Albert Popov, Uzbekistan’s only representative of a unique profession – avalanche catcher – believes people should be more careful with nature.
For more than forty years (since 1983) he has been lowering avalanches in avalanche-prone areas of the Chimgan ski resort, located in the mountain massif of the same name. Apart from him, no one knows how to force avalanches down in Uzbekistan.
The popular ski resort Chimgan, a charming corner of nature and a favorite place of rest for guests and residents of the capital, is located 80 km from Tashkent.
For over 40 years, Albert Popov has lived and worked at the snow avalanche station located at the foot of the Big Chimgan.
Despite his 78 years, he skis in the mountains in a way that many young skiers do not dare to do. His main job is to ensure the safety of vacationers in the area, monitoring and controlling the state of the snow cover. The season starts in November and ends in June. In all the time he has been working, he has not had a single accident, he told CABAR.asia.
He graduated from the meteorological faculty of the university in Ashgabat and there he met his future wife, with whom he moved to her homeland – Tashkent. At that time the station in Chimgan was just under construction and they were offered to work at it. He has been working here ever since.
Popov notes that at one time the station in Chimgan was one of the best in terms of equipment and comfort. As time went on, those techniques were not improved; “everything remained at the USSR level”.
“There was the very first computer there, there was also radio equipment that transmitted information from the top of Chimgan, and there was also a cannon. […] At one time there were programs to calculate avalanche danger, methods…,” Popov says.
In 2006, the anti-avalanche guns were removed from Chimgan. And another problem arose – the avalanche service had no means of influencing the snow.
“Now I rely more on my intuition and my experience, which in principle still work,” he says.
It takes Albert and his assistant practically the whole day to work in the mountains. When they return to the station, all data on snow conditions, cover height and the number of downed avalanches are recorded in a logbook. Thus, the avalanche danger level for the next day is determined.
Albert Popov believes that the lack of avalanche specialists in Uzbekistan is due to the lack of demand. Over the years that he has been working here, he has been assigned several assistants, but none of them had “eyes to burn”.
“The profession of avalanche engineer is not as numerous as cab drivers or salesmen, because there are not many places in Uzbekistan where experience and knowledge are needed. Now there is practically only Chimgan. The importance of avalanche expert’s profession depends on how you treat your profession. If you put here a person who does not like nature, does not like mountains, who is indifferent to all this, he will be indifferent to his work. His soul will not ache, he will not even be able to understand what is going on here. And a person who possesses these qualities should work here. But unfortunately, I don’t have students who are as sick of the mountains as I am,” Popov says.
When people ask him why he has no students, Popov says that, firstly, it is necessary for a person to love this business and ask questions, and secondly, that this business should be paid normally.
“And since it is paid rather meagerly, there are no people willing to take up this profession. I don’t know how this service will develop further here,” Popov lamented.
Observing the nature around Chimgan, for so many years, Albert Popov notes with regret that thoughtless human actions have led to the deterioration of ecology in this beautiful place.
“In all years people came to Chimgan not only to enjoy its beauty and, in general, clean air, clean water, but also to relax their souls. It is beautiful here at any time. Spring with a sea of flowers… But, unfortunately, people do not always understand everything and tear bouquets illiterately, and almost sack these flowers. Of course, the ecology suffers from this,” Popov said.
He worries that if this “predatory attitude” to Chimgan continues, then after a while many plants and animals will not remain here.
“As, by the way, there is no golden root (perennial medicinal plant – radiola rosea). Practically, there is very little of it left, at one time it was taken out in bags. Almost all marmots were destroyed. There were times when we climbed up to Oksai (a gorge in the Chimgan tract) to the height of 2 thousand meters, there were burrows all around, marmots would come out and whistle. And now there is silence all around,” he said.
Given global climate change and the rapid destruction of ecosystems, Chimgan is important not only for recreation, Popov said. It’s a place where people come to breathe clean mountain air and get acquainted with flora and fauna. But because there is no normal regulation now, and the flow of people is increasing, there is also a growing threat of destruction for Chimgan.
Every meter of land is being built up by hotels with kilometer-long fences. There are already dozens of hotels in Chimgan and even more guest houses and dachas, which developers place in the protected area.
Chimgan is already facing a tangible water shortage. There are not enough parking lots. It is not known where sewage from multi-storey hotels is diverted to. This issue is not discussed. For the decision makers, all these problems are not a priority. And sewage is a gift to nature, says an experienced “avalanche catcher”.
“Why so many hotels, if the existing ones stand empty on weekdays? In addition to hotels, every third or fourth house in the village is rented out as a summer cottage or for resting on aivans and topchanes. First, we need to solve the problems of water shortage, lack of sewage and parking lots. I would like to draw everyone’s attention to this. Come to Chimgan, have a rest, enjoy yourself, but don’t leave garbage behind, because who will clean it up?” said Albert Popov. – says Albert Popov.