Introducing....

Almost a month has passed since the arrival of my friend Ben Logan. A California native who has worked and climbed across the western U.S., he come to join me for three months in Kyrgyzstan. His presence as a friend and mountaineering partner here in Kyrgyzstan facilitates a much higher level of freedom and safety than I was ever able to experience as an individual.

From previous traveling experience, I often identify myself as a married women in foreign cultures. In Kyrgyzstan it has proved to be useful as I spent most of the winter traveling, working and living as a solo female- a difficult concept for local men to grasp. When Ben made his plans concrete in January, my imaginary husband was gifted a name. Our "marriage" here is highly functional, allowing us to stay with families together, travel without suspicion and be more socially accepted. Together we take great humor in answering the ubiquitous questions about our lack of children and future plans for procreation.

For our remaining two months, we are piecing together an itinerary for mountaineering objectives in the At-Bashy Range that will make the most of our time and limited resources. Despite a strong emphasis on efficiency, we also wish to allow for a degree of spontaneity within the project's framework. Simplicity is our mantra and we will be utilizing local means and approaching our mountain forays with minimalism and flexibility. Thank you the the American Alpine Club Nikwax Alpine Bellwether Grant and the American Alpine Club Research Grant for supporting the cost of Ben's participation.