Bikepacking Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan - “The Americans“ Episode 1 of 2

In the summer of 2018 our team of two rode our bicycles for 1 month self supported through the Tian Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. I had just completed 2 months of riding though the Balkans, Turkey, and Georgia and John was jumping in deep with his first large tour. It seems incredible but local people often seemed very surprised but incredibly happy to meet Americans traveling in their countries. We were always told that the only foreigners they meet are European. I cannot say enough to the generous hospitality we received along the entire route. All but 4 nights of our trip were spent wild camping, and we encountered many difficult points along the way. We managed to keep spirits up through a lighthearted approach. We rode portions of the Tian Shan Traverse mountain bike route and at other points we forged our own way. This meant for some gnarly hike-a-bikes that made ride-able portions feel that much better. We were amazed by the incredible scenery these countries