A mountain range in the Tian Shan, located in Kyrgyzstan, northwest of Lake Chatyr-Kul. It is oriented in a latitudinal direction and is bordered to the west by the canyon of the Ala-Buga River (Arpa), to the north by the valley of the Ala-Buga River, to the east by the valley of the Karasu River, and to the south by the Arpa Basin. To the west, beyond the gorge of the Arpa River, it adjoins the Fergana Range. The length of the ridge is about 70 km, with the highest point being Karamoynok (4121 m), while the height of the surrounding valleys is about 3000 m, and the technical part of the routes usually begins above 3600 m. The northern slope is gentle, while the southern side drops steeply into the Arpa valley.
The ridge is composed of durable Paleozoic sedimentary rocks with a very rough surface. Alongside the potential for rock climbing, the northern slopes of Jamanatau have noticeable glaciation, and ice slopes with inclinations of up to 75º allow access to the peaks from the north via moderately difficult routes. From the south, there are practically no glaciers, only rocks and endless screes that sweep across the valleys from shore to shore.
The climate of the area is pleasant and not very hot. It is determined by the orientation of the ridge and the predominant direction of air mass movement. Humid air from the Fergana Valley moves from west to east, is trapped by the Fergana Range, and falls as abundant precipitation on its western slopes. The Arpa Basin receives little precipitation, resulting in a very dry climate. This is a typical high mountain desert with a sharply continental climate. Air masses pass over it without stopping, grouping on the approaches to the slopes of the Jamanatau and At-Bashi ridges. Due to these residual clouds on the slopes of Jamanatau, precipitation is observed on about 30% of the days in mid-summer. However, at the peak of Kremen, significantly less precipitation is recorded, as the peak is protected from the south, west, and east by the main ridge and its spurs, which sometimes exceed the height of the peak by 300 m.
The ridge is covered with sparse steppe vegetation, and above it are alpine meadows.
