- m
- M
- C
Max's Kyrgyzstan expedition with British exploring society
0% complete
£1,460 raised of
14 donations
Hi, I’m Max, a student from St Albans. I’ve been selected to join the British Exploring Society’s 2026 Kyrgyzstan Expedition — a month-long journey through the remote At-Bashi mountain range in Central Asia.
About the British exploring society
- The British Exploring Society, founded over 90 years ago by a member of Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition, is a youth-development charity that helps young people grow through challenge and discovery.
- Its expeditions blend adventure with scientific purpose, giving participants the chance to contribute to research while building confidence, teamwork, and leadership.
The At-Bashi range
- With peaks first summited only in 2002, the At-Bashi range is believed to contain over 100 unclimbed mountains above 4,000 m.
- It’s one of the most remote and least visited mountain systems in Central Asia, with vast unexplored terrain and almost no mapped routes.
- Our expedition combines environmental exploration, field research, and leadership development in one of Kyrgyzstan’s most demanding regions.
- Due to unpredictable weather and a lack of infrastructure, our team will be fully self-sufficient throughout the journey.
Nature and ecology
- The range bridges alpine tundra and steppe, home to ibex, argali, snow leopards, wolves, and lammergeiers — vultures that drop bones to crack them open.
- Lower slopes shelter marmots, pikas, and rare mountain birds along with wild herbs used by nomadic herders.
- We’ll record wildlife and environmental changes across this fragile ecosystem.
History
- An ancient Silk Road corridor once crossed the At-Bashi valleys, linking China and Central Asia.
- Today it remains sparsely inhabited, home only to a few seasonal nomadic herders who still move with their livestock through the high passes.
Why I'm fundraising
- I’m raising £3,000 to help make this expedition possible and to support the British Exploring Society’s mission of empowering young people through adventure, teamwork, and discovery.
- Every contribution helps me reach the mountains and supports the next generation of explorers gaining skill, perspective and resilience in the wild.