5th ANNIVERSARY OF AVALON!

Dear friends, brothers-in-arms, colleagues, partners and associates!

5 years ago, on the 22nd of June in 2004, in Karaganda city appeared historico-geographical society “Avalon” – union of broad-minded people with adventurous personalities. Those people wanted (and still want) to live special lives, actively explore the world around them, discover native land and foreign countries, as well as help other people with it.

The society was founded in a hurry, because organizational procedures had to be finished before the beginning of expedition around the Northern Tien Shan. After some years, also in a hurry, “Avalon” public foundation – organization, designed to support the society – was created. Frankly speaking, we still live on the run, trying to have time for too many things and embrace the boundless.

We are already (or only?) 5 years old. There are a lot of expeditions and journeys behind us: Kazakhstan has been traveled through its length and breadth, we’ve been to Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, India, Nepal, Germany, Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Electronic guide “Avalon Kazakhstan eBook” has been created, two numbers of magazine-guidebook “Discovery Kazakhstan” have come off the press, as well as numerous articles about Kazakhstan have been published in local and foreign mass media. Two bike festivals “Karaganda-Velocity” have been held, as well as Karaganda bike-forum has been created. Moreover we’ve been working at uniting the bikers of Karaganda city. We’re well known in Kazakhstan, we have partners and friends in many different corners of the world. We help enthusiastic individuals and serious expeditions to explore Kazakhstan by giving them support and providing assistance. Finally, this website and website “RucksackING”, which has been visited by people from more than 60 countries within last 4 years, has also been created by us. And that’s by no means all.

It’s nearly impossible to describe and enumerate all our plans and ideas. Something new appears every day. And the more people appear the more various and many-sided our activities become. That’s why we always welcome new people, who wish to change the world in any way and make their and other people’s lives at least a bit more interesting.

Many may consider us disorganized crowd. It’s true, that we don’t have power structure and fixed plans of development. The reason is that our organization is based (as it always was) on spontaneous enthusiasm, solidarity of interests and free will. And that’s how it will always be. Because only this way we can keep reaching our goals.

Happy anniversary! And may adventures never end!  

Vitaliy Shuptar

President of "Avalon" Historico-Geographical Society" PA and "Avalon" PF