Jyrgalan Ski Resort Ala-Too

The Jyrgalan Valley has been a very peaceful corner of Kyrgyzstan that’s famous for abundant lake effect snow and backcountry ski touring, yurt camps, and cat skiing. Late 2026 will see a major growth in tourism in the region as the first parts of the Jyrgalan Ski Resort open. The chondola (cross between a gondola and chairlift) was completed in April 2026.

The Jyrgalan Ski Base is located on the former terrain of the cat skiing operated by Ryce, which will relocate to another zone nearby.

Jyrgalan Ski Resort is the first phase of a development across three peaks: Jyrgalan; Boz-Uchuk; and Ak-Bulak. Combined, the ski areas will form Ala-Too which translates to “Colourful Mountains”. The mega Ala-Too Ski Resort is estimated to be completed by somewhere in the vicinity of 2032 to 2040, offering approximately 250km of slopes. The region is also set to have 3 to 5 star hotels, which will be in stark contrast to the current low-key vibe of the Jyrgalan Valley with its guest houses and yurt camps.

The Jyrgalan Ski Resort will start with 2 lifts, including a chondola which has gondola cabins as well as 6-pack chairs, and 10km of slopes from 2,400 to 3,130 metres of elevation.

Where is Jyrgalan?

Click on the map icon above to see the location of Jyrgalan on our Central Asia map.

Jyrgalan is located in the northeastern corner of Kyrgyzstan and just 50km by road from the remote Karkyra – Kegen border crossing into Kazakhstan. On either side of the border crossing is Karkara in Kyrgyzstan (45km from Jyrgalan) and Karkara in Kazakstan (63km from Jyrgalan) which is home to a basic cat skiing outfit. Note that it’s difficult to take a vehicle across the border without a permit.

Jyrgalan is 450km east of Bishkek and 62km northeast of the town of Karakol that sits at the eastern end of the very large Issyk Kul (Warm Lake). Karakol has an airport that receives flights from Bishkek. The drive between Jyrgalan and Karakol can take 1.5 to 2 hours depending on road conditions.