A Biologist’s Solo Quest Through Kazakhstan’s Untamed Alatau Mountains
Travel writer and biologist Carmen Rohrbach has released a new book, Wild Kazakhstan: On the Trail of the Siberian Ibex. The work documents her 2019 expedition to the Alatau Mountains, where she explored the rugged landscapes and wildlife of southeastern Kazakhstan. Her journey began years earlier, sparked by an earlier trip to Mongolia that first introduced her to Kazakh culture.
Rohrbach joined her brother, Holger—a hunter eager to track the elusive Siberian ibex—on the summer 2019 trip. While he and the guides focused on the hunt, she ventured into the wilderness alone. The stark beauty of the Alatau Mountains and its hardy wildlife left a deep impression on her.
Wild Kazakhstan captures Rohrbach’s experiences in a region few travellers explore in depth. The book details her observations of wildlife, the challenges of remote travel, and the brief but meaningful human connections she made. For now, her next journeys remain delayed, leaving readers with a vivid account of Kazakhstan's wild heart.
