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Winter Yurt Camp in Kyrgyzstan

Skiing the Tien Shan

Discover the untouched nature of Kyrgyzstan

During this tour, you will ski 3 different spots of the Teskey Ala-Too range of the Tien Shan mountains in Kyrgyzstan with your experienced backcountry skiing guide. You will discover the untouched nature of Kyrgyzstan, the beautiful Issyk Kul lake, the city of Karakol, its ski base and the remote village of Jyrgalan.

On top of that, staying in the yurt for several nights will ensure you magic moments with local families, and make you feel like a real nomad. A real experience of a lifetime. And now enjoy the video below, from Spring 2017. 

10 days ski touring in the Tien Shan

This tour has been designed for virgin slopes lovers.

10 DaysWinter toursKyrgyzstan

  • 1 people: $3,031

  • 2 people: $1,806

  • 3 people: $1,398

  • 4 people: $1,194

  • 5 people: $1,071

  • 6 people: $990

  • Starting from

    $990
    USD

    Download the program PDF

    Program

    
            Manas International Airport - Karakol
    Arrival in Kyrgyzstan and drive to Karakol
    Manas International Airport - Karakol

    Welcome to Kyrgyzstan! After meeting with your guide and driver at Manas International Airport, we drive to the city of Karakol, along the northern shore of the magnificent Issyk Kul lake. Issyk Kul means "Hot lake" in Kyrgyz, and refers to the multiple natural hot springs that you can find in this region. Issyk Kul lake is also the second biggest mountainous lake in the world after lake Titicaca in Peru. Once arrived in Karakol we get accommodated in our cosy guesthouse and go visit the city, its stupendous Dungan mosque and the christian orthodox cathedral. In the evening, general briefing and dinner with traditionnal kyrgyz dish.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    450 km
    06:00
    02:00
    1000 m
    0 m
    
            Karakol - Karakol
    Ski-touring at ski resort of Karakol
    Karakol - Karakol

    Short drive to Karakol Ski Base. General gear check-up. Today we can ski on the pists of the Karakol ski base and then ride off-pist to experience the kyrgyz powder. In the late afternoon we come back to our guesthouse in Karakol.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    19 km
    00:30
    05:00
    1000 m
    1000 m
    
            Karakol - Jyrgalan
    Ski touring day at Karakol's ski resort, then drive to Jyrgalan
    Karakol - Jyrgalan

    Short drive to Karakol Ski Base. General gear check-up. Today we will explore the virgin slopes of the Ala-Too range behind the ski base. In the late afternoon we drive to the village of Jergalan, our new skiing base camp. On the way, we can enjoy the hot springs of the Aksu gorge. Once in Jergalan, we get accommodated at a local family's house.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    66 km
    03:00
    04:00
    1000 m
    1000 m
    
            Jyrgalan - Jyrgalan
    Day of ski touring in the picturesque mountains of Jergalan.
    Jyrgalan - Jyrgalan

    After an early breakfast, you will gear up and head into the mountains.First check to make sure everyone has all of their safety equipment and check the condition of the snow and then make a plan for the day.
    The rest of the day will be spent in the mountains.
    Lunch in the mountains.
    At the end of the day head back to the base camp where dinner will be ready.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    15 km
    05:00
    1200 m
    1200 m
    
            Jyrgalan - Siuttu Bulak
    Ski touring day at Jyrgalan, then transfer to Siuttu Bulak
    Jyrgalan - Siuttu Bulak

    After an early breakfast, you will gear up and head into the mountains. First check to make sure everyone has all of their safety equipment and check the condition of the snow and then make a plan for the day. The rest of the day will be spent in the mountain. Lunch in the mountain. At the end of the day we drive to Siuttu Bulak, our winter yurt camp for the next days.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    119 km
    02:30
    04:00
    800 m
    800 m
    
            Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak
    Ski-touring and back-country skiing on the "Clear meadows"
    Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak

    Siuttu Bulak means in Kyrgyz the "milky springs". Mountains of Siuttu Bulak offers you a wide choice of tracks, a mix of forest and long meadows. Our yurt camp is situated at the altitude of 2650 meters. The highest peak is at 3628 meters and the longest descent is ~6km of fresh powder.After an early breakfast, you can gear up and head into the mountains.
    First check to make sure everyone has all of their safety equipment and check the condition of the snow and then make a plan for the day.
    The rest of the day will be spent in the mountains.
    Lunch in the mountains.
    At the end of the day head back to the base camp where dinner will be ready.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    12 km
    05:00
    1200 m
    1200 m
    
            Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak
    Ski-touring and back-country skiing on the "Clear meadows"
    Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak

    Siuttu Bulak means in Kyrgyz the "milky springs". Mountains of Siuttu Bulak offers you a wide choice of tracks, a mix of forest and long meadows. Our yurt camp is situated at the altitude of 2650 meters. The highest peak is at 3628 meters and the longest descent is ~6km of fresh powder.After an early breakfast, you can gear up and head into the mountains.
    First check to make sure everyone has all of their safety equipment and check the condition of the snow and then make a plan for the day.
    The rest of the day will be spent in the mountains.
    Lunch in the mountains.
    At the end of the day head back to the base camp where dinner will be ready.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    12 km
    05:00
    1200 m
    1200 m
    
            Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak
    Day ski touring at Siuttu Bulak meadows, radial exit
    Siuttu Bulak - Siuttu Bulak

    Siuttu Bulak means in Kyrgyz the "milky springs". Mountains of Siuttu Bulak offers you a wide choice of tracks, a mix of forest and long meadows. Our yurt camp is situated at the altitude of 2650 meters. The highest peak is at 3628 meters and the longest descent is ~6km of fresh powder.After an early breakfast, you can gear up and head into the mountains. First check to make sure everyone has all of their safety equipment and check the condition of the snow and then make a plan for the day. The rest of the day will be spent in the mountains. Lunch in the mountains. At the end of the day head back to the base camp where dinner will be ready.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    10 km
    05:00
    1200 m
    1200 m
    
            Siuttu Bulak - Bishkek
    On the road to Bishkek
    Siuttu Bulak - Bishkek

    After breakfast we pack-up our stuff and head back to the capital, Bishkek. On the way, we stop by the Burana Tower, a minaret from the 11th century located on the ruins of Balasagyn, the ancient capital of the Karakhanid's empire, destroyed by the armies of Gengis Khan in 1218. We arrive in the late afternoon in Bishkek and have a bit of time to visit the city center and get some souvenirs. Farewell dinner and night in our cosy guesthouse.

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    400 km
    06:00
    
            Bishkek - Manas International Airport
    Transfer from Bishkek to Manas International Airport.
    Bishkek - Manas International Airport

    Depending on your flight time, your guide will join you to the airport and help you check in for your flight.  If your flight is later in the day your guide will show you more places in Bishkek before your flight. We hope you enjoyed your trip to Kyrgyzstan and we hope you come back again to explore other counties in Central Asia with us. 

    Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    40 km
    00:40
    0 m
    100 m

    We arrived in Bishkek with no plans. We went to the Nomad's Land office and they were really helpful. They tailored a trip for us and the organisation was incredible. We got to do some horse trekking and some hiking with knowledgeable guides. We definitely recommend (100%!!). Greetings to all the team !

    Lea

    Dear Nomad's Land - especially Alex Johnson. You have helped us during preparation of our trip, arranging border zone permits, transportation to mountains, advise in arranging maps and also being a contact person in case of emergency. We had arranged most stuff over internet beforehand. It was generally very helpful and I would recommend to our friends Nomad's Land for tracking in Kyrgistan. And there is so much to see in that country yet. It would be great to visit Kyrgistan again. Thank you.

    Jan Kianicka

    On your way

    Chong Kyzyl Suu valley KG

    400 km from Bishkek or 60 km from Karakol, the old physical and geological station is situated in the gorge of Chong Kyzyl Suu at 2600 meter alt. It’s very good place for acclimatation or BC before to climb surrounding peaks of the Terskey Alatoo.

    How to get there: if you come from lake side, you should arrive by bus or taxi to the little town of Pakrovka (actual Kyzyl Suu), then you follow the Chong Kyzyl Suu river up to 25km, the hot spring water complex is 4km before the refuge. If you arrive from Jeti Oguz valley, you can reach through Archa Toer pass. If you arrive from Kichi Kyzyl Suu valley or Jukku valley, you should cross the Savatar or Karatakkya pass. If you arrive from Kumtor side or Syrthe, you should cross the glacier of Ashu-Toer.

    You can also sleep in our refuge and enjoy walks in the middle of edelweiss. The refuge is situated at 2500 meter altitude on the crossroad of the two gorge of Karabatkak and Ashuu Toer. 

    Curiosities of the valley are : Jeli Suu hot water springs, refuge of the Geo-physical station, Savator lake, waterfall in Ashuu Toer gorge, Shatali lake, Karabatkak glacier and its lake, peak Kyzyl Suu.

    Good place for observing wild nature : wide range of flowers and birds, snow leopard, gypaeth, Tien Shan bear, Ibex, marmott, wolf and ohter more rare species.

    Our service:

    1 room with four beds, 1 kyrgyz-style sleeping room on the floor, russian sauna, camping, horseback riding program, trekking program, guide, horse-guide, fauna observation, flora observation, glacier observation.

    For any reservation or booking, please send an email at office@nomadsland.ch

    Karakol KG

    At the eastern tip of Lake Issyk-Kul, Karakol is a fertile garden town of wooden chocolate-box cottages and shady, poplar-lined avenues. Fringed to the east by the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains, which tower dramatically over its low-rise skyline, Issyk-Kul ripples 10 km to the west.

    Karakol is the best base from which to explore the lakeshore and Central Asia's prime trekking and mountaineering routes. With the most spectacular parts of the Central Tien-Shan right on its doorstep and newly open to foreign visitors, the town attracts trekkers, hikers and climbers from all over the world.

    Karakol and its surroundings have just as much to offer their less energetic visitors. Besides one of Kyrgyzstan's largest and most colorful bazaars, a nomadic livestock market and several good museums, its spectacular environs boast an endless array of truly unique day trips. Blood-red cliffs, hot springs, Scythian burial mounds, nomad camps and sandy beaches thousands of miles from the sea are all within easy reach.

    The town was build since 1869, one year after Teplokluchenka (actually name Ak-Suu). There is a unique building in the center of Karakol - ancient wooden orthodox church. But you may visit also the zoo, the regional museum, the wooden mosque, the Panfilov park, the Park Victory, the museum and memorial Prejwalski.

    Despite Karakol's status as the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region, it has only 75,000 residents and a gentle, small-town atmosphere.

    Burana Tower KG

    Burana Tower is seven km. far from the city of Tokmok. It is an 11th century minaret, and one of the first buildings of such type in Central Asia. The original height of minaret was 45 meters. Today the tower is 24.6 meters high, the remaining part came down during an earthquake in the 15th century. In the 10th to 12th centuries, Karakhanids khanate was a great feudal state of Central Asia and Kazakhstan.

    The founders, "karakhans", chigil tribes by birth, lived in the Tien-Shan and for a short time of the second half of the 10th century they conquered a large territory. One of the capitals of this state was Balasagun. In Karakhanids' time new towns and settlements were developing, the centers of big cities were improved and Moslem religious buildings were built in the town of Balasagun. Burana tower, mausoleums and other buildings found after archeological excavations are the witnesses of that build up. The town's life declined slowly, people left it, the buildings fell apart and finally in the 15th century it ceased to exit.

    Bishkek KG

    Bishkek is one of the greenest cities in Central Asia. About 150 different kinds of trees and bushes are planted in the streets of the city. There are many cinemas, Opera House, Kyrgyz and Russian Drama Theater, Mosques and Orthodox churches, historical complex of the national hero - Manas- “The Manas Ailly”, zoological, geological art and other museums, exhibitions of decorative and applied art, colorful oriental bazaars are others interesting places you are invited to visit.

    On bazaar one can see really traditional handiwork of Kyrgyz land and goods from all around the world at reasonable prices. There are remarkable parks and shadowy boulevards Erkindik and Molodaya Gvardia, pensioners like to walk there, sportsmen run along its alleys, kids play and young people date here.

    Bishkek - capital, heart of the Kyrgyz Republic, its political, economic, scientific and cultural center, the main transport unit. Bishkek - the location of the supreme bodies of the government of republic, embassies and representations of the foreign states. Bishkek is located in the center of the Chuy valley, at bottom of snow-white mountains of Kyrgyz Ala-Too, at height of 750 m. above sea level.

    The area of territory - 160 sq. km, the population - about 1 million person. The city residential areas which have arisen at various times, differ on the planning structure and a degree of an accomplishment. Last years are characterized by occurrence on adjoining to city of territory of some new buildings with the microstructure. The city on administrative-territorial division is broken into 4 areas: Leninsky, Pervomajsky, Sverdlovsky, Oktjabrsky.

    In Bishkek the most part of all industry of Kyrghyzstan is located. Feature of planning structure of the city of Bishkek is development of industrial zones along the railway. In city two industrial zones are allocated: east and western. The system of transport and foot ways connects industrial and administrative areas among themselves. Gardening is submitted by squares, parkways, parks, adjoining to city the territory is planted by forest plantations, there are lakes and water pools.

    The science and education are submitted by the National academy of sciences and a plenty of average special and higher educational institutions. Bishkek - the center of national culture of Kyrghyzstan. Here there are theatres, a philharmonic society, libraries, museums.

    Intensively the information infrastructure of city develops: some Internet providers already work, a plenty of local, global, corporate computer networks is created. Two operators of cellular communication, some operators of a paging and trunk radio communication work.
     

    Info

    What is included

    • All transportation in a private vehicle

    • All airport transfers

    • Accommodation as described in the program

    • Meals (3 per day)

    • Bottled water & tea

    • English-speaking IFMGA ski touring tour leader

    • All the activities listed in the program

    • Entry fees at national parks and/or border zones listed in the program

    • Entry fees at museums and historical sites listed in the program

    • Domestic flights mentioned in the program

    • A contribution to our sustainable development projects

    • Organisation of the trip & local taxes

    What is not included

    • International flights

    • International banking fees (PayPal, ...)

    • Travel & repatriation insurance

    • Visas / LOI (if applicable)

    • Alcoholic and soft drinks

    • Personal expenses

    • Personal equipment (sleeping bag, headlight, personal medication, etc)

    • Additional costs due to unexpected personal events (health, loss of luggage, ...)

    • Tips for guide & driver (always optional, always appreciated)

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    Book your tour today.

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    Postal address

    Nezhinsky lane 27

    Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

    Phone number

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