Mountaineering in Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan, as you know, is a mountainous country with many peaks of varying difficulty. It is also home to 3 peaks that are over 7000 meters high. Therefore, this country is suitable for mountaineering, a very interesting and exciting sport, but at the same time dangerous.

As a type of sport, mountaineering can be conditionally divided into rock climbing, with heights up to 4000 meters; technical climbing - up to 5500 meters; high-technical climbing - with heights ranging from 5500 to 6700 meters; high-altitude climbing - over 6700 meters; and there are also traverses.

A traverse is defined as climbing to one peak and then transitioning to a neighboring peak along the ridge that connects these peaks. Special equipment is necessary for such ascents. It is also essential to know specific techniques for moving in the mountains, have good physical fitness, and understand the living conditions in the mountains. Ascents can be made individually or in groups. For high-altitude climbers and rock climbers, Kyrgyzstan has all the necessary conditions.

The most interesting areas for mountaineering in Kyrgyzstan are 8 regions, 5 of which are located in the Tien Shan and 3 in the Pamirs.

Mountaineering areas in the Tien Shan include regions such as: Ak-Shiyrak, Ala-Archa, Central Tien Shan, Western Kokshaal-Too, and Terskey Ala-Too. The Pamir regions include the following ranges: Alay, Zaalay, and Turkestan.

The most popular climbing destinations for mountaineers are 3 seven-thousanders – Peak Victory (7439 m), Peak Khan Tengri (7010 m), and Peak Lenin (7134 m), as well as ascents in the areas of the Ala-Archa, Karakol, and Kokshaal-Too gorges.

Peaks Victory and Khan Tengri are the highest points in Kyrgyzstan, located at the sources of the North and South Inylchek glaciers. The South Inylchek glacier is quite large in the CIS. Its width reaches up to 3.5 km, its length is 62 km, and its thickness is 200 m. In the area of the South Inylchek glacier, there are about 30 peaks over 6000 meters high, and many peaks over 4000-5000 m with varying degrees of difficulty for ascents. At the confluence of the two glaciers, South and North Inylchek, lies the Merzbacher ice lake. The base camp for climbers is located at an altitude of 4000 m, where a large part of the area is covered with snow. During the summer, the daytime air temperature ranges from +7 to -15 degrees, while nighttime temperatures are always below zero.

Peak Lenin is a very popular seven-thousander in the CIS. This peak is accessible from the Alay Valley with a base camp located on the Achiq-Tash plateau. Unlike other high-altitude areas, the base camp here is situated in a zone of beautiful alpine meadows at an altitude of 3600 meters, rather than on a glacier. Therefore, Peak Lenin is recommended for climbers making their first ascent of a seven-thousander.

The largest glaciers in the Zaalay region are the Lenin Glacier, October Glacier, Korzhenevsky Glacier, as well as the Big and Small Saukdara glaciers, which flow from the slopes of Peak Lenin. The total area of all these glaciers is 800 sq.m. The average temperature in July here is +10 degrees.

In the Ala-Archa gorge, there are opportunities for ascents for both beginner and experienced climbers. Routes of any difficulty category are available. The base camp is located at an altitude of 3400 meters. There is a stone hut known as the "Ratzek Station." This is an excellent place to rest after an ascent. From the base camp, one can see Peak Korona (4860 m), Free Korea (4770 m), Semenov-Tien-Shansky (4875 m), and Teke-Tor (4441 m). Here, one can choose any route: ice, rock, or mixed.

Karakol gorge is located near the city of Karakol on Lake Issyk-Kul. The most popular peaks here are Peak Karakol (5280 m) and Peak Djigit (5176 m). The most challenging and quite interesting routes are on Peak Djigit, while a significant elevation change and a large amount of ice and snow prevail on Peak Karakol.

In the Kokshaal-Too region, there are many peaks reaching heights of 6000 meters. The peaks of greatest interest to climbers include: Alpinist (5641 m), Kyzyl-Asker (5842 m), Dankov (5982 m), Wings of the Soviets (5800 m), Chon-Turasy (5729 m), Sergey Korolev (5816 m), and Peak Schmidt (5954 m). This area is rich in vertical rock walls. Elevation changes here range from 1.5 to 2 km. The entire region, as well as the lowlands, is a zone of permafrost. The average summer temperature here is between -5 and -8 degrees. The weather is very unstable.

These are the interesting and exciting places in Kyrgyzstan for mountaineering enthusiasts. This is a land of untapped possibilities!


Source: kirgizia-info.ru