What did you know about or expect Kyrgyzstan before arriving?
I asked her should I go and she said without hesitation YES.
Mike Hopkins:I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
you’ve got the option to only learn so much from reading about a country.
My first thoughts were of horses, rickshaws, and yurts.
Mike Hopkins, Izzy Lynch and Leah Evans.
Why did you want to go on the trip?
Its not often that you get to explore a place you really have no prior knowledge about.
I knew this was the trip of a lifetime.
Mike Hopkins
What was it like arriving in Bishkek?
Izzy Lynch:Frigid.
Things were looking up!
Leah Evans:Two words: extremely cold.
Izzy Lynch & Leah Evans
Mike Hopkins makes a friend.
Who is Ryan Koupal?
A man with vision who is willing to follow his dreams and help people along the way.
Mike Hopkins:I have never seen someone so passionate about what he does and his area.
He is definitely here for the soul of the area.
Ryan Koupal
What was the purpose of the homestay?
Izzy Lynch:Ryan is conscious of how 40 Tribes is affecting the local Kyrgyz people.
Ryan arranged for us to stay with a family for a night in the village below the yurt.
Leah Evans:The most intriguing room in the house was the dining room where we ate.
All coming from the amour that holds their finest possessions including a brand new chainsaw.
Who is this Schumacher character?
What is his van all about?
Leah Evans:Schumacher is the only man I know who has two left ski boots.
Izzy Lynch:Schumacher!
He is this hilarious Russian man with the dirtiest hands and raddest smile.
Schumacher…
…and his van.
You went there to explore new terrain and managed to ski a few first descents.
What was that like?
Mike Hopkins:The Tien Shan mountains are unreal.
Range after range of black jagged rock, that only seemed to get bigger as the horizon faded.
We definitely had a difficult time working our way into zones.
The avalanche conditions were sketchy at best.
This made the entire trip a “touch and go” learning experience.
Tien Shan Mountains
Describe the yurt.
By the end of the trip the yurt felt like home…I could have spent forever there!
Leah Evans: The yurt was one of the most special aspects of the trip.
Mike Hopkins in the yurt.
What does Jalpak Tash mean?
Mike Hopkins:Jalpak Tash is the name of the spot where the yurt is.
That’s what they said.
Jalpak Tash
What was it like skiing with Ptor?
That pretty much sums up the character that is Ptor.
Ptor Spricenieks leading the crew.
How did this trip change your perception of the Stans?
I left feeling the exact opposite.
It is a beautiful place, the people are warm and friendly and the mountain culture is rich.
We all starred at each other and then everyones gaze focused on me.
Id been subliminally nominated to pop launch the package.
Inside was a cake.
A cake that looked like a wedding cake.
The whole gesture was the perfect icing on the cake, literally and metaphorically.
Be sure to check back tomorrow for the online premiere of the film, Jalpak Tash A Kyrgyzstan Epic.
