Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan
This Kyrgyzstan cat skiing trip offers a powder paradise in the Tien Shan Mountains along with the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture of this fascinating country. You’ll be hosted by locals in the remote Jyrgalan Valley where you’ll stay in a guesthouse, although you have the option to spend one of these nights in a yurt to fully embrace the nomadic culture of Kyrgyzstan.
Kyrgyzstan is gaining some traction as an adventure ski destination for intrepid powder hounds, and on this Jyrgalan cat skiing trip, all your travel logistics will be taken care of.
Highlights of Jyrgalan Cat Skiing
- 8 day trip in Jyrgalan in Kyrgyzstan with plenty of powder and cultural immersion
- 5 days of guided cat skiing
- Adventure skiing and snowboarding
- Fully inclusive tour with full hosting and all the logistics looked after
- Tour of the city of Bishkek
- Wander around the city of Karakol
- Working with local guides and local partners, so local experiences whilst supporting tourism in a developing country
- Stay in the village of Jyrgalan
- Potential to stay a night in a yurt camp
- Have a Russian style banya, a very hot sauna tent and have a dip in the snow afterwards.
- Enjoy Kyrgyz cuisine
- Visit to Fairy Tale Valley with its impressive sandstone rock formations
Kyrgyzstan Cat Skiing
This backcountry adventure utilises 2 Pistenbully snowcats to do the uphill work, whilst you relax in the comfortable cabin on the back and save your energy for skiing or riding down untracked slopes. The snowcat road goes as high as 3,400 metres, and descents go as low as the village of Jyrgalan at 2,300 metres. Your legs will be seriously challenged.
Nearly 10,000 hectares of cat skiing terrain is available, which varies from mellow tree runs to faces of 40+ degrees. Each day generally includes at least 6 to 8 runs with 4,000 to 6,000 meters of vertical. A main focus is the northern slopes of a high peak that provides the necessary shelter. On bad weather days there is sheltered terrain below the tree line.
Lunch is usually held at the centrally located ice bar at an altitude of 2,500 metres, which affords an amazing view over the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains. On a clear day you can even see Kazakhstan.
You can
make contact if you have any questions or want to book.
As another option to this full cat skiing package, the
Ski Adventure Kyrgyzstan tour includes 2 days of cat skiing at this destination along with yurt lodging.
Where is the Cat Skiing?
The cat skiing occurs near the village of Jyrgalan, which is the powder paradise of
Kyrgyzstan where there is plenty of precipitation in the form of light snow. The
Jyrgalan Valley is situated in far eastern Kyrgyzstan in the Issyk-Kul region.
Jyrgalan used to be the site of coal mining during the Soviet Union days. Today the industry has disappeared and huge snowfields are left behind, along with an emerging tourism centre of eastern Kyrgyzstan, with local guesthouses and yurt camps.
The snowcats leave from the snowy village and drive between the cows and sheep to the first slopes.
Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan Tours
Solos and small groups are welcome to join one of the fixed date cat skiing trips. Or you can
make a booking request for a customised cat skiing tour for a minimum group size and a minimum of 3 cat skiing days.
The ability level required for these group cat skiing trips is advanced to expert in a range of off-piste conditions, whilst if you have your private group there is also terrain for strong-intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
Note that for the cat skiing that’s part of the
Ski Adventure Kyrgyzstan group tours, the minimum ability level is strong intermediate off-piste.