Kyrgyzstan Backcountry Yurt Tour
The Kyrgyzstan Backcountry Yurts Tour is an amazing adventure for experienced skiers and snowboarders in an exotic, untouched destination. Kyrgyzstan has a rich nomadic history, and to fully immerse yourself in the culture, you can stay in a yurt camp which is the base for ski touring and splitboarding objectives in the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains.
The Central Asian Republic of
Kyrgyzstan is little known, and therefore can be rather misunderstood, yet it’s a fabulous new frontier for adventure skiing and snowboarding.
The yurt camp is run in partnership with locals who live in the village at the base of the slopes. The yurts are fully winterised and provide a comfortable base camp that finds the right balance between an authentic local experience and catering to westerners’ tastes.
Trip Highlights
- World class mountain terrain
- Fully certified ski/splitboard guide plus tail guide for 1:3 guide to guest ratio
- Continental light dry snow with lake effect storms from the massive Lake Issyk Kul, and cold fronts from Siberia and western parts of Central Asia to keep the snow in pristine condition
- Lots of cultural immersion and the yurts are run in collaboration with local villagers, providing an intercultural element
- Homestay experience in a village with local family
- Horses will porter your gear for the 6km tour between the village and yurts
- Visit the market at Karakol to watch the Kyrgz trade their wares and livestock
- Explore the city of Bishkek
Where is the Yurt Camp?
The Kyrgyzstan Backcountry Yurt camp sits up at 2,550 metres in far eastern Kyrgyzstan in a region southeast of Lake Issyk-Kul, which is the key to the lake effect storms and abundant snowfall in the zone. The camp is surrounded by peaks up to 3,500 to 3,700 metres to the west, south and east, and offers direct access to plenty of backcountry terrain.
Access to the yurts is via a 6km/4mi skin track that follows a horse path used by villagers for hunting and harvesting wood. Horses are on hand to assist in hauling gear up the mountain.
Tours
- Private tours are an option, pending availability. A private group of 6 will secure the yurts for just you and your crew, and you’ll know exactly who you’ll be heading into the backcountry with.
- For solos, couples and small groups, a mixed group tour is possible. The guides will try to put compatible groups together, so you might need to be a little flexible with dates.
- Before and after the guided season, it’s also possible to utilise the yurt camps for self-guided trips. Please make a booking request for more information.
Ability Level & Fitness
- You must be an advanced to expert skier or snowboarder with at least one year touring experience. There is no requirement for formal avalanche safety certification. If you have any questions about experience required, please submit a question.
- Summiting the surrounding peaks requires a mix of skinning and non-technical bootpacking on ridgelines.
- You must be in excellent physical condition and be comfortable touring for long distances with your backcountry pack.
Equipment
- Skiers require fat powder skis (recommended minimum 115mm underfoot) considering the oft deep continental snowpack.
- Snowboarders require splitboards.
- Other gear requirements include the usual touring and avalanche safety equipment.
- No technical mountaineering equipment (e.g. crampons, axe, harness) is required
Guides
The lead guides are US, Canada and France-based professional ski and splitboard guides. Each week is additionally staffed with a tail guide for a 1:3 guide-to-client ratio. The guides are native, or at least fluent, English speakers.
Kas is a newly-certified local guide who works in the tail position. Kas is certified through the Kyrgyzstan Mountain Guides Association (KMGA), and has years of experience working with 40 Tribes as a primary partner and camp host.
In addition to being passionate, knowledgeable and experienced backcountry guides, all are also expert “vibe facilitators.” While half of your trip is spent out in the mountains, the other half is spent at the yurts, where your guides do their best to create a fun, comfortable and familiar atmosphere.
Your hosts are locals partners that live in the valley, and ensure that you have a culturally true experience.
If you have any questions you can
make contact here.
