The contrasts of nature in the mountain ranges of Matchi and Karavshin are astonishing, offering grand opportunities for the development of mountain tourism and climbing. The striking peaks, with their smooth edges converging at five-thousand-meter heights into sharp pinnacles, resemble giant crystals adorning the wide ridge of the watersheds of Ak-Suu and Karavshin.
This is what the central part of the Turkestan Range looks like, which marks the borders of Kyrgyzstan in the far southwest. The two steep mountain valleys of Ak-Suu and Karavshin lead to the passes of the ridge, revealing stunning views of marble peaks. The unique feature of these mountains is the comfortably warm weather, luxurious mixed forests, and fast rivers rushing towards the hot Fergana Valley.
These peaks attract like a magnet those who are not indifferent to the beauty of nature and the desire to conquer. There are excellent opportunities for ascents along well-known routes and for first ascents.
The heights of the peaks range from 4230 m (Asan Peak) to 5120 m (Iskander Peak), with the length of purely vertical wall routes ranging from 800 to 1500 meters. A journey through these mountains provides climbers with an especially acute sense of unity with the wild nature.
To the west of the Ak-Suu valley are little-known gorges: Uryam, Sabakh, and Kyrk-Bulak. All of them lead to a ridge adorned with striking and mostly untraveled peaks and summits.
To the east of the Karavshin valley, canyons stretch for tens of kilometers in a meridional direction: Dzhaupay, Tamynge, Min-Teke, Zhyptyk, and Kshemysh. All these rarely visited places represent a true paradise for tourists and climbers, where significant resources for first ascents and first traverses remain yet to be explored.
Experts and seasoned climbers compare this area to Patagonia, located in South America on the border of Argentina and Chile. This similarity is only superficial. Although the Asian Patagonia resembles its South American sister, it is significantly different: the climate is milder, and the valleys are more beautiful. Green, warm valleys blanket the foothills of incredibly steep marble peaks, from the sharp edges of which echoing cliffs of light forms tumble down. In the rays of the setting sun, they shine with dazzling beauty and remain in memory forever.
