be during the Apocalypse?&#8221;</strong></p>
<p>A friend had made the comment a year previously. These days it&#8217;s on repeat in my head anytime we are hanging out in front of the yurt at night. I know how good the scene is inside: the wood stove is raging and it&#8217;s approaching +25C, couple of chocolate bars out on the table, a few guys may be knocked out &#8211; exhausted from the day &#8211; and already in their sleeping bags, the rest are pouring cognac tea and throwing a bit of Yahtzee. My fingers, nose and toes are frozen solid, but I&#8217;m not going in quite yet, because, well, it&#8217;s insanely gorgeous out here. Especially at night. Spread across the valley below us are dozens of constellations, each demarcating a village of a thousand households, maybe more. That, at the head of the valley, is Ichke-Jergez, our partner village. The one to the left is Konstantinovka. The small one out there, that&#8217;s Shapak. Were it not for the huge stretch of mountains at the opposite side of the valley, the shimmering village lights would blend together almost seamlessly with the night sky. Actually no, the sky is a gazillion times brighter. Look up, the Milky Way is on fire right now! And check out the brightest one over there: Jupiter! Maybe there is no place I&#8217;d rather be.</p>
<p>We are in a remote corner of Kyrgyzstan. 1.5 hours by car, 22 hours by plane, another 7.5 hours by car, and either a 1.5 hour horse ride or 2.5 hour splitboard tour from my home in Colorado. It&#8217;s remarkable here, and with five consecutive winters under my belt, I alternate between phases of feeling totally at home, and so far away. China&#8217;s Xinjiang Province is to our south and east. Almaty Province, Kazakhstan is to the north. Mountains: everywhere. <i>Terskey</i> is the namesake for the range we are in. In Kyrgyz it means dark or shaded. Directly across the valley from the Terskey-Alatoo is the <i>Kungey</i>, meaning bright or sunny, -Alatoo. Khan Tengri (7010m) and Pik Pobeda (7439m) aren&#8217;t far to our south/southeast. Throw in the second largest alpine lake in the world, Issyk-Kul, and BAM: a paradise in its own right&#8230;with decent (lake-effect!) snowfall despite being located farthest from any ocean in the world.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s the 14th of February, nighttime. Here, at 2650m and not far from the pole of the Eurasian continent, it&#8217;s cold &#8211; probably -15-20C. My face could use a good thaw, plus it&#8217;s getting late for yurt life (9pm) and we have big plans the next day. My sleeping bag is calling. Inside the others have all crashed out, spread around the floor of the yurt as if having carved out their own piece of the pie. Heads out, feet in. Someone is snoring. The Soviet-era tea kettle I had earlier filled with snowmelt water sounds like it&#8217;s nearing boil atop the wood stove. The fire cracks and pops. Had I still been star gazing outside I&#8217;m sure I would have seen sparks fly from the chimney. Boot liners and globs of clothing and gear hang from the lattice walls of the yurt, drying out ahead of our early morning departure. Maybe there is no place I&#8217;d rather be.</p>
<p>Touring in the remote mountains of Kyrgyzstan inherently equals first descents. New lines, new ways of approaching lines, new tours that link a bunch of lines together. We inquire with the locals about the names of the peaks we are exploring. More often than not, they respond with the name of the pasture, or <i>jailoo</i>, at the base of the peak, where families take their yurts and animals for epic grazing sessions each summer. Kyzyl-Tash, Alpay-Tur, Kyzyl-Monyok, Kerege-Tash. Each zone has its prime objectives, and our goal for the day is a new line in a zone called Kara-Zo. We actually just found out about the purported name, Kara-Zo, this year. It means black rocks, and seems to make sense. Before that we had simply been calling it The Gamburger Stand, named after the delicious Kyrgyz fast food treat: the, you guessed it, gamburger. It&#8217;s not the mightiest peak in the world at no higher than 3600m, but it is super aesthetic and offers steeps, chutes, fins, big aprons, and the whole big mountain scenario, especially in Chugachistan, the never-before-ridden east face.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2371_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2652_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_1487_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_1500_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /></p>
<p>As we are reminded via a nice morning approach, just getting to Kara-Zo is a huge part of the appeal. Like the peak, it&#8217;s not the mightiest of approaches, but remarkable, a bit exposed in places, and lot of fun, with a good mix of touring, simple boot packing, and finally a more technical ridge traverse to finish &#8216;er off. The tour or walk across the saddle at 3450m affords big views of the north face of the peak. After the initial rush of scoping potential lines, the traverse gets a bit gnarlier with some skinning around the back side of one peak (moderate exposure, lot of rocks), then you strap your board to your pack and it&#8217;s a mix of kicking steps, scrambling, and occasionally some tunneling along the west ridge. One of the great things about the ridge is the constant view of the mountain with the coolest name on earth, the Matterhorn&#8217;s Kyrgyz brother: Tashtanbek Tur Bashi (4463m). The other great thing is that as soon as you get on the west ridge, it&#8217;s pretty much pick your pleasure! Drop in low, go for the summit, or go for Chugachistan.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2554_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2563_SBMAG_940px1.jpg" width="700" height="1097" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2871_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /></p>
<p>Chugachistan wasn&#8217;t in the cards for us that day, but there were plenty of other firsts to choose from. We bypassed the Izzy Vibes zone (first skied in 2012). Then Meat Cake (skied and named later in the 2013 season). Tunneling up from the back side of the ridge, we found ourselves on top of a face that we had been eying from the saddle. Beauty! We had to pick around a bit to figure out how to get down into it, but first decided to take advantage of the cornices that were clinging to the rock amphitheater above the face. It was the perfect opportunity to drop one in order to get a sense of possible slope stability so we started sawing away with our poles, freeing up a pretty large chunk. It barreled down slope, taking with it nothing more than the expected slough. The thing was huge! As it came to a stop at the bottom of the face &#8211; mostly intact and enshrouded in a cloud of white smoke &#8211; we all shared the same two thoughts: 1. Looks like this face might ski pretty well!, and 2. The friggin&#8217; cornice looks like a meteor! Awesome to watch and great to see that stability may just be on our side, but with an entire ridgeline of options ahead of us, we decided to push on. We&#8217;d be back for Asteroid another day.</p>
<p>Our ultimate line of choice that day may not have been the gnarliest line on the face, but choice nonetheless. By the time we were ready to drop, the afternoon sun was scraping across the face, catching the top half and very bottom of our selected line. High speed turns sent snow flying up against the rock fins to the rider&#8217;s right. The last to drop, I enjoyed watching each rider as they sent it through the wide open middle section, increasingly getting smaller and smaller, and finally brighter and brighter as they straightlined it out into the basin. Space theme was in full effect that day when it came to naming lines. We called it Jupiter, the brightest one out there.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_1580_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /><img alt="" src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/IMG_2436_SBMAG_940px.jpg" width="700" height="488" /></p>
<p>The next day, February 15, at 9:20 in the morning, a meteor with an estimated speed of 18km/second and initial mass of 11,000 tons entered the earth&#8217;s atmosphere above Chelyabinsk, Russia, not terribly far to our north. True story. It wasn&#8217;t the end of the world, but had it been, we were definitely in the right place, doing the right things, and clearly thinking of the right names.</p>
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		<title>Flights To Kyrgyzstan For $500-1000</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/flights-to-kyrgyzstan-for-500-1000/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/flights-to-kyrgyzstan-for-500-1000/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 2012 23:19:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=3496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Getting to Kyrgyzstan isn&#8217;t as expensive as you might think! Here are 20 cheap RT airfares, including taxes and fees, priced out on vayama.com. Price sample taken using Saturday, February 2-Sunday, February 10, 2013 as the dates. Let us know if we left your departure city out and we&#8217;ll see what we can dig up! [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Getting to Kyrgyzstan isn&#8217;t as expensive as you might think!  Here are 20 cheap RT airfares, including taxes and fees, priced out on <a href="http://vayama.com" target="_blank">vayama.com</a>.  Price sample taken using Saturday, February 2-Sunday, February 10, 2013 as the dates.</p>
<p><a href="mailto:info@40tribesbackcountry.com">Let us know</a> if we left your departure city out and we&#8217;ll see what we can dig up!</p>
<p><strong>Stockholm:</strong> 3225kr (Turkish)<br />
<strong>Milan:</strong> €398 (Alitalia)<br />
<strong>Berlin:</strong> €400 (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Helsinki:</strong> €413 (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Frankfurt:</strong> €422 (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Brussels:</strong> €429 (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Copenhagen:</strong> 3,230kr (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Warsaw:</strong> 1,786zł (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Munich:</strong> €456 (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Amsterdam:</strong> €463 (Aeroflot/Turkish)<br />
<strong>Prague:</strong> 11,689Kč (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Zurich:</strong> 562Fr (Turkish)<br />
<strong>London:</strong> £377 (Turkish)<br />
<strong>Oslo:</strong> 3511kr (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Geneva:</strong> 644Fr (Aeroflot)<br />
<strong>Paris:</strong> €564 (Aeroflot)/€567 (Turkish)<br />
<strong>Barcelona:</strong> €569 (Turkish)<br />
<strong>Madrid:</strong> €573 (Turkish)<br />
<strong>Lyon:</strong> €617 (Turkish)<br />
<strong>New York:</strong> $904 (Aeroflot)</p>
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		<title>2012-13 Course Offerings</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/2012-13-course-offerings/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/2012-13-course-offerings/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:37:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Courses]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=3214</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Level 2 Avalanche + Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering Course &#8211; February 24-March 2, 2013 40 Tribes is proud to announce our newest course offering, designed for skiers and riders who are increasingly pushing limits in the backcountry, and looking to gain critical skills for staying safe in remote, big mountain environments. The curriculum will focus on approaching [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><font size="2.5"><strong>Level 2 Avalanche + Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering Course &#8211; February 24-March 2, 2013</strong></font></p>
<p>40 Tribes is proud to announce our newest course offering, designed for skiers and riders who are increasingly pushing limits in the backcountry, and looking to gain critical skills for staying safe in remote, big mountain environments. The curriculum will focus on approaching and carrying out backcountry tours and mountaineering objectives where few, if any, avalanche forecasting and rescue resources are available. The course will be taught by Greg Johnson (<a href="http://acmg.ca">ACMG</a> Splitboard Guide and <a href="http://www.avalanche.ca/caa">CAA</a> Avalanche Instructor) and Ptor Spricenieks (Black Diamond Athlete and Ski Mountaineering Legend).</p>
<p><img src="http://40tribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/SkiMountaineeringForumPosting_700px.jpg"></p>
<p><strong>Course Specifics:</strong><br />
<strong>-Certifications Offered:</strong> CAC Level 2 Avalanche Certification (AST2) + Recreational Ski/Snowboard Mountaineering Skills Certification<br />
<strong>-Dates:</strong> February 24-March 2, 2013<br />
<strong>-Location:</strong> Tien Shan Mountains, Kyrgyzstan<br />
<strong>-Size:</strong> Max 8 participants (1:4 guide to participant ratio)<br />
<strong>-Instructors/Guides:</strong> Greg Johnson, Ptor Spricenieks<br />
<strong>-Price:</strong> USD $1,975/person</p>
<p><strong>The Scene:</strong><br />
40 Tribes operates a backcountry yurt in a remote sub-range of the Tien Shan Mountains in eastern Kyrgyzstan, in partnership with families from the rural village at the foot of the mountains. The yurt, located at 2,650m and accessed via a 6km skin track, is traditionally hand-felted and heated by a wood burning stove, offering an intimate and cozy basecamp environment. 40 Tribes&#8217; local partners work at the yurt, making sure our guests are always properly styled out and well fed. The yurt offers great access to backdoor tree skiing and is within 2-3 hours touring time from surrounding summits, which top out at 3,650-3,700m and offer up everything from open pow fields and cruiser ridgelines to couloirs and technical descents. The entire 7-day course will be based from the yurt, allowing us to cover essential material in a comfortable &#8220;classroom&#8221; setting, while spending most of each day learning and practicing in the mountains.</p>
<p><strong>Course Goals:</strong><br />
The primary goal of the course is to teach and practice hard skills that will help you stay safer, be more efficient, get more done, and have more fun&#8230;while getting after it. Greg and Ptor will cover everything from tying knots and setting anchors, to crevasse and cliff rescues, to route finding and steep skiing and snowboarding techniques, and will offer up critical tips and tricks they have picked up over the years. Also integrated into the course is the CAC Level 2 Avalanche Skills Training curriculum, which provides an in-depth introduction to avalanche formation and release, addresses nuances in terrain and snowpack characteristics, and provides opportunities to practice trip planning and execution, and gain proficiency in carrying out a rescue. Participants will receive a CAC AST2 certificate as well as a basic ski/snowboard mountaineering skills certificate at the end of the course.</p>
<p><strong>Prerequisites:</strong><br />
-Previous Level 1 Avalanche Certification via a recognized course provider<br />
-Advanced ski/splitboard touring experience and skill level<br />
-A good command of the English language</p>
<p><strong>Perfect For:</strong><br />
Advanced-level skiers and riders who are:<br />
-Looking to gain hard skills that will allow them to safely approach and carry out ski/snowboard mountaineering objectives<br />
-Interested in obtaining their Level 2 Avalanche Certification and learning advanced skills required for climbing and skiing steeper terrain in the backcountry<br />
-Seeking a basic training program that any reputable guiding organization like the AMGA, ACMG will recognize as a prerequisite to their programs</p>
<p><strong>What It&#8217;s All About:</strong><br />
The course will offer plenty of field time, a degree of intimacy that you won’t find with any other course offering, and a week of long and very fun days in the mountains!</p>
<p><strong>Learn More:</strong><br />
<a href="http://40tribesbackcountry.com/avalanche-courses-ski-snowboard-mountaineering-courses/" target="_blank"><strong>http://40tribesbackcountry.com/avalanche-courses-ski-snowboard-mountaineering-courses/</strong></a> or write to <strong><a href="mailto:info@40tribesbackcountry.com">info@40tribesbackcountry.com</a></strong>. </p>
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		<title>Trip Report: Jan 28-Feb 3 (AST 1-2 Course)</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-28-feb-3-ast-1-2-course/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-28-feb-3-ast-1-2-course/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:12:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2724</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Coming soon!]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Coming soon!</p>
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		<title>Trip Report: Jan 19-23</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-19-23/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-19-23/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 05 Feb 2012 01:37:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trip Reports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2720</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Coming soon!]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Coming soon!  </p>
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		<title>Trip Report: Jan 15-18</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-15-18/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-15-18/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:49:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trip Reports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2647</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Crew: Second Self-Guided group of the season: Gustav, Johan, Claes, and Hans, from Sweden. Impressive how quickly these guys pulled the trigger on this trip! Tickets were booked not far off from Christmas and just over 2 weeks later they were here in Kyrgyzstan for 4 days of ski touring from the yurt and [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>The Crew:</h3>
<p>Second Self-Guided group of the season: Gustav, Johan, Claes, and Hans, from Sweden.  Impressive how quickly these guys pulled the trigger on this trip!  Tickets were booked not far off from Christmas and just over 2 weeks later they were here in Kyrgyzstan for 4 days of ski touring from the yurt and 4 days of cat skiing with Kalibek over in the Suusamyr Valley (<a href="http://suusamyr.kg" target="_blank">http://suusamyr.kg</a>).  </p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SWEDESCREW1.jpg" width="700" height="402"></p>
<p>Gustav connected with a local guide, Misha, who would accompany them for the trip.  He hadn&#8217;t before skied the 40 Tribes yurt zone, nor Kalibek&#8217;s zone in Suusamyr, but was without a doubt a strong and experienced guide having trained for the past 5 years through the <a href="http://mguide.in.kg/en" target="_blank">Kyrgyzstan Mountain Guides Association</a>, a project sponsored by the Swiss company, Mammut, in partnership with IFMGA, the Swiss Mountain Guides Association, and the Association of British Mountain Guides.  It was a very cool way to reconnect with Mammut&#8217;s project here.  We first met with Adolf Schlunegger, one of Mammut&#8217;s primary trainers, at the end of our second year scouting &#8211; March 2010 &#8211; in Bishkek.  We introduced the goals of the 40 Tribes project, learned about Mammut&#8217;s efforts to initiate KMGA, knew all along there would be an opportunity to interweave initiatives, and then here it finally happened&#8230;in a yurt&#8230;with a Russian guide&#8230;and Swedish clients.</p>
<h3>The Skiing:</h3>
<p>The Swedes brought the snow &#8211; for better or for worse.  Flakes began to fall no more than an hour after their arrival to the yurt on the 15th, and continued falling until an hour or so after they skied out on the 18th.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_54472_940px.jpg" width="700" height="467" style="padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_56012_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_56062_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_55242_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_55772_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>Avalanches from the roof of the yurt lulled us to sleep pretty much every night, releasing with every couple cm of accumulation.  We awoke to 15cm fresh on the morning of the 15th, 5cm or so on the 16th, another 5cm on the 17th, and 2-3cm to top it off on the 18th.  Not exactly an epic storm by most skiers&#8217; standards, but it&#8217;s a rarity for a storm to persist here for more than 2-3 days.</p>
<p>With Misha along as their guide&#8230;and given the persistent snowfall and conditions outside!&#8230;I spent the days at the yurt hanging with our local yurt guides, Kas and Anarbek.  They were stoked on the jumps they had built and the new snowfall that had filled out the landings.  I was stoked on taking pics of them airing it like there was no tomorrow.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_55822_SM1.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_55682_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_58142_940px.jpg" width="700" height="467" style="padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_57262_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_57222_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_57572_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_57912_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>It was quite cool to have Misha in the full-on ski guide position. Unfortunately it was quite difficult to recommend tours as I had no idea how even the 15cm the first night had affected conditions.  Through breaks in the clouds, however, we could see that the new snow was releasing like crazy.  After 3 or so weeks of no snow, a variety of sliding surfaces had developed.  Safe skiing was great on days 1 and 2, but deep and slabby by days 3 and 4&#8230;not to mention cold!  Temps dropped from positive readings on the morning of the 16th to -10-15C, maybe even colder, by the morning of the 17th.  Winds picked up &#8211; not so much at the yurt site, but you could hear it howling through the surrounding spruce forests and up high as the storm moved out.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_56082_940px.jpg" width="700" height="467"></p>
<p>Thus, the Swedes, who packed with them a mighty storm, were at the mercy of undesirable weather and avy conditions for pretty much their entire stay.  A half ascent of Tushku Tamak was the first tour on the afternoon of day 1.  Eggs and Bacon skied quite well the morning of day 2, but the exploratory afternoon tour to check out the lower faces to the W of the yurt was aborted due to avy activity.  On what was easily the coldest day &#8211; day 3 &#8211; they ascended to the Alpai Tur saddle to see what was happening up high.  From the yurt we could see they were getting blasted by winds.  Good decisions were made regarding conditions of all drop zones up high, so they skied the ridgeline from the saddle back to Tushku Tamak and took a deep, slow, but safer way home.  Day 4 it was snowing&#8230;still.  The 20-25cm of pow we were skiing with the Frenchies the first week in January had become 50+cm!  Unfortunately it needed time to settle down and wouldn&#8217;t happen before they split from the yurt.  But man, it was beautiful once it finally cleared!</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_59022_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_59042_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:15px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_59102_940px.jpg" width="700" height="467"></p>
<h3>Conditions/Avy Summary:</h3>
<p>By the morning of the 18th we had seen 25+cm of new snow at the yurt site &#8211; not a monster storm by any means, but sizable for the Karakol region.  It was the first big storm to hit after more than 3 weeks of sun, cold temps, and some wind.  The 15cm from the first night was the trigger for most natural avalanches witnessed, most of which released on NE/E aspects, both point release and small slab.  Avy conditions jumped to considerable almost immediately with the arrival of the storm and jumped to considerable-high by the 3rd day.  Temps that accompanied the first dump were quite warm.  Felt good, but surely didn&#8217;t help stability.  Neither did the wind that chased the storm out.  In the end we were all stoked on the snow &#8211; less skiing, sure, but there&#8217;s nothing quite like weathering a storm in a yurt&#8230;and even the Swedes agreed that the yurt experience was unique and awesome enough to ease the pain of getting shut down by Mother Nature.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_56492_940px.jpg" width="700" height="467"></p>
<h3>From The Guestbook:</h3>
<p>&#8220;The Swedes without much expectations showed up in this beautiful country and what a success so far!  Despite some inexperience of ski touring we have had some great ascents, a few PERFECT runs, avalanche awareness and snowy clouds for four days.  We hope we&#8217;ve brought lots of snow to be settled for stellar February conditions.</p>
<p>When it comes to the organization and accommodation in the yurt we just want to say thank you &#8211; a perfect blend of comfort and coziness, great service, and super great people.&#8221;</p>
<p>-Johan, Gustav, Claes, Hans; Sweden</p>
<h3>Up Next:</h3>
<p>10 Kiwis.  Actually, they&#8217;ve already come and gone.  Trip report coming soon!  Follow them at <a href="http://skiingthesilkroad.com" target="_blank">http://skiingthesilkroad.com</a>. </p>
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		<title>Trip Report: Jan 3-8</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-3-8/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/trip-report-jan-3-8/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 13:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[2012]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trip Reports]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2584</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Crew: Our first official Self-Guided group: Friends of friends from France, one of whom, Nico, skied with us here in Kyrgyzstan last winter not long after the yurt site was first established. Nico contacted me back in the summer to say there wasn&#8217;t any other way they would rather start the New Year than [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h3>The Crew:</h3>
<p>Our first official Self-Guided group: Friends of friends from France, one of whom, Nico, skied with us here in Kyrgyzstan last winter not long after the yurt site was first established.  Nico contacted me back in the summer to say there wasn&#8217;t any other way they would rather start the New Year than skiing from the yurt.  He was writing from Congo, where he lives and works as a photojournalist.  I knew he was seriously stoked to get back into the mountains, and knew it would be an epic week as the starter to our 2012 season, so I had to join.  Manu and Vince arrived with Nico on Jan 2 as his partners in crime &#8211; equally amped on the adventure ahead.  It was their first time in Kyrgyzstan.  Vince brought his speed riding sail.  He had only flown 2 times previously, and was planning to set flight for his 3rd time for a first speed riding descent in our zone.  Anarbek and Kasidin, our local yurt guides, joined us to host for the week and fill the positions of Iron Chef and Firemaster respectively&#8230;which they do well.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_48422_25percCROP.jpg" width="700" height="345"></p>
<p>France to Karakol and on to Ichke-Jergez village in a day &#8211; definitely an impressive start to the trip.  No hitches aside from a shitty layover in the Moscow airport.  I later filled them in on Terminal D.  Public transport was smooth from Bishkek to Karakol, and after loading up on goodies from the local bazaar we hopped into &#8220;Schumacher&#8217;s&#8221; infamous UAZ Soviet military bus for onward transport to the village.  A big dinner with our partner family in the fire-warmed kitchen, plus the mighty travels of the day, sent everyone to bed by 9.  The next morning, a 2-hour tour landed us in our paradise basecamp, where we ate incredibly well, laughed hard, and played Yahtzee even harder for the next 5 nights.</p>
<h3>The Skiing:</h3>
<p>First speed riding descent of the trip on the same afternoon as arriving the yurt?  Why not.  The guys stopped in to the yurt for a warm bowl of soup and then continued on for the hour-long ascent to &#8220;Tushku Tamak&#8221; at 3100m.  Slivers of afternoon light cut across the slope.  Short flight.  Fresh tracks.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_49192_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_49412_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>We were blessed with perfect weather for the next 4 days &#8211; zero wind, blue skies with high clouds, comfortable temps.  We went for the summits: &#8220;Alpai Tur&#8221; E Summit at 3500m and the newly named &#8220;Have Some Tea&#8221; at 3450m.  </p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_49622_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_50072_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>The upper W face which drops into the Alpai Tur basin seemed the perfect first descent for us up high.  Safe and straightforward, short but super sweet.  In the afternoon sun it felt like early spring.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_50152_25perc.jpg" width="700" height="467"></p>
<p>&#8220;Eggs and Bacon,&#8221; also newly named, was a great alternate option for returning to the yurt instead of the typical, but always great, return from Tushku Tamak.  Both the upper W face of Alpai Tur and Eggs and Bacon would serve as runways later in the week for Vince with his sail.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_51852_1000px.jpg" width="700" height="467"></p>
<p>Have Some Tea: It&#8217;s a mind-blowing tour no matter how you approach it, and the view from the summit offers an incredible perspective on the always enticing E face which drops from the Alpai Tur saddle.  On top of that, the huge W face always holds the afternoon sun so you can hang up high late and score Golden Hour turns while the mercury is beginning to drop back at the yurt.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_50832_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_51412_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>On our last full day we decided to go for the gold: Up to the Alpai Tur saddle, drop the E face, up to the summit of Have Some Tea, drop the E face, long tour back to the yurt via an alternate pass that provides a spectacular view of every summit above.  Nico was the first to drop the E face from the saddle.  Conditions were prime.  We had been a bit skeptical of steeper E/NE faces all week as the only natural releases around were on similar aspects.  This face wasn&#8217;t the same though.  It was more due E facing, caught the late morning and midday sun perfectly, and the snow was fast, supportive, and silent.  &#8220;Easy Rider&#8221; it became.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52502_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52552_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>The scene from the bottom was as unreal as the ski: The mighty &#8220;Gamburger Stand&#8221; N face to the south, our clean pow tracks on Easy Rider to the W, and our tracks from the summit of Have Some Tea from 2 days earlier to the E.  From there it was a 45-minute tour through an untracked paradise zone via an alternate approach to Have Some Tea.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52702_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:17px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52742_SM.jpg" width="340" height="227" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:17px;"><br />
<img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52852_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-right:10px; padding-bottom:17px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_52902_SM.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-left:10px; padding-bottom:17px;"><br />
<img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_53042_25perc.jpg" width="470" height="313" style="padding-right:10px;"><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_53082_SM.jpg" width="210" height="313" style="padding-left:10px;"></p>
<p>As tends to be the case, the planned descent on the E side of Have Some Tea looked amazing.  But there&#8217;s just something about the Golden Hour that makes the drop to the W irresistible come late day.  Plus clouds were building over the high peaks and it seemed as if weather was rolling in.  So we dropped W again, this time a bit further towards the Gamburger Stand&#8230;exactly what we had been staring at from our lunch point following Easy Rider.  It was our last decent for the week and it fit with the fast, big and ridiculously fun theme of the trip.  We triggered 3 sizable slough avys which scratched through our tracks after we reached our safety spot, as if to chase us out of there.  Fine by us &#8211; we had done our damage for the week and had our fill.  Actually there&#8217;s no doubt we would have kept chasing lines for days to come, but time was up!  For the Frenchies it was back to Karakol the next morning, and then back to Bishkek and flight home to France the following day.  C&#8217;est la vie!</p>
<h3>Conditions/Avy Summary:</h3>
<p>We haven&#8217;t seen much new snow in 2012 aside from the 2-4cm that fell Jan 1.  Clearly that didn&#8217;t matter much up high.  Conditions this past week were better than I&#8217;ve ever seen them in terms of coverage, supportive layers, and avy danger.  </p>
<p>A couple of natural releases let go the morning after the Jan 1 storm on the N/NE faces directly behind the yurt.  Hard to say the exact scope of these releases as we avoided that zone entirely, but the seemed to run no more than 30cm deep, stepping down to the baselayer in isolated pockets only.  They were a variety of point-releases, especially from the rocks of &#8220;Kyzyl Tash,&#8221; and one bigger natural fracture that seems to have carried up to 300-400m.</p>
<p>As mentioned above, the snow we rode this week was mostly silent &#8211; not even any whumphing or settling of the snowpack while touring, which is something we have heard and seen a lot of over the past few years.  It&#8217;s the same trademark ultra-cold continental faceted snowpack, but with some supportive layers underneath.  This could be due to the deeper-than-average snowpack, or more consistent snowfall throughout the late fall/early winter, less extreme temperature gradients, a number of things.</p>
<p>The W faces, especially that from the Alpai Tur saddle, seemed bomber.  I say seemed because the W face of Have Some Tea did release 4 slough avys over the course of the week.  They were all skier/rider-triggered and they were slow moving.  We were always to our safety spot by the time the avys reached full bore.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_51482_800px.jpg" width="700" height="1051"></p>
<p>We were a bit hesitant of the steep N/NE faces, which stay super cold and tend to have a more consistently faceted snowpack.  In the end, we didn&#8217;t drop anything N/NE with a slope angle above 35 or so degrees.  The closest thing to N/NE was Easy Rider, but it was more due E&#8230;and it was fast, silent and deep!</p>
<h3>From The Guestbook:</h3>
<p>&#8220;DA YURT is so awesome, mountains so nice, powerful, amazing!  We just spend an awesome trip like will never hope to have it.  It was just perfect for the ski, for the vibes, just a mega THANKS!!&#8221;</p>
<p>-Emmanuel Kerinec, Montpellier, France</p>
<p>&#8220;Ryan, you had a very great idea coming here and doing this!  Congratulation!  Now I will always drink my vodka thinking about Kyrgyzstan, Kasidin &#8211; the fire master, Anarbek &#8211; the real chef, and all of the great and amazing virgin powder line we ski this week&#8230;PERFECT!&#8221;</p>
<p>-Nicolas Guyot, Les Avanchers, France/Congo</p>
<p>&#8220;We were making as amazing dreams in the day than in the night!  I&#8217;ll never forget a so awesome experience.  In the yurt with really good meal and powerful fire.  In the mountain with incredible snow.  Ryan&#8230;thank you for the weather <img src='http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> &#8220;</p>
<p>-Vincent Metz, La Franqui, France</p>
<h3>Next Up:</h3>
<p>Next up for Jan 15-18 is a group of 4 from Sweden.  After that Jan 19-23 with a group of 10 from New Zealand (<a href="http://www.skiingthesilkroad.com">www.skiingthesilkroad.com</a>).</p>
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		<title>2011-12 Photo Gallery</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/2011-12-photo-gallery/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/2011-12-photo-gallery/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Dec 2011 17:26:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2578</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It&#8217;s difficult to describe what exactly is happening over here &#8211; What we&#8217;re pulling off, where we&#8217;re doing it, who&#8217;s involved, what culture surrounds us, what our daily sights, experiences and interactions are like, what we&#8217;re getting up to in them thar hills. Pictures should help: Photo Gallery 2011-12]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It&#8217;s difficult to describe what exactly is happening over here &#8211; What we&#8217;re pulling off, where we&#8217;re doing it, who&#8217;s involved, what culture surrounds us, what our daily sights, experiences and interactions are like, what we&#8217;re getting up to in them thar hills.  Pictures should help: <strong><a href="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/portfolio/winter-2011-12/">Photo Gallery 2011-12</a></strong></p>
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		<title>Central Asia Weather Resources</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/central-asia-weather-resources/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/central-asia-weather-resources/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 22:36:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Resources]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2440</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If geeking out on avy bulletins and detailed weather forecasts is your thing, be prepared to be underwhelmed when you land in Kyrgyzstan! There are obvious downfalls to the lack of information, but it does force you to make decisions based strictly on personal observations, and that&#8217;s better than relying 100% on any forecast. Below [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If geeking out on avy bulletins and detailed weather forecasts is your thing, be prepared to be underwhelmed when you land in Kyrgyzstan!  There are obvious downfalls to the lack of information, but it does force you to make decisions based strictly on personal observations, and that&#8217;s better than relying 100% on any forecast.  Below are what we have found to be the best forecasting resources for the greater Central Asia region.</p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/snow-forecastCROP_350x320px.jpg" align="left" style="padding-right:20px"><font size="2px"><b>http://snow-forecast.com/</b></font><br />
Snow-forecast.com&#8217;s Himalayas Snow Conditions and Weather Maps cover Kyrgyzstan, so study up on your geography in order to place the country and accurately read the snowfall accumulation maps.  Snow-forecast.com also generates a resort forecast for Kyrgyzstan&#8217;s largest resort, Karakol, which is in the same forecast zone as the 40 Tribes yurt.  From experience we can say that the forecast tends to be correct in terms of timing of storms, but don&#8217;t pay as much attention to &#8220;snow (cm)&#8221; as it seems like it&#8217;s almost always under-forecasted.  Still, if you want a heads-up whenever it is snowing in the Karakol region, we definitely recommend that you sign up for Karakol Mountain Ski Base &#8220;Snow Alerts&#8221; via the link below.<br />
<b><a href="http://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/static/himal/full" target="_blank">Himalayas Snowfall Accumulation Maps &#8211; Static</a><br />
<a href="http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/KarakolMountainSkiBase/map" target="_blank">Himalayas Snowfall Accumulation Maps &#8211; Dynamic (Karakol Coordinates Marked)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/KarakolMountainSkiBase/6day/top" target="_blank">Karakol Mountain Ski Base 6-Day Detailed Forecast (Top)</a><br />
<a href="http://www.snow-forecast.com/snowmail_subscriptions?preselect=KarakolMountainSkiBase" target="_blank">Sign up for Karakol Mountain Ski Base Snow Alerts</a></b></p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/meteo-gidCROP_350x320px.jpg" align="left" style="padding-right:20px"><font size="2px"><b>http://meteo-gid.ru/</b></font><br />
Surprisingly accurate forecasting from Moscow.  Meteo-gid.ru generates long-term (5 to 7-day) forecasts for both Karakol and Suusamyr, another great backcountry zone.  This site was recently updated and now features a sliding 5-day forecast window with all of the information you need, including weather and temperature summaries for 4 different times of the day (night, morning, afternoon, evening), wind direction/speed, humidity, and pressure.  We&#8217;ve found that the temp and precip chart beneath the sliding window is at times accurate, and other times over-forecasted, but in general, offers good insight into expected snowfall.  General rule of thumb to translate mm precip (the blue bars) into expected snowfall is to multiply by 10.<br />
<b><a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/main/kyrgyzstan/bishkek/" target="_blank">Bishkek 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/getforecast/7/kyrgyzstan/0/bishkek/" target="_blank">Bishkek 7-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/main/kyrgyzstan/karakol/" target="_blank">Karakol 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/getforecast/7/kyrgyzstan/0/karakol/" target="_blank">Karakol 7-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/main/uzbekistan/suusamyr/" target="_blank">Suusamyr 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.meteo-gid.ru/index.php/forecast/getforecast/7/uzbekistan/0/suusamyr/" target="_blank">Suusamyr 7-Day Forecast</a><br />
</b></p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/hmn.ruCROP_350x320px.jpg" align="left" style="padding-right:20px"><font size="2px"><b>http://hmn.ru/</b></font><br />
Also from Moscow, but in English!  Now that Meteo-gid.ru has received a facelift, Hmn.ru seems a bit drab, but still provides good back-up forecasts to check against the others.  Hmn.ru additionally provides an 11-day extended forecast on top of 3 and 5-day detailed forecasts.  The weather station used to generate Hmn.ru&#8217;s &#8220;Tian-Shan&#8221; forecast is actually 30+ miles to the west/southwest of Karakol, meaning that it&#8217;s a good 50 or so miles as the crow flies from the 40 Tribes yurt.  Not the most accurate, but still helpful.  We are pretty sure that the station Hmn.ru uses for the Tian-Shan forecast is also used by Snow-forecast.com to generate the Karakol Mountain Ski Base Forecast.  Be sure to check out the interesting Station Synopsis link below.<br />
<b><a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=52&#038;value=38353" target="_blank">Bishkek 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=51&#038;value=38353" target="_blank">Bishkek 11-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=52&#038;value=36948" target="_blank">Karakol 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=51&#038;value=36948" target="_blank">Karakol 11-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=52&#038;value=36982" target="_blank">Tian-Shan 5-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://www.hmn.ru/en/index1.php?code=51&#038;value=36982" target="_blank">Tian-Shan 11-Day Forecast</a><br />
<a href="http://weather.gladstonefamily.net/site/36982" target="_blank">Tian-Shan Station Synopsis</a></b></p>
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		<title>Backcountry Film Festival</title>
		<link>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/backcountry-film-festival-2011-12/</link>
		<comments>http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/backcountry-film-festival-2011-12/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:34:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>fortytribesbc</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Media]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/?p=2401</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Can&#8217;t tell you how stoked we are to take this year&#8217;s Backcountry Film Festival all the way to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in December! Last year we had the pleasure of attending a local snowboard club&#8217;s premiere of their very own homegrown snowboard film. It was humorous at times, painful at others, and way too long in [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Can&#8217;t tell you how stoked we are to take this year&#8217;s <a href="http://www.backcountryfilmfestival.org/bcff/index.php" target="_blank">Backcountry Film Festival</a> all the way to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in December!  Last year we had the pleasure of attending a <a href="http://360.kg/" target="_blank">local snowboard club&#8217;s</a> premiere of their very own homegrown snowboard film.  It was humorous at times, painful at others, and way too long in general, but the turnout was impressive and it was awesome to be feeling the winter hype all the way over in Kyrgyzstan.  So for this year we decided it&#8217;d be an amazing experience to bring a collection of backcountry-focused films with us as a reason to gather expats and locals alike in celebration of winter, and inspire a continued interest in filmmaking amongst Bishkek shredders.  40 Tribes&#8217; <a href="http://vimeo.com/24968052" target="_blank">short film</a> is in the lineup, and we&#8217;re guessing it&#8217;ll cause quite the ruckus when the audience sees what we&#8217;ve been up to on their native turf.  For other BCFF festival-goers worldwide, our film is 2nd up, so it&#8217;s guaranteed you won&#8217;t be asleep or have had too many beers to remember!  A full list of festival locations is available via the BCFF link above.  If you are in Bishkek or elsewhere in Kyrgyzstan and reading this, come to the festival!  <b>December 16 @ Metro Pub, show time TBA.</b></p>
<p><img src="http://fortytribesbackcountry.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/BCFF_DVD-ARTWORK_700x469px.jpg" height="469px" width="700px"></p>
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