I would walk 500 miles…
Between the 26th and the 29th of April the tulip team assembled again to head into the north-east region of Kemin. Georgii, Ormon, Isken, and I were now well acquainted and formed quite the formidable team. The bitter cold had not yet left this little part of Kyrgyzstan and so we had to brave low temperatures and multiple glasses of cognac – which were supposed to warm us up. The trip was a great success thanks to the team’s hard work and my first venture to the east of Bishkek is one I will look back on with a smile on my face.
The team set out on a sunny Friday morning and arrived in the region to damp, cloudy weather. The tulips were plenty, although many flowers were closed due to the cold. We found Tulipa tarda, and some strange form of Tulipa zenaidae growing on the slopes. Further along in our journey, near a cement factory overlooking the main road, we located more Tulipa zenaidae in its strange form. After walking further up into the mountain pastures we located Tulipa ostrowskiana and Tulipa tarda, alongside more of this strange version of Tulipa zenaidae. The nearby horses were a little wary at first as we dug up herbarium specimens and collected leaf samples, but they needn’t have worried as we were only a bunch of friendly botanists. The day was finished by a large dinner at our driver’s extended family’s home where we were warmly welcomed out of the rain into the cosy kitchen. All slept very well that night.
Day two took us on a long hike into a valley where marmots shrieked and vultures soared. But all this began after a few more shots of cognac had been forced upon us by our host to celebrate our new friendship. However, our tipsy, long trek up in the valley to the snow level rewarded us with Tulipa dasystemon, Tulipa tarda, and the strange Tulipa zenaidae form. The flowers were not open and many were only seedlings, but there were plenty growing in this remote place. Furthermore, the views from the top of the pasture lands were stunning, and although the trek down was tiring, we all made it safely to the car. Our accommodation that night was an old Russian house that had not been lived in for some time and it really felt like the setting of a horror film. For the tulips we certainly sacrificed many comfortable nights’ sleep.
The next two days passed quickly as we visited the Shamshy valley and another valley closer to Bishkek. The sun shone and we had an amazing time wandering through the alpine slopes of this little area of Kyrgyzstan. We found the magnificent Tulipa greigii, the delicate Tulipa binutans, and the more common Tulipa zenaidae, as well as Tulipa ostrowskiana. After a short journey through this region we headed back to Bishkek to catch some rest before the next adventure would begin on the following Friday.
…and I would walk 500 more…
After a quick pit stop in Bishkek on the 3rd May, a slightly enlarged team set out to the wild west of Kyrgyzstan. The new team members consisted of Professor Kairykul Shalpykov, an always optimistic expert botanist, Aibek, a replacement driver for the busy Isken – although equally rally-like in driving style – Bilim, our cameraman for the trip, and Professor Sodonbekov Sodonbekovich, a first-time tulip hunter. After a long drive on the first day with a few stops for T.dasystemon and T.tetraphylla on the way, we arrived at the stunning Sary-Chelek Biosphere Reserve. After a good night’s sleep, we set out to explore the reserve for tulips. There were thousands! Over that day and the following morning we located populations of T. dasystemonoides, T. anadroma, T. zonneveldii, and a new species that remains to be described. During this time, we also managed to sneak in a quick boat trip onto the huge lake that nestles in the mountain valley at the centre of the park. This was a great opportunity to admire the majesty of this historic park and learn more about its diverse flora and fauna. After enjoying the awe-inspiring landscape, we set off further west to continue our journey.
Not many people travel to the depths of western Kyrgyzstan and the roads are long, winding, and not that inviting. Aibeck tackled them all and we swept through the changing landscape, driving along the border of Uzbekistan and into a whole new world of bare, mars-like terrain. This area was an old Russian uranium mining location and we found only T.korolkovii surviving in this harsh environment. After being told it was unsafe to sleep in this valley due to the high radiation from waste, we quickly left for the next valley. After setting up camp next to a bubbling river we chatted over tea and beer as the stars came out and shone brighter than I have seen for a long time. It was one of those moments when you realise how lucky you are to be on this adventure with such an amazing team around you.
After another long drive through gorges and up into the mountains we entered the Chatkal region of Kyrgyzstan; known for being remote and mountainous. Along the way we found T. dubia hiding amongst the rocky outcrops of the gorge and near the mountain pass summit we found Tulipa biflorforimis clinging on to rocky slopes in the most remarkable position. It is incredible where these tulips can be found and something that has really surprised me whilst I have been exploring the wilds of Kyrgyzstan. We descended into the Chatkal valley and cruised through the green valley bottom stopping frequently for populations of T. kaufmanniana and another, more difficult to recognise, species. We camped under the starry sky again, although we faced some nasty midges whilst setting up the tent.
The next day started with us continuing our cruise through the valley bottom. We found millions of T. kaufmanniana and it is a sight I will remember for the rest of my life. The bright coloured flowers were like a carpet and all the long driving and hard work suddenly seemed a worthwhile sacrifice to be able to experience something like this. Unfortunately, this euphoric feeling would last little over two hours as after summiting the mountain pass into the Talas region and just after we began our descent, our car hit a puddle which was hiding a rather sneaky rock that destroyed our oil filter. We faced a breakdown in a pretty precarious location with snow close by and a long way to the nearest village. This is really when you find out most about your team. Together through pushing and letting the car roll we managed to get it over 14km further down into the valley bottom. During this time three of us got a lift from a large dumper truck to catch up with the car that had rolled a few kilometres ahead of us. This truck ride would be one of the most exhilarating drives of my life. One-handed, our driver swung the truck round hairpins overlooking large drops, whilst I sat on his “bed” bouncing up and down trying not to smash my head on the roof. We regrouped at the bottom of the valley with over 60km to the next village and no truck willing to give us a tow. We had all but given up hope and it looked like a cold night camping in the middle of nowhere when a white van came to the rescue. They towed us all the way to the repair centre and it was with eternal gratitude we said goodbye to them and in the newly fixed car headed to our host’s house for the night. Many shots of vodka were drunk in celebration that night.
The final day of the expedition was tainted by me becoming ill. We did our morning’s work, but progress was slower than usual. Fortunately, after lunch I had the chance to rest on our ten-hour car journey back to Bishkek… It was with great relief the team arrived back in the big city and all were grateful for the opportunity to lie down for a proper night’s rest after a much-needed shower. The west of Kyrgyzstan really threw everything at us and took a lot out of us, but we all made it back and now have some amazing stories to tell. Not one of us will forget this trip in a hurry!
…just to be the man searching for wild tulips in Kyrgyzstan .
In search of wild tulips 
Some hair-raising moments in an amazing landscape! A portfolio of all the tulips you have come across would be interesting to see in order to compare colour, shape etc. Keep up the good work. Tricia Wilson
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