Kyrgyzstan: High Country Landscapes
What struck me most about the high country of Kyrgyzstan wasn't simply the scale of the mountains, but the extraordinary openness of the landscape.
Mile after mile of rugged mountains and sweeping summer pastures, without a fence, hedge or field boundary anywhere in sight. Occasionally, a line of white stones marked the perimeter of a yurt encampment. Otherwise, the land seemed to stretch uninterrupted towards the horizon.
Horses, herders and scattered yurts provide a sense of scale, while the weather can transform the landscape in minutes.
Remote, rugged and remarkably unspoilt. Good for the soul.
A lone Yak bracing for the brewing storm in central Kyrgyzstan
The famous 33 Parrot pass en route from Son Kul to Naryn - where the road looks like it blends into the river below
A lone horseman and his dog traverse the high peaks near Son Kul
Yurts and herds of sheep, cattle and horses dot the landscape all over Son Kul during the summer months
Milky Way abive the yurts in Son Kul - some of the darkest night skies iin the world
4x4 - the only way to get around - unless on horseback
Light, shade and herds of Yaks on the way to Naryn
Son Kul mornings
Traffic jams on the Bishkek to Osh highway
Young Kyrgyz cowboys with their dog en route to Son Kul
Kalmak-Ashu pass en route to Son Kul - 3400 metres
Sunrise in Bokonbaevo