Beautiful Ala Archa in Kyrgyz Tien Shan

    In July-July 2010 I was lucky to undertake glaciological works towards my Master of science thesis in Ala Archa National Park in Kyrgyz Tien Shan. As usual, I had left everything to the last minute but thanks to  my supervisor Andy Hodson in Sheffield and my dear friend Dmitry Pavlenko, the expedition outcome was very successful! There certainly wasn't lack of excitement during this expedition, starting from being kicked out from the train in the Kazakhstan boarder due to having a wrong transit visa in my passport provided by the Kazakstan embassy in London (folks, check your visas TWICE as the embassy does give out wrong information)! I was "arrested" for a day, but thankfully the Finnish embassy quickly bailed me out and I returned to Moscow from where I quickly booked a flight to Bishkek. Phew...finally in Bishkek and only one day late from the schedule! In Bishkek I was faced with ongoing unrest in Osh that luckily didn't extend to the northern parts of Kyrgyzstan, and it had no effect on my plans. All my investigations took place on Aksai glacier, located within one day walk from Alplager; located just 40km outside Bishkek. For my masters thesis I am investigating the effects of biological dust to glacier melt in Asia and during the expedition I measured the glacial melt rate in Aksai, collected 100 cryoconite samples, undertook daily incubations to measure dissolved oxygen, measured the albedo on different parts of the glacier and took about thousand photos.  Phew!

    In addition to the glaciological works, I climbed several snowy peaks and I was very lucky to climb two classic rock lines on the Bachichiki rock wall (4515m) with a good friend, local climber and guide, Dmitry Pavlenko. With Dima I climbed both the classic trad route "Schwaba" (russian 5A, 550m; I lead first 6 pitches at vs/hvs) and the "Polak" route (Russian 5A, 550m), both on the Bachichiki rock wall and the latter in terrifying snow/ hail/ rain whilst learning to jumar on big wall style. Many thanks to Dmitry Pavlenko, one of the best mountain guides and teachers that I have met during my very limited years in mountaineering, as without you this small expedition wouldn't have been possible.

Mountaineering and climbing undertaken during this trip:

Swaba 550m (russian 5A - about alpine TD) on Bachichiki rock wall (4515m) with Dmitry Pavlenko

Polak 550m (russian 5A - about alpine TD) on Bachichiki rock wall (4515m) with Dmitry Pavlenko. First pitch was aided by Dmitry, afterwards I can claim a pitch or two under my name. Dmitry brilliantly finished this route in snow/rain/ hail whilst I was learning the basics of jumaring....

Peak Raceka - 2B (no classification) - nice one day climb with David Nicholls!

Peak Korona 4810m - sadly, I had to turn around 200 meters below the summit as we didn't have crampons nor ice axe to go further.

Peak Ucitel 4527m - an easy walking peak, good for acclimation and lovely views!

Russian alpine grade explanation is available here.

Ala Archa is simply one of the best climbing venues in Kyrgyzstan. It is only a stone throw from Bishkek and very accessible. There isn't many routes for beginners but the selection of challenging routes is plentiful. I found most routes too hard for myself to climb, mainly due to the lack of good technical mountaineering skills. But hey, there is always the next year! More information about climbing in Ala Archa is found here:

Dmitry Pavlenko

The Alpine Fund

Risk.ru

Below is a selection of photos that I took during my trip in Ala Archa. I hope to write further post about my glaciological work as results come forward.

Top of Aksai glacier

My home for a month

Somewhere close to the top of Korona Peak 4810m. Seems a bit silly now that we didn't go to the top now, but as you might notice, no ice axe nor crampons. But a lovely day anyhow!

Top of Schwaba route (russian 5a) on Bachichiki (4515m)

Views of Ala Archa

Final ridge of peak Ucitel 4527m

Aksai glacier with peak Raceka in the middle

Peak Ucitel and Bachichiki

Sunset of Ala Archa

Dmitry on first pitch of Polak route (russian 5a) 4515m

Beautiful Aksai

Bachichiki rock wall (4515m)

Summit of Raceka peak

Racek Hut

Climbing up Korona Peak 4810m

Dmitry gearing up for the Polak route (russian 5A)

Korona Hotel

Mid Aksai glacier

Dmitry trekking to the Korona Hotel

Free Korea wall 4740m

Korona towers 5 (4860m) and 6 (4855m). Sevaral good rock routes

Dmitry trekking towards the Korona hotel

The wall of Bailin-Bashi (4700m) ahead

Kyrgyzstan here I come!

On friday 4th June my trip to Kyrgyzstan starts. In Kyrgyzstan, I will be investigating the ever so important dust, its effects on snow/ ice albedo, and the tiny bacterias that attach themselves to the dust particles. I will be spending 25 days in Golubina glacier collecting very important field data for my masters thesis; for example, I will be collecting samples, taking photographs, measuring dissolved oxygen and with little bit luck, a good deal of mountaineering too.

On friday I will travel with Tolstoi train to Moscow where I'll spend two days sightseeing; I hope to see Kremlin and the Red Square for sure! On sunday evening I will depart Moscow with the transsiberian express to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where I will be on thursday morning. Exciting times ahead. Watch the space for photos! 

   

Kokshaal-Tau range by Sari Nevala

Project Tien Shan - The The Effects of Biogenic Surface Dust to Increased Glacial Melt on Golubina Glacier

Those who know me; you know how much I hated nine to five jobs. Really hated. Well, after travelling a year I am back to the office, but this time, this ain't the normal nine to five. In September 2009 I started studying for a masters degree in Geography concentrating on polar and alpine studies. It has been a blast - but hard work , and its all coming to an end. But not yet. I am currently preparing for a big field season in glaciers of Central Tien Shan. Project Tien Shan - Golubina Glacier is about putting the hard work done in the office to practise and it is a chance for me to do what I always wanted to do most, explore and learn about mountainous regions. I will be investigating the ever so important dust, its effects on snow/ ice albedo, and the tiny bacterias that attach themselves to the dust particles. I will be spending 21-23 days in Golubina glacier collecting very important field data for my masters thesis; for example, I will be collecting samples, taking photographs, measuring dissolved oxygen and with little bit luck, a good deal of mountaineering too.

My journey to Central Tien Shan starts on 27th May 2010 when I will fly from the sunny Sheffield to even more sunnier Helsinki (I hope!!), where I will be spending couple days visiting my family and friends, but also, climbing a few rocks in Olhava national park. On 2nd or 3rd of June, I will continue my journey with the TranSiberian Express with a quick stop over in Moscow. Three days later, on my arrival to Bishkek, I will be meeting my good friend Dmitry Pavlenko and some colleagues from the Central Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences. I also hope to meet American fulbright scholar Ann Piersall, who has done a great deal of work in Kyrgyzstan since November 2009. Check out her excellent web page: http://tienshanglaciers.blogspot.com/2009/05/about-ann.html
 

Kok-Shaal Tau range in Kyrgyzstan. Photo source:  Sari Nevala.
 
About my research... here's a short introduction to my project:

Northern Tien Shan is located in an arid and semi-arid region of central Asia, at the source region for Asian dust. Every spring, enormous amounts of dust particles are deposited on glacial surfaces after dust storms in the ‘drying’ Caspian and Aral Seas and in the deserts and arid regions of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan (Prospero et al., 2002). The high glacial dust input in northern Tien Shan can be explained by the synergetic action of many factors involving the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere. There are three basic conditions to consider: (1) the increased aridity on the continents due to changes in soil moisture, vegetation cover and retreat of glaciers (Prospero et al., 2002); (2) the more vigorous atmospheric circulation enhanced by the steeper southern temperature gradient generated by the northward extension of sea ice and (3) the reduction in the intensity of the hydrological cycle leading to a decrease in precipitation and consequently more efficient transport of dust (e.g. Joussaume 1989). 

In Chinese Tien Shan observations show large amounts of surface dust on the ice surface ranging from 86 to 1113 g m¯² (dry weight), which is within the normal range for Asian glaciers, but significantly greater than those on glaciers in other regions such as the Arctic (Takeuchi & Li, 2008; Takeuchi & Koshima, 2004). A significant part of the surface dust consists of humic material, being the residue of bacterial decomposition of organic matter (Takeuchi, 2002; Fujita, 2007). This suggests that the surface dust is comprised not only of deposits of wind-blown desert, but is a product of microbial activity on glacier itself. Such biogenic surface dust is known as cryoconite, and it enhances the melt rate of the glacier significantly, because the darkening of the ice leads to reduction in surface albedo and, thus, greater absorption of the Sun’s radiation (e.g. Takeuchi et al., 2002). 

Therefore, understanding the persistence of the dust is critical to understanding the fate of these glaciers as they increasingly lose their reflective snow cover – not least because the mass balance of Asian glaciers is a vital source of water for rivers and lakes that provide fresh water for large population in this threatened area. The tight coupling between physical and biological processes within cryoconite ecosystems upon a mountain glacier in Northern Tien Shan therefore forms the basis of this exciting project. Specifically, I will consider:

1. Controls upon the distribution of cryoconite across the Northern Tien Shan Glaciers;
2. How the cryoconite habitats vary (size, type, location) across the ice cap in accordance withdifferent radiation conditions (e.g. aspect, snow cover), the crystal/ optical properties of the ice and biological activity;
3. How these habitats enhance entrapment of other debris particles such as desert dust and anthropogenic pollution (black carbon), and then how this process modifies the albedo of the ice surface.
   

References:

• Fujita, K. (2007) Effect of dust event timing on glacier runoff: sensitivity analysis for a Tibetan glacier. Hydrol. Process., 21 (21), 2892 - 2896.
• Joussaume, S. (1989) Desert dust and climate: an investigation using an atmospheric general circulation model. In: Leinen M, Sarnthein M (eds) Paleoclimatology and paleometeorology: moden and past patterns of global atmospheric transport. NATO Workshop, PP 253-263.
• Prospero, J., Ginoux, P., Torres, O., Nicholson, S. and Gill, T. (2002) Global sources of atmospheric soil dusts. 40, 1, Reviews of Geophysics 40,1 February 2002.
• Takeuchi, N., and Li, Z. (2008) Characteristics of surface dust on Urumqi Glacier No. 1 in the Tien Shan Mountains, China. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 40 (4), 744 - 750.
• Takeuchi, N. (2002) Optical characteristics of cryoconite (surface dust) on glaciers: the relationship between light absorbency and the property of organic matter contained in the cryoconite. Annals of Glaciology, 34, 409 - 414.
• Takeuchi, N., and Koshima, S. (2004) A snow algal community on a Patagonian glacier, Tyndall glacier in the Southern Patagonia Icefield. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research, 36 (1), 91 -98.

Kokshaal-Tau range. Source: Sari Nevala.


Language Skills

A personal goal of mine is to develop a working proficiency of the Russian language. I am currently studying Russian language for 1-2 hours a day in hopes that by June I will be able to engage in conversations with local people, friends and fellow scientists.

Mountaineering

From a personal level I am excited by the mountaineering possibilities that exist in Ala Archa National Park in Kyrgyzstan. I hope to spend few days either after/ before/ in-between my field work to explore the area and to climb a peak or two!
A very good introduction to the Ala Archa region is found on Kyrgyz Alpine Fund web page: http://www.alpinefund.org/Kyrgyz%20Mountain%20Info.html.

Many thanks for Dr. Andy Hodson for supervision and constant support, Dmitry Pavlenko (Kyrgyzstan) for organisation, planning and support whilst in Kyrgyzstan, all friends and colleagues at the University of Sheffield and lastly to Sean James for being there for me.

Funding has been applied from Royal Geographical Society and University of Sheffield but has not yet been confirmed.

Few very interesting web pages to check:

• Ann Piersall - Fulbright scholar currently in Kyrgyzstan http://tienshanglaciers.blogspot.com/2009/05/about-ann.html
  

• Dmitry Pavlenko - Mountain guide and climber in Kyrgyzstan http://www.singleclimb.com/content/view/306/57/

• Alpine Fund in Kyrgyzstan  http://www.alpinefund.org/Kyrgyz%20Climbing%20Overview.html

• Nozomu Takeuchi - Researcher in Japan  http://www-es.s.chiba-u.ac.jp/~takeuchi/  

Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders) in North Wales

Soloing up first pitches of Icefall Gully

Fab day in North Wales - two good routes, good company and blue skies! Very good conditions for early March - the ice was thick enough for good ice screw placements and the weather was perfect! Both routes were very nice, climbing felt easy and safe (enough ice!!!) however, again I struggled with building good belays.... Practise practise practise!!!

Overall it was possibly THE perfect winter day! Thanks Sean = )
http://www.sheffieldmountainguides.com/

Pyramid Gully IV 5 250m
Icefall Gully IV 4 250m

Views from the top - we made it there twice!

Ysgolion Duon (Black Ladders)

BEAUTIFUL (and scary) Scotland

Coire an Lochain - Cairngorm

Coire an Lochain - Cairngorm

Second week of February in Scotland was BEAUTIFUL! Snow (lots of it), big cornices, good routes and great ski touring, what more can you ask!!! Aviemore was buzzing and the sky was blue!

Last week was also all about challenges and learning about big routes. I climbed harder than I have ever climbed before (scottish grade 5/6), backed off several pitches (thanks Will for leading) and completely froze at least once..... But I am also quite impressed of the fact that I and Will made it to the hills 5 days out of the 6 we were in Scotland. My legs did hurt BADLY , and at the end I was pretty much DONE (headwise too) but we did it. Now I am totally knackered though...

On Monday I had real epic climbing the Message (4,6) in Coire an t'Sneachda in Cairngorm. The Message is a pretty steep and MIXED route (but very good belays) and I was really hoping not to get the crux pitch but no hope for that. After nearly 2 hours on the crux and nearly loosing my front tooth (the hex that I was resting on popped out and hit my face!!!), I down climbed and Will kindly finished the pitch. On the third pitch I managed to get our ropes stuck and at that time it was about 5pm when it gets dark!!!!. Many thanks to Stuart from Climb 365 for sorting our ropes in the end - I was completely done after trying to lead the crux!!! http://www.climb365.net/about-us.htm. And nothing better to finish the day than navigating in snow storm and pitch black darkness....

We had another big day in Creag Megaidh. We wanted to climb the classic ice line called Pumpkin but as it was busy, we chose an amazing gully line called South Post Direct (4,5). The ice was pretty amazing for Scotland and some of the route involved steep snow climbing with no gear. There I was trying to build belay on a 80 degree slope with no gear between me and the belayer and boy did I feel like having a little cry.... it was that scary. It was a brilliant climb but maybe not a good one for a first grade 5 ; )

Sunday - Patey's Route (4,5)
Monday - The Message (4,6)
Tuesday - Central Left Hand (1/2)
Wednesday - REST DAY
Thursday - South Post Direct (5,4) 400m
Friday - Fiacaill Ridge (1/2)

Recent Report for Scottish winter conditions is here:
http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=51697

Fiacaill Ridge in Corrie an t'Sneachda

Creag Megaidh

Creag Megaidh - South Post Direct (5,4)