Kyrgyzstan ski tour

by John Vincent

In 2014 I visited Tajikistan on an AAC funded mountaineering trip. I remember discussing with my climbing partners about the skiing potential of the area, especially roadside from the high passes we crossed from Osh in Kyrgyzstan. I also remember thinking the logistics of getting to such a different and remote area were pretty straight-forward: no permits, plenty of 4x4 transport available and all potentially do-able on a budget: the seed was sown for a future trip.

With little persuasion, Marty and Hugh who I skied with in Georgia two years prior, and Jake, a long term mountaineering and ski partner booked flights to Bishkek. We've all lived and skied in Chamonix for several years, meaning ski fitness and avalanche experience were readily improved over winter.

We scoured Google maps for potential ski objectives, sat an extremely useful 3 day AIARE Level 2 course, read and re-read Bruce Trempers' "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain". We discussed with friends who guide mid-winter in Kyrgyzstan about typical avalanche conditions: depth hoar base with unusual snowpack characteristics in this very continental area, influenced by Lake Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake after Titicaca. We hoped to find snowpack stability would be favourable in the warmer spring when we would go. While we dreamed of steep skiing, our ambitions were well checked by the unknowns and remoteness of Kyrgyzstan.

Knowing we would be squeezed for time I flew ahead of the others to organise transport, food and fuel in Karakol, due east of Issyk-Kul. Despite various flight cancellations, we were soon together in a UAZ truck bouncing up the Arashan valley on a dreadful road, described by our local contact Kasadin as 'a direction, not a road'! Hours on foot with enormously heavy packs followed, up into the Terimtor range to make camp with beautiful views into two glaciers and the cornice guarded col at the valley head.

After a cold night we skinned towards the col but found terrible breakable crust and collapsing snow on every aspect as we ascended. We managed the avalanche risk of the collapses by keeping to low angles but the breakable crust posed a bigger problem. The snow wouldn't allow for any of the great terrain to be accessed, let alone skied. We had a lengthy and positive discussion about our options: pick around this valley keeping to low angles, return to Karakol and head to another sector suggested by Kasadin, or return to Bishkek and consider the mountains south of there.

Reluctant to reverse the heavy, hot and painful hike but keen to save time, we packed up base camp that day and had a wild, exhausting ski out with fully loaded bags. Kasadin helped hugely with our decisions in Karakol and soon we were in Tamga, on the south-east corner of Issyk-Kul. Misha, a Tamga-based mechanic took us in his Lada Niva 4x4 along the road south towards the snowy Arabel plateau at 3,800m.

Thrilled to be skinning from the car, we headed west and made a base camp near the muzzle of one of the north-flowing glaciers. We explored this easy angled glacier, with whumphing snow underfoot and new snow falling. The side walls of the glacial valley had many fantastic looking ski lines, a mix of couloirs, featured and planar faces, all looking superb for skiing.

Having reached the end of the glacier we continued up a snowy ridge and summited the mountain which forms the headwall at 4,600m, absolutely elated that all of the difficult decision making over the last few days had proved so successful. Here we were about to ski a peak in Kyrgyzstan! The descent was fantastic as the falling snow stopped and the skies cleared for our descent.

The following day we explored the adjacent valley with the intention to ski steeper lines. We dug west and east facing snowpits and tested for stability, unfortunately finding the depth hoar layer reacting to our tests, failing at 60cm deep with good quality shears. We had been experiencing whumphing snow here as in Karakol so it was clear we would be sticking to sub 30 degree slopes.

We crossed the plateau and skied some fun strips of snow filling the undulations on the hillside. From here we had another view of the headwall mountain in the valley west of base camp, the same mountain we could see from the previous day's summit. We considered the possibility of ascending via the low angled glacier, then mixed rock and snow skyline ridge, avoiding the large uniform north face which had potential for creating a big avalanche.

After another overnight 20cm snowfall we returned to the glacier to the west finding the large north face had spontaneously avalanched, possibly on the depth hoar layer found in our snowpits. There was evidence of cornice collapse and avalanched windslab layers: lots going on! We reached the col at the end of the glacier and started up the ridge until wind affected snow barred sensible progress, with the slope feeding into open crevasses should it slide. We had a lazy lunch of Kyrgyz snacks before another superb ski down the glacier: powder 8's, Marty's telemark turns and a shiver of success that we had safely skied in this beautiful and remote area with its considerable avalanche dangers.

We packed, skinned to the road and met with Mischa, then headed to Bishkek for the day, visiting the Lenin statue, Ala-Too square, went hat shopping in Osh bazaar and ate our favourite Kyrgyz meal of Ashlanfu: rice noodles in a cold vinegar soup, actually very nice!

The trip was certainly an emotional rollercoaster of excitement and disappointment but ultimately left a feeling of satisfaction about our decisions of where and how to ski. Kyrgyzstan ski terrain is world class, with countless first descents waiting to be drawn in the snow. If a huge snow year or another factor gives stable snow, I hope others go and enjoy easy logistics, lovely people and a unique central Asian ski experience.

Jake skiing Terimtor

First glacier col, Arabel

Arabel plateau

Jake on Arabel
Photos by John Vincent

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