Alay Ridge

Alay Range

A mountain range of the Pamir-Alai mountain system in Kyrgyzstan and partially in Tajikistan. The passes are very high and difficult. The average height of the range is 4,450 meters. It separates the Fergana and Alay valleys. The length of the granitoid-gabbro Alay Range, between the Zeravshan mountain knot in the west and 74°48" E longitude in the east, is 350 kilometers. The width is 20 km. The range is almost entirely covered with eternal snow and is rich in glaciers, especially in the west. The total area of glaciation is 568 km². The highest peak of the range is Tandukul at 5,880 m.

The Alay Range is a unique mountainous area characterized by the aesthetic appeal of warm and high Asian mountains, as well as a technical component due to the presence of a large number of interesting and complex climbing and trekking obstacles of various difficulty categories.

The area is rich in peaks above 5,000 meters (peaks Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Akhtash, and others) and logical passes that allow for both radial ascents to the listed peaks and their traverses. One of the most attractive altitude-technical obstacles in the area for a prepared group of tourists is the traverse of Peak Tashkent (5,250 m).