Jack Brittingham's 2003 Tajikistan Marco Polo Hunt
Field Report #7, October 8, 2003
Jack's Hunt Continues
Over the next several days, a variety of attempts were made to use all techniques available to us to put the odds of taking a big ram in our favor.
There were mornings when we were up a 4:00 AM and on the road to the hunting area by 4:30. In this way we were able to hike up the main part of the valley without being easily seen by the sheep that were feeding in the area. This was productive, but did not produce a sighting of the kind of ram we were after.
We also tried many new areas that no one had been to this year, and again found rams, some of them very good. One in particular looked like the kind I was after and so we planned a stalk that would take us along the edge of the valley floor, ending just below the bedded sheep. Then it would be a matter of climbing up over the lip of the hill for a rather long shot. This plan worked well until we experienced a shift in the wind which carried our scent up to the rams. The first sighting we had of them was as they were running up the mountain heading for the top of the ridge. I tried two shots at the biggest ram, at the insistence of my guide, and maybe even would have felt comfortable doing so at such extreme ranges if I had been shooting my own rifle, but with this borrowed weapon I really had very little confidence I could make such a shot.
Just to make certain the ram was not hit we began a climb to the top of this ridge. We actually started up on the back side which would give us a better view of the area in which the sheep departed. This would turn out to be the toughest climb of the trip, and before we were done we had reached an altitude of 17,200 feet! This climb marks the highest I have ever been, and I can honestly say I have no strong desire to go back up there, unless of course there is a big sheep involved! The lack of oxygen at that altitude is not a pleasant experience, but the beauty of the scenery somewhat makes up for it.
From where I stood on the top of this peak, I could see mountain ranges in four different countries. Looking to the East was Afghanistan and the Wakhan Corridor; beyond that I could clearly see the Hindu Bush Mountains in Pakistan; turning to the North I could look deep into China and see a range of mountains that held a peak called Macdagadan. This incredible peak reached skyward to more than 23,000 feet! And, off to the West were many more peaks within Tajikistan which we had already searched for sheep, all of them impressive in their own right.
No sign of the ram was found after a thorough search so we began our decent off the hill. Going down was considerably easier than the ascent and I was actually enjoying myself. I got into a rhythm of walking that was quickly carrying me down the mountain ahead of my group. Sasha, (we called him the "Old Wolf" since he had been in these mountains hunting for so long) was having back problems which was slowing him down. Kaan didn't seem to be comfortable descending in a scree slide so he chose another route. I have always enjoyed a good scree slide as it almost simulates skiing, and can really get you off the mountain fast.
After a couple of long runs my legs began to burn a bit so I decided to take a rest, and it is a good thing I did. While descending, the scree is quite noisy and had prevented me from hearing the yelled warnings coming from several hundred yards above me. It seems Kaan's course had brought him across directly above me where he had accidentally loosed a boulder the size of a large watermelon. It was now careening down the mountain directly at me with unbelievable speed. I took just a second to watch it to make sure I picked the best direction to run, and then made a mad dash to my left. In just seconds the boulder came crashing right through the location where I had just been sitting! I'm certain it would have centered me if I had not moved.
The rest of the day was uneventful as we made our way back to the comforts of our camp. I slept well after dinner with no ill effects from our ascent, although some of the others were complaining of severe headache through the night.