Marco Polo Sheep hunt

[idig4au]

Thanks to all the guys who have shared their experiences. A few questions for the group here:

1.) I've wanted to do this trip but have had reservations about going to any country that ends in Stan. Did you feel completely safe at all times and if so who was your outfitter?

2.) I have a friend who went 15 years ago with another friend of his that I don't know and his friend developed a severe case of HAPE and almost died from it. I have heard at those extreme elevations that can be common. I'm 52 and healthy just finished a 27 day hunt in the wilderness of Northern BC for Stone Sheep, but I'm also a flat lander on the southeast coast so I've wondered about how I would do in extreme elevations.

3.) How many days from door to door of my house do I need to prepare for if I was to do this hunt eventually?

1. Zero safety concerns. Always have to be aware of surroundings for petty crime, but this is the era we live in now regardless of country. I lived in Kyrgyzstan for 8 years and consider it one of the best places i've lived. Lovely place. All stans are not like Afghanistan.

2. I think part of the risk comes from how well you prep for being at attitude ahead of time, and if you're genetically susceptible. Spend time in CO hiking 14ers to see how you perform or get a hypobaric chamber to sleep in. In most cases you will not immediately go straight to altitude and it will be more gradual ascent during transit to camp. Diamox can help with the general "$hitty" feeling of being at altitude but having to pee every 5 minutes is worse than a headache.

3. Depends on what you book but 14-18 days is pretty typically for these hunts, considering travel time and crossing multiple time zones.