Kazakhstan in consideration / mountain tips

[ArmyGrunt]

Has anyone ever hunted here? I went to Hungary a little over 2 years ago and hunted with a gent under suggestion of @UKHunter. While there, George had mentioned that he'd like to hunt Ibex the same as I. I've spent the last two years thinking about what to do for the next hunt trip. @gizmo is always on my list with those bison, and not to mention he's got a great lodge and does my taxidermy.
I sure didn't like the flights I just looked at . My main reason for popping up here are, of course, for info gathering.

Firearms travel on United or Lufthansa, or issues you all have seen.
Experience traveling to Kazakhstan.
Tips one training up for mountain hunting.
Gear preferred for mountain terrain.

Obviously, any and all additional tips and tricks you folks have will be greatly appreciated. I didn't yet tell the wife I was thinking of planning something. Newly married this past spring, and we've got several moving pieces still in play from merging and selling two homes, buying one to fit us all. I dropped some hints last night showing her some photos of the critters available to hunt. I think it may be called subterfuge

 

[chonk34]

I don't have a lot of advice, but I would say the lighter your gear, the easier it will be to haul it up a mountain. I would imagine a good outfitter would be able to provide a packing list to work from.

Start training now for the climbing. I am lucky enough to have a hill on public land behind my house, and I spent a year walking up and down it with a pack on my back in preparation for hunting a Chamois in Romania this year. It was well worth the investment of time and energy. The guy who went up the day before my hunt didn't make it to the hunting area because his conditioning was off. You don't want to travel across the world only to find that your body is not capable of handling the terrain.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Very true! The property we just got has some opportunity for hills, but all fairly gently. I'll have to drive a way to get some good slopes, but working up to heavy loads will certainly be in my plan.

 

[BourbonTrail]

My tips from hunting mountain lion / elk in Arizona mountains are few but hopefully helpful:

• Good rigid boots - like Kennetrek
• Get a good pack and break it in as much as your boots…a lot!
• Cardio…not jogging but sprinting
• Lift weights (back and whole leg exercises- everyone forgets coming down the mountain injures more than going up)
• If you have time/ability go spend time in the rockies before your hunt (above 10000ft) - Not necessary for hunting Altyn Emel as only about 5kft.

Also, try to get some practice maximizing your shooting range and firing at steep angles.

 

[ArmyGrunt]

Excellent point on shooting at slope. I forgot about ballistics and angle adjustment. Gotta look into that for sure.

 

[sgt_zim]

I'm not sure there is a lot you can do to physically prepare to hunt at 15,000 ft elevation. Your mind has to be right, or it won't matter at all what your physical conditioning is like.

Consider, pretty much everybody who goes to USN's B.U.D.S. is very physically fit, probably the most fit they'd ever been in their lives to that point. The ones that wash out aren't the ones in poor shape, they're the ones who just don't have between the ears what it takes to deal with that kind of torture.

Could be you may only have to "climb" but very little. But even mild slopes when you're north of 10K feet become monumental challenges. North of 12-13k ft, it really gets hard. Just breathing at all, and feeling oxygenated, can be a real challenge, even if you are just sitting in your tent.

I haven't been, but a couple dudes I know have been. I am familiar with the thin air at upper elevations in the Andes, that never really changes.

You've got to really want that world-class argali ram to go do that.

 

[BRICKBURN]

.
Tips one training up for mountain hunting.
..........

After you think you are in great shape on a stair machine you can take a simple thin air test.
Put a soda straw in your mouth and breath through it with you nose plugged and then go for a walk on the stair machine again.

The thin air is what usually beats people up badly in any high mountain hunting.
@gillettehunter @Philip Glass will certainly be able to attest.

Talk to your doctor about medication to assist you with the potential medical issues with altitude.

Good luck and Happy training.

 

[Philip Glass]

After you think you are in great shape on a stair machine you can take a simple thin air test.
Put a soda straw in your mouth and breath through it with you nose plugged and then go for a walk on the stair machine again.

The thin air is what usually beats people up badly in any high mountain hunting.
@gillettehunter @Philip Glass will certainly be able to attest.

Talk to your doctor about medication to assist you with the potential medical issues with altitude.

Good luck and Happy training.

Yes high altitude kills me! I will train harder the next time I go somewhere like Kyrgyzstan (hoping for Tajikistan). Plus I’ll know the Diamox high altitude medicine severely dehydrates and will make sure I have gallons of water at all times.
Regards,
Philip

 

[flatwater bill]

Consider a Mid-Asian Ibex hunt as a first option. They are relatively inexpensive, yet have a high adventure factor. Talk with one of the operators at a show, and you will get a wealth of info on such a trip. No exercise for climbing and hiking is more important than...well, climbing and hiking. Should you decide on Kaz or Kyrg and want to talk with someone who has been to both.....PM me...........FWB