Breathtaking mountains, vast plateaus and lonely yurts. By Kathryn Miller

Where
Tian Shan mountain range, Kyrgyzstan

How long
8 days

The ride
The 1,500km-long range has peaks topping 7,400m and stretches from Kazakhstan through Kyrgyzstan into China. After seeing the sights of leafy Bishkek, a city whose Soviet legacy is still evident in its austere architecture and wide boulevards, we began the two-day jeep ride to the remote mountain lake of Son Kul to pick up the horses. We’d be riding part of the legendary Silk Road, the network of ancient trade routes that, for some 2,000 years, linked China with Europe. It was a route that would cover 180 miles.

A route through history and unspoilt scenery
As we rode we passed remote farms and villages where residents waved while staring with curiosity at our cowboy hats. The wildlife added to a sense of the mysterious East colliding with the Wild West; we spotted vultures, a lone Bactrian camel and herds of wild horses, and the terrain we covered was just as diverse.

When not in the saddle, we indulged in Lilia’s sensational stir-fries and thigh-soothing dips in freshwater rivers. I learned to remove saddlebags at lunchtime (the horses had a tendency to roll), and that a traditional shyrdak (felt rug) is a much more effective barrier against the cold than any self-inflating camping mat. I also learned to say two indispensable words in Kyrgyzs: salalmatsizbi
(hello) and rahmat (thank you).

Last post on a Wild East adventure
Riding under searing sun across dusty landscapes, wild camping on the side of a mountain and not seeing a soul for days had given me a taste of how isolated life can get on the steppes. Riding across Kyrgyzstan might be easier now than at any time in the past, but it’s still adventurous– and full of pitfalls. It’s also the only way to feel a connection with the nomads who’ve roamed across this region for millennia.

The essentials

When to go
The summer months are the best time to visit Kyrgyszstan; winter on the treeless steppes bringing a whole new meaning
to the world ‘bitter’, with temperatures frequently dipping below minus 20ºC in the mountains.

Getting there
Flights start from $1000 (fly Turkish Airlines via Istanbul) and take you to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyszstan; from there it’s a dusty few days by 4X4 to the Son Kul Lake, where the trek begins.

Organising your trip
Ride Worldwide (www.rideworldwide.com) organise horseback safaris in the ‘Mountain of Heaven’ in summer months.

Am I up to it?
Intermediate horseriding skills are required, plus a sense of adventure, but no specific fitness training.

More like this
Cross the Andes from Chile to Argentina on horseback via the Puelo Valley with Ride Worldwide (www.rideworldwide.com).