Expedition "Adventure of Science: Women and Glaciers in Central Asia"

From 21 to 30 August 2024, an expedition was held in Ala-Archa National Park, organized within the framework of the project "Cryospheric Observation and Modelling for Improved Adaptation in Central Asia" (CROMO-ADAPT), led by the University of Fribourg (Switzerland). The expedition was attended by 10 young women (18-25 years old) from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The participants climbed the "Broken Heart" peak, visited the glaciologist's hut and the Golubin glacier at an altitude of 3,600 meters. During the hike, they studied glaciology, ecology and related fields. The expedition ended with a presentation of projects created on the basis of the knowledge gained, within the walls of the Central Asian Institute for Applied Geosciences (CAIAG), which provided support for the event. The expedition was attended by a CAIAG employee, Zhyldyz Toktosunova.

The idea for the project "Adventure of Science: Women and Glaciers in Central Asia" arose during field research conducted by Martina Barandun and Marlene Kronenberg, who were inspired by the energy of young women in Central Asia. They participated in a similar Swiss program "Girls on Ice Switzerland" and dreamed of implementing it in Central Asia. The first expedition took place in 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizers to transfer the 2020 and 2021 programs to an online format. Since 2022, the expeditions have again been held in the field, continuing the development of scientific potential and cooperation in the region.

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