Kakshaal-Tuu
A mountain range in the Central Tian Shan system, on the border of Kyrgyzstan and China. The length of the range is about 582 km, width is 54 km, and the highest point is Victory Peak (7439 m). The average height (above sea level) is 4500 m. The western part of the Kakshaal-Tau range forms the southern boundary of the Inner Tian Shan. The range is composed of clay slates, sandstones, limestones, pierced by granite intrusions. Alpine relief predominates with a total glaciation area of 983 km².
On the northern slope of the Kakshaal-Tuu range, there are 600 glaciers. Their total area is 90.76 km². The vegetation on the northern slope consists of steppes, while the southern slope features meadow steppes and alpine meadows.
The Western Kakshaal-Tuu is the southernmost and highest range in Kyrgyzstan. It is formed by three latitudinal ridges: Terskey Ala-Tuu, Jetym, and Borkoldoy. These ridges are located in the Central Tian Shan between Lake Issyk-Kul and the Taklamakan Desert. The highest section of the range, extending 70 km, lies between the through valleys of the Kakshaal River to the south and the Uzengugush and Mydyryum rivers to the north, which cut through the range and carry their waters into the Tarim basin.
In this area, there are a large number of peaks with heights around 6000 m. The most interesting among them are Peak Kyzyl-Asker (5842 m), Peak Krylya Sovetov (5800 m), Peak Schmidt (5954 m), Peak Dankov (5982 m), Peak Chon-Turasy or Joldash (5729 m), Peak Alpinist (5641 m), and Peak Sergey Korolev (5816 m). This area is characterized by a combination of alpine forms (many vertical rock walls with a height difference of about 1.5 - 2 km) with extensive glaciation, second only to the glaciation around Victory Peak in the Tian Shan. The Ak-Sai glacial node (153 glaciers with a total area of 443 sq. km) is one of the largest in the Tian Shan.
The entire area, including the lowlands, is a zone of permafrost. The terrain is heavily marshy.
The snow line is located at an altitude of about 4000 - 4500 m above sea level. The valleys of the rivers have a relatively high absolute altitude of about 3000-3500 m above sea level.
The climate in the valley is harsh. The average monthly temperature in summer is around -5 to -8 °C, and the weather is unstable. This area is rarely visited by people; over the long period since its discovery, it has been visited by no more than 5 climbing expeditions. The Western Kakshaal can still be considered a "white spot" on the map. For modern expeditions, visiting this area presents a great opportunity not only to find new climbing routes but also to conquer new peaks that have yet to be touched by human feet.
