Sisters on the Silk Road: A Journey Across Central Asia by Bike
Erin Linwood, Dr Kathryn (Kat) Green and Dr Kathryn Scott
What does it take to cycle across a continent? Grit, resilience, and a hint of madness, perhaps. Yet for three remarkable expedition medics from TrailMed, it’s all part of a grand journey that melds adventure with a deeper mission. As they pedal through Asia’s expansive landscapes, they’re testing the limits of human endurance and showcasing the best of wilderness medicine. TrailMed's expedition medics are not only skilled in providing medical support in challenging environments, but they also push themselves to accomplish difficult challenges. Their dedication to adventure and healthcare is truly inspiring.
In this article, we read about the incredible journey of Erin Linwood, Dr Kathryn (Kat) Green, and Dr Kathryn Scott in their own words as they embarked on a cycling expedition across Central Asia.
Initially, they set four key objectives for their trip when they applied for the JWMT grant. However, as their adventure evolved, so did their objectives….
Meet the team: From left to right, Erin Linwood (24), Kathryn Green (27) and Kathryn Scott (28).
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Cycling through Central Asia proved to be one of the most physically enduring trips they had ever undertaken. Navigating broken roads and steep climbs with heavily loaded bikes required deep resilience. They also faced emotional and psychological challenges, particularly as three young women cycling unaccompanied in a region where it is uncommon for women to partake in such adventures. Their journey was further complicated by encounters with aggressive dogs, which they had to master handling.
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Though their initial aim to collect data on plastic pollution in West Africa had to be altered, they shifted focus to inspiring other women and girls to pursue expeditions. They shared their journey through social media, documenting both highs and lows. Erin and Kat plan to continue this effort by participating in panels at the Royal Geographical Society Explore Symposium.
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heir adventure aimed to promote Central Asia as a destination for adventure cycling. Despite limited documentation of the region's gravel riding potential, they plan to publish their route on various mapping platforms and contribute to online forums, helping to open up Central Asia to more adventurers. Erin and Kat are also planning a future trip to Kyrgyzstan to share their passion for exploring this incredible country.
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Switching from mountain bikes to gravel bikes, they built their own expedition bikes using second-hand components. This process took them from novices to skilled mechanics, proving essential for their journey.
Funding Our Journey: The Jeremy Wilson Memorial Trust Fund
We are immensely grateful to have been awarded £700 from the Jeremy Wilson Memorial Trust Fund (JWCT) for our expedition across Asia. The Jeremy Willson Charitable Trust (JWCT) is a charity set up in tribute to and memory of Jeremy Willson. The charity helps people and projects that reflect Jeremy’s passions in life: athletics, geology, adventure and the environment. This generous grant has been pivotal in ensuring the success of our journey, enabling us to procure essential equipment, supplies, and support services. Below, you'll find a detailed breakdown of how we utilized the funds to prepare for and sustain our adventure:
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Use on the trip
Garmin inReach was our key communication method, we checked in daily with a group back home to ensure team safety.
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Use on the trip
Given the medical background of our team we took a comprehensive medical kit allowing us to manage most common issues when local facilities were not available
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Use on the trip
We purchased a multifuel stove for the trip allowing us to switch between canister gas and liquid fuel as required.
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Use on the trip
Chain, chain links, gear cables, brake cables, brake pads, puncture kit, lube and multitool
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Use on the trip
Travel and bike repairs
Additionally, thanks to the generous support of The Wilderness Lectures, Ellis Brigham, Tumbleweed bikes, SWOX, Real Turmut and Sinewave Cycles
Part 1 | Uzbekistan – Tajikistan - Uzbekistan
“Quote for Kat”
Our expedition began in Tashkent, Uzbekistan; after spending a few nights in the city, we started our cycling and headed south toward the Tajikistan border, bikes fully loaded and in tip-top condition, ready for our adventure. Initially, cycling conditions were challenging; we quickly realized that the gravel tracks we had plotted on the map were thick with mud, often forcing us onto the main roads where we faced chaotic driving and roads riddled with more potholes than clear tarmac.
Despite the tough conditions, we were immediately struck by the kindness of the people in Uzbekistan. We were often gifted fresh bread discs (Traditional baked circles of bread roll, often with decorative patterns in the dough) or soft drinks on the road. The generosity of the locals particularly shone through when our bike lock jammed, and half the village came to our aid, eventually resorting to an angle grinder to free our bikes so we could continue our journey.
The first few days left our bikes caked in thick mud, severely impacting the breaking mechanisms on our bikes. Erin's first pair of brake pads were completely destroyed by the grit, and we were incredibly grateful that we had sharpened our bike maintenance skills back home in the UK, which allowed for a quick repair and use of some spares! One of the highlights of our previous visit to Kyrgyzstan was the birdlife, which had drawn us back to this region. Uzbekistan did not disappoint; we were both thrilled to spot storks for the first time.
After a few days in Uzbekistan, we crossed the border into Tajikistan. There was a noticeable cultural shift as we passed through the checkpoints. Gender roles were more defined here, and as women on bikes, we were something of an oddity.
The atmosphere felt more conservative, and we rode with our arms and legs covered. Our time in Tajikistan didn't get off to the best start. A nasty crash occurred after a dog chased us aggressively, but once again, the kindness of the locals was incredible. A family took us in for the night, and we ate with them as they broke they're fast for Ramadan. We took our first rest day in Khujand, where we repaired our bikes, explored the historical buildings and wandered through bustling markets. In Tajikistan, we were pulled over by officials several times. At first, we thought they were checking our passports, but we soon realized it was often just an excuse for them to ask for a selfie! Back in Uzbekistan, we spent several days cycling along small back roads through agricultural land. Once again, we experienced incredible hospitality.
Our progress was often delayed by endless stops as locals generously offered us gifts of fruit, tea, Fanta, and steaming hot plov—a traditional Uzbek dish made of rice, meat, carrots, and onions, slow-cooked in a rich broth. Perhaps the best example of Uzbek hospitality was our encounter with Bek in Kokand. We were sitting on the pavement, enjoying spinach Samsa (a Central Asian version of a samosa), when we were approached by a man speaking in a thick East London accent—certainly not what we expected to hear in the Fergana Valley! Bek, a local Uzbek, had spent his twenties studying in London, where he picked up a distinct Cockney twang. Within minutes, he had found us tables and chairs and brought over more steaming Samsa, a plate of chocolates, and a refreshing local honey drink.
Part 2 | Through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan
Entering Kyrgyzstan proved to be an intense experience. Every bag was removed from our bikes, scanned and searched, and Kat's binoculars were nearly confiscated!
After a rough first night, and with Erin still sore from the crash, we realized we needed a few days of rest (and an elbow X-ray). So, we caught our first hitch of the trip, squeezing our bikes down the narrow aisle of a packed minibus.
Kathryn joined us on the ride through the Tian Shan mountains in Toktogul. We spent a few days resting and preparing, knowing that the hardest stretch of cycling lay ahead. We left Toktogul at the start of Eid, which worked in our favour—the roads were mostly empty, with only a few large trucks passing us. We were reminded of the festivities as a number of generous local children offered us, suspect sweets, as we cycled out of Toktogul (988m) heading towards the highest mountain pass of our trip, Ala Bel pass at 3275m.
The climb was long, taking us the best part of 2 days to reach the high point, but the scenery as we cycled higher was increasingly breathtaking. Initially we followed a stunningly wild river, before ascending through acres of pine forests to reach the snow line where we were surrounded by many snow-capped mountains on both sides. We were very lucky that the asphalt road was clear of snow and ice (on this occasion!), which seemed to cut the Talas Ala-Too mountain range in half.
The descent into the Suusamyr valley, after a long climb, where the gleaming sun contrasted the snowy white landscape, was a welcome reward. We became quite aware that we were rapidly losing the sunlight and hadn’t descended enough to clear the snow line. We were still surrounded by deep snow, unsuitable for our overnight camp. With head torches and bike lights on we reached the first settlement and were surprised to see another Westerner on a bike who introduced us to a family he recently met. Without hesitation, they offered us food and a much-needed warm place to sleep. With great relief, chilled to the bone, we piled into their tiny home (or more accurately, an eclectic shop), grateful to have somewhere to warm up. Our next objective was Song Kul, through another high pass.
Despite months of preparation and perfecting the route sometimes the weather dictates. Being a minor road, the route to Song Kul was still in winter condition – forcing us to change our plans and enjoy 2 days of adventure gravel riding in the Suusamyr valley, a landscape of braiding rivers and smatterings of agricultural land, home to many cattle, horses and herdsmen. This made for exciting riding along landrover tracks and through the rolling hills of the valley, cutting through mud, snow, ice and gravel.
With the high passes of our planned onward journey to Song-Kul still blocked by snow, we hitched forwards to Bishke,k where a kind bee-keeper optimistically attached us and our three loaded bikes onto his ancient land-rover. As we ascended the steep switchbacks over the mountain pass his engine spluttered, smoked and then failed spectacularly on a narrow, steep and snowy section of road. Another kind man (a bit of a theme here) in a cream interior Mercedes was quick to the rescue. Without hesitation, he crammed bikes, luggage and all into his car with the three slightly grimy girls in the back. Trailing behind on a tow rope was the poor bee-keeper in his lifeless and rather sorry-looking land-rover – a survivable but terrifying journey! In order to start the next phase of our trip, cycling the southern shore of Lake Issy Kul, we caught a bus, along with some highly intoxicated locals from Bishkek to Balakchy.
Part 3 | Along the southern shore of Issy Kul
The landscapes (and road quality) changed dramatically as we explored valleys from lakeside up into the Tien Shien mountains. We focused this part of our trip on travelling along the 180km long Lake Issy Kul on its less commonly travelled south side. The landscape was mainly arable farmland, where a kind landowner allowed us to camp in his field amongst his animals. On the first night and we were welcomed in for excessively caffeinated tea, followed what can only be described as a candelabra of boiled sweets!
After a sleepless night, kept awake with copious amounts of caffeine and sugar, we set off on one of our longest days of cycling, aiming to do a gruelling 90km. Progress was infuriatingly slow as the asphalt sections of the road were petering out and we found ourselves cycling on dusty dirt tracks. We finally finished the long day in Kaj Sai at a welcoming BnB, where we had delicious eggs the following morning. The rain came in, making the previously dusty roads now quite clay like; we set off, slowly in the rain and all of our gortex towards the fairy-tail canyon, passing very interesting red sandstone rock formations on our right, which extended for kms until they met the larger mountain ranges and the blue, still lake Issy kul on our left. Thick clay made the distance travelled today minimal but it allowed for a beautiful overnight camp within the Fairy-tail Canyon, a canyon with interesting rock formations carved by rivers. It was here that we met another group of British cyclists, a very cheery Scottish family who were cycling from China back to Scotland across a number of months, they had admirable determination and remained very happy despite what sounded like a rough start to the first leg of their trip!
After reaching the capital city of Karakol, at the end of Lake Issy Kul, we based ourselves here for a day cycle to Jeti Oguz. Erin rested in the accommodation, and Kat and Kathryn cycled out of the city and into the incredible Jeti Oguz valley – this had the most tourist interest we had seen so far, with a tour bus of British tourists stopping to see the local eagle hunters. We managed to stop and rest here and enjoy watching the highly trained juvenile eagles respond to their trainers capturing small animals. Our well-timed rest stop paid off as we actually managed to hold the eagle after the demonstration! We continued up the valley towards the glacier, passing the seven bullheads of jeti oguz and the famous “broken heart” – interesting cliff-like rock formations making up the walls of the valley. The track teetered out, and the last few kms of this day were very hard, going through deep mud and the few remaining snow patches lingering from the spring thaw. This evening’s camp was stunning, a wild remote valley with a view of glaciers and 5000m mountain ranges ahead.
Meeting up with Erin back in Karakol we took a rest from the bikes, rented backpacks and went on a three-day hiking trip to Altyn Arashan, Enjoying the incredible scenery and a trip to the famed hot springs to celebrate Kat's birthday. It was refreshing to explore Kyrgyzstan by foot for a day or two and slow down to appreciate the sights. Her,e we saw an ibis bill, camouflaged against the pebbled river bed - a new bird sighting for all of us.
Our final day on the bikes as a three was quite an adventure, experiencing an epic thunderstorm with huge hail stones as we rode into the Karakol valley. We arrived at a lovely spot next to the river, had a refreshing dip, spent one night at the top and returned the next day.
Back in Karakol, we celebrated our journey with Kathryn with an Ashflan Fu (a delicious cold noodle soup from the Dungan Chinese community in Karakol). Having said goodbye to Kathryn we began the cycle towards Kazakhstan.
Part 4 | Into (and back out of) Kazakhstan
Crossing the border into Kazakhstan felt bleak, with grim weather and huge farm dogs after a pretty rough night of sleep in Kegan taxi rank we meet back up with the lovely Scottish family we’d first met on Issy Kul to explore the incredible Charyn Canyon - a very welcome surprise.
Erin’s bike suffered a major mechanical accident at the bottom of the canyon, and Kat’s helmet was stolen! With 215km to go to Almaty and Erin stuck in single speed, we had no option but to hitch, arriving in Almaty with a nice sheep farmer and two of his herd (not as quiet as we had intended but having had a great adventure all the same.)
Unknown to us, the Khazakh mountains had an unusually late snow dump this year, making our planned mountain route impassable, so perhaps the mechanical was a blessing in disguise. With the mountain road not an option, we felt no desire to return to Charyn Canyon for a 215km slog on the main highway. Instead we decided to return to Kyrgyzstan to explore more the remote valleys and nature that we loved.
With Erin’s bike repaired in Bishkek, we headed for the beautiful valley of Chong Kemin, a vibrant green nature reserve valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks! Here we saw European Rollers a bird Kat has been wanting to see for five years! On our second day in the valley, just as the weather cleared to beautiful sunshine, Kat’s front wheel stopped turning, another awful mechanical! Fortunately, this had occurred next to a small holding at which Kendju, a lovely man from Bishkek, had stopped with a colleague to show them the area. The whole group of eight small children and three men with Erin and I took the wheel apart approximately 4 times without any success. All stumped, our only option was to return to Bishkek for the only bike shops in the country. Amazingly, Kendju was returning to Bishkek that night and gave us a lift to the capital, where we spent a lovely night with his wife and their small children before getting my wheel rebuilt. The only saving grace was that the bike mechanic confirmed we would have been unable to repair this whilst in the mountains, making our visit to the capital very worthwhile!
As we left Bishkek once again a kind German man gifted us a four-leaf clover he had found in the grounds of our hostel to wish us better luck in the remainder of our trip!
Part 5 | R&R (ish)
We’d heard positive reports of the snow melt, so with more time on our hands than we originally expected, we headed back to Issy-Kul for some much-needed R&R before a final attempt to reach Song Kul. Bad weather (this time storms and high winds) and post-expedition fatigue thwarted our Song-Kul plans once again. So instead, after some beach time in Tosor, staying in traditional yurts and enjoying some relaxing day cycles, we tackled the high pass road (road is a very loose term here as much of it was only accessible on horseback, foot or bicycle) to Kaji Sai.
Over 1000m of elevation gain in the blistering heat with no shade to be found, riding (often pushing) our loaded bikes up sandy, rocky tracks turned out to be physically the hardest day of the trip. Our efforts were rewarded with incredible views and a wonderful final few days in the beautiful Kaji Sai, before beginning the long journey home. We were extremely lucky to spend this time with a mountain guide we met on our previous visit to Kyrgyzstan and his mum in their lovely lakeside house. Learning about their Siberian, Russian and Kyrgyz heritage, taking turns to cook meals from our own heritage and bathing daily in the radon-infused local banya!
Part 6 | Reflecting on our Objectives
Objective A: Challenge Ourselves
Cycling Central Asia certainly challenged us in more ways than we had initially anticipated. The physical challenge of cycling for multiple weeks with loaded bikes across unpredictable terrain was certainly one of the most physically enduring trips we had ever done. We had to navigate many broken roads and tackle many steep climbs with very heavily loaded bikes. We found we had to dig deep into certain sections to make steady progress and continue pushing to find camping spots that were suitable for us and our bikes. These physical challenges were also met with emotional and psychological challenges.
The team had certainly felt the impact of being three young females cycling unaccompanied in central Asia; there were a number of occasions where we felt additional vulnerabilities because of our gender, especially when we were looking for wild camping locations. This can be somewhat explained by the current cultural norms in these regions; it is uncommon to be a lone unmarried woman spending multiple days away from home. It is even more uncommon for a woman to be partaking in physical outdoor adventures such as multi-day cycling. This layer of psychological awareness definitely took its toll on us during the trip, and we had to find new levels of emotional/psychological resilience, which weren’t the physical resilience that we were all used to.
We also experienced a number of rather aggressive dogs who, in a territorial way, barked and ran for our bikes on multiple occasions. We initially started trying to “out-cycle” them, but we soon realized that dogs could run faster than we can cycle and that cycling in fact made them even more territorial. The strategy that seemed to work best for stopping them from biting our ankles was to slow down, get off of our bikes, collect some rocks and then, if they still continued barking/running, throw the rock on the road in front of them. The rock seemed to startle most dogs enough to stop them chasing us. Despite this, we were all still worried,d given what happened to Erin at the start of the trip. By the end of the trip, we all agreed that we had learned and mastered the skill of getting past the aggressive dogs of central Asia.
Objective B: Highlight Plastic Pollution
Unfortunately, with a change in destination, this aim is no longer achievable. We hope that we will ultimately be able to undertake the Guinea Rise expedition in the future and collect much-needed data on Microplastics in W. Africa. Instead we decided that we should use this expedition to address our other big passion: To inspire other women and girls that expeditions are accessible to them. Whilst away, we shared updates across our social media, documenting the highs and lows of our expedition experience.
To some extent, this aim has only just begun. At the start of November, Erin and Kat will be joining a number of panels at the Royal Geographical Society Explore Symposium, where we hope to share some lessons from our adventure in Central Asia. Of most relevance, Erin is sitting on a panel for young people keen to enter the outer/expedition industry and hopes to use this opportunity to share her experience of an all-female expedition with other young women. We are also in the editing stages of an article we hope to publish on this subject.
Objective C: Promote Adventure Tourism
This aim was edited to reflect our new destination to aid the promotion of Central Asia as a destination for adventure cycling since, beyond a few major routes at present, this remains largely undocumented. We hope to document some of the region’s gravel riding and bike-packing potential by publishing our novel route on several open-access mapping platforms such as Komoot, FatMap and iOverlander.
As discussed above, our adventure was shared on our social media platforms and made our GPX files available on FatMap. Since our return, Erin has made several contributions to online forums and the fantastic Cycling Central Asia WhatsApp group. We hope to continue to build on this aim at the RGS and with our planned article. This trip cemented our love of the mountains of Central Asia, Erin and Kat have teamed up with expedition company Endeavour Medical to run a trip to Kyrgyzstan next June, and we are super excited to be able to share our passion for exploring this incredible country with others.
Objective D: To Build Our Own Bikes
When our trip moved to Central Asia, we made the decision to shift away from mountain bikes with 26-inch wheels to more modern gravel bikes. This shift reflected part availability in country and the fact that several long road sections were unavoidable on our new route. We stayed true to the rest of this objective by purchasing 2nd hand gravel bikes, which we then stripped and rebuilt the frame up, where possible, using 2nd hand components – although as our mechanical knowledge improved, we also learnt that sometimes, despite great intentions 2nd hand parts just weren’t viable (chains, cables etc). This process took us from complete novices to being able to repair all but the most complex of mechanicals whilst away and proved absolutely essential during our journey.
Publishers Note | TrailMed Supporting Adventure
We are thrilled to share the incredible journey of three remarkable women who cycled through the heart of Central Asia. Their adventure, filled with challenges and triumphs, showcases their unwavering commitment to exploration and resilience. From navigating muddy tracks in Uzbekistan to conquering the snow-capped peaks of Kyrgyzstan, their story is a testament to the spirit of adventure.
Despite facing physical, emotional, and psychological hurdles, these women demonstrated exceptional courage and determination. Their ability to adapt and thrive in the face of adversity is truly inspiring. Their journey not only highlights their personal achievements but also underscores the generosity and kindness they encountered from locals along the way.
Unfortunately, their original goal of collecting data on plastic pollution had to be altered due to a change in destination. However, they turned this setback into an opportunity to inspire other women and girls to embark on their own expeditions. Through social media updates and speaking engagements, they continue to share their experiences and encourage female participation in adventure travel.
At TrailMed, we proudly feature their story on our Adventure Blog, where you can find other exciting tales of exploration and resilience. If you have a story to tell or need event medical cover, please contact us. We’re here to support and celebrate the adventurous spirit in all of us.
Thank you for joining us in celebrating these fearless explorers and their incredible journey.
Team TrailMed
