KYRGYZSTAN: A CLIMBERS’ GUIDE
Garth Willis - July 2004
Located in the heart of Central Asia, in a space the size of South Dakota, Kyrgyzstan sits landlocked in a twisted maze of borders left from the Soviet past. With half the country lying above 2,500 meters, 94 percent of Kyrgyzstan is mountainous. The country has two major ranges, the Tien Shan and the Pamir Alai, with a number of smaller groups that segment the country like a pie-chart. Although these ranges create tremendous geographic, political, and cultural challenges for the local population, they provide a haven for alpinists. Because of its several distinct ranges, Kyrgyzstan offers every type of climbing imaginable. From the high-altitude endeavors of the Tien Shan, to the Chamonix-like alpine crags of Ak Sai, to the Yosemite- style monoliths of the Karavshin, Kyrgyzstan truly has it all. In addition, Kyrgyzstan is a trekkers’ paradise. The country also boasts a romantic yurt culture and people who greet travelers with genuine warmth and curiosity.
The entry point for climbers is the capital, Bishkek. From here the areas described below can be reached by vehicle in two or three days. It’s possible to link several areas into one visit, starting, for example, with a high-altitude climb in August and finishing with a big wall in September. In the summers of 1999 and 2000, localized skirmishes erupted along the southern borders. The well-publicized kidnapping and subsequent escape of four American climbers in Karavshin projected the image that all of Kyrgyzstan was a dangerous place. These events, followed by the attacks of September 11 and then SARS in 2003, almost ended tourism. During these years the few expeditions in the region never saw a soul. Entire ranges were selfishly theirs. But now people are learning once again that Kyrgyzstan is on the map as an attractive alternative to Pakistan and Nepal for high-mountain adventure in Asia.
The next few years will offer the best chance to climb in the remote regions of Kyrgyzstan. Although the country will not be crowded with climbers soon, the popular areas will see more traffic, especially during the high season, July through September. A major concern for Kyrgyzstan, as with any mountainous country, is that unmanaged mass-type tourism will bring negative change to indigenous cultures and damage its fragile alpine areas.
Sustainable land use will take coordination, planning, and funding, traits hard to come by in a land where a person who makes $100 per month is fortunate. But the magic that is Kyrgyzstan could be slowly destroyed unless we all participate in responsible development. Actions by climbers remain an important part of the equation. Most important is to hold local companies to high environmental standards. It’s their country, yes, but our collective planet.
Sustainable land use will take coordination, planning, and funding, traits hard to come by in a land where a person who makes $100 per month is fortunate. But the magic that is Kyrgyzstan could be slowly destroyed unless we all participate in responsible development. Actions by climbers remain an important part of the equation. Most important is to hold local companies to high environmental standards. It’s their country, yes, but our collective planet.CLIMBING HISTORY
In the 1930s the first Soviet climbers and geographers came to Kyrgyzstan to catalog peaks and define the country’s borders. The highest peaks were climbed to claim summits and determine elevations. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the Kyrgyz Mountains became a destination for Soviet alpinists. By the 1970s the Ak Sai region of Ala Archa National Park saw 2,000 climbers each summer. These Soviet-sponsored teams received 20-day, all-expense-paid trips to train and receive instruction at Ak Sai. Each year, climbers rose up the ranks by proving their merit on increasingly difficult routes and by demonstrating skills in teamwork and rescue.
The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought an end to the system that had trained some of the world’s best climbers.Many climbers emigrated, others had to work, and by 1995 fewer than 10 climbers were still active in the entire country.Misha Mikhailov, Sasha Manulik, Oleg Turaev, Dima Grekov, Kolya Gutkin, Alona Dudashvili, Alexander Gubayev, Andrei Puchinin,Vitalic Karimov, and a few others have kept the spirit alive. By the late 1990s foreign climbers were starting to discover Kyrgyzstan in greater numbers. For the local climbers, that meant their passion could also provide a living: guiding. Several university clubs are now working to create the next generation of climbers. The local climbing community is strengthening.
ROUTE DOCUMENTATION
Many of the documented routes in Kyrgyzstan are remnants from the era of Soviet-sponsored training camps. Only when climbers reached the highest level of training were they allowed to set new routes. This legacy has left a series of standard routes, a large number of super-hard routes, and lots of new route potential for seemingly obvious lines. The Russian grading system ranges from 1A-6B. Grading is similar to French alpine grades and is based on overall difficulty. There is no distinction for the hardest move, nor a separate grade for rock, ice, aid, or free climbing. This creates confusion when trying to translate local grades for international use.) Since the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been no systematic recording of new routes. Prior to 1991 all climbs, especially new ascents, were registered with the Soviet Federation for Alpinism in Moscow. Now unregistered first ascents of unclimbed peaks such as Jerry Garcia and Ecstasy in the Kokshaal-Too region have no official standing. The Federation of Alpinism for Kyrgyzstan asks that all parties register new climbs with their database, but there is no easy system for doing this. This process has made it difficult to decipher what has been climbed and what has not. This situation is expected to get worse as more climbers come to Kyrgyzstan in search of new routes and first ascents.
Ak Sai (Ala Archa National Park)
South of Bishkek lies the Kyrgyz Ala Too, with its highest summit being Simyonov Tien Shan, at 4,875 meters. Several good climbing areas lie in this region, but the walls of Ak Sai are the most popular. This place has some of the best rock and ice climbing in the country. With almost 150 established routes, it is Kyrgyzstan’s best-documented climbing area. Routes can be found at every level, from scrambling to extreme mixed climbs. Even with its proximity to the capital, this is a region of few bolts and no guidebooks.
GETTING THERE/SERVICES
Ala Archa Park is located 40 kilometers south of Bishkek. From the trailhead at 2,100 meters a well-worn path allows access to Ak Sai in four or five hours, ending at the Ratsek Cabin, at 3,200 meters. This stone cabin at the foot of the Ak Sai Glacier was once the pride of the local climbing community, but now it’s a trash dump. Most climbers choose to set up tents in a flat area near the cabin. A two-hour hike past the Ratsek are two Soviet-era metal climbing huts, one on the northwest side of Pik Korona, and the other on the south. These huts are used for approaches to the peaks known as Free Korea and Korona.
HIGHLIGHTS
Free Korea (4,749 meters). This peak boasts the classic wall of Ak Sai. First climbed in 1959, the north face now has about 15 routes from Russian grade 5a to 6a/b. The two most often climbed are the Barber (5b) and Lowe (5a), 800-meter ice couloirs established and soloed, respectively, by Henry Barber and Jeff Lowe in 1976. The remaining climbs on Free Korea go through bands of rock. In November 2000 a group of Bishkek climbers put up the hardest route to date, Grey Rocks Girdle (6a/b), spending 11 days on the wall in a testament to suffering. Pik Korona (4,810 meters) can be seen from the Ala Archa Valley and is aptly named “Crown” after the six separate towers that comprise the summit. Several classic climbs lie on the south side of Korona. The approach involves a 1,000-meter, 35- to 40-degree snow slope that ends at the bases of many choices of 100- to 200-meter routes to any one of the six towers. The routes vary in difficulty from a 60-degree 2b ice gully to 5b rock. These towers are convenient acclimatization routes for climbers traveling through Bishkek on their way to high-altitude objectives elsewhere in the country. The west faces of the fifth and sixth towers host several rock routes up to 900 meters that start right off the glacier at Bear Corner.
Bachichiki (4,515 meters) is a one-day climb from the Ratsek Cabin. Although only three standard rock routes exist on the main wall, many other variations and new routes beg to be claimed. The classic rock route, Schwaba, lies at the east end of the face; it’s an eight-pitch (560 meters) 5.8-5.9, with an optional 5.10 exit. The granite is easy to protect, has large ledges for belays and is a comfortable day trip. At the western end of the face is a 440-meter route, mostly 5.8 with a 5.10 pitch near the end. The center route, rarely done because of loose rock, is 480 meters, 5.10 A1. In the winter a thick 300-meter pencil of 60- to 80-degree ice forms on the west end of the wall and remains solid all winter.
SEASONS
The time to climb rock in Ala Archa is July to October. June has rain, and by November cold weather has set in. For ice and mixed climbs the best season is January to March, after the sub-zero Fahrenheit temperatures of December subside.
Enylchek Glacier/Peaks Khan Tengri and Pobeda
The Enylchek (or Inycheck) Glacier is one of the world’s largest glaciers; its south fork extends 62 kilometers. The north fork, lying in Kazakhstan, leads to the base camps for the northern approach to Khan Tengri.Near the head of the south fork, two peaks, Khan Tengri (“Lord of the Spirits”—about 7,000 meters) and Pik Pobedy (“Victory”—7,439 meters) receive almost all of the climbing traffic.
GETTING THERE/SERVICES
Getting to Enylchek from Bishkek requires a two-day drive via the city of Kara Kol to Maida-Adyr. From there it is a 30-minute helicopter flight above the South Enylchek Glacier to the base camps at 4,100 meters. There are several sites, and various companies establish their base camps all within a few hours’ walk from one other.An alternative to the helicopter is a four-day walk up the glacier. Some groups put their supplies on the helicopter and choose to walk as a way to save money and acclimatize. Prices vary, but a one-way helicopter trip with gear cost about $150 in 2004. Base camps are located on the glacier moraine between the summits of Khan Tengri and Pobedy. Several companies share services here, including e-mail, a sauna, meals, and porter service.Most companies provide food at the camps, while climbers are responsible for high altitude provisions. This is one of the world’s best bargains for a 7,000-meter peak. Full-service expeditions, Bishkek to Bishkek, cost just over $1200 in 2004.
HIGHLIGHTS
For sheer, elegant beauty the summit of Khan Tengri may have no peer in the world. Alpenglow on the southwest wall radiates red in the evening, and the pointed summit seems to burn a hole in the sky. First climbed by a Soviet team in 1931, there are now 18 established routes. The route called Classic (5b) is climbed by almost all commercial expeditions from the south and is a popular objective for high-altitude climbers with modest experience. The lower section climbs the heavily crevassed Semenovsky Glacier to a 6,000-meter saddle. This section is exposed to substantial avalanche hazard. The summit is a one-day push from the saddle and negotiates a myriad of notoriously tattered fixed lines. The late Alex Lowe climbed this route in 1993, base camp to summit and back in a record time of 10 hours and 8 minutes. The speed race is now held from the north side, in Kazakhstan, where in 2003 another American, Chad Kellogg, climbed from the ca 4,000-meter base camp to the finishing line around 200 meters below the summit in a little over five hours. This route starts at the same altitude as the south side and joins Classic at the saddle. The most technically difficult routes lie on the 2,000-meter north face and are accessed by helicopter from Kazakhstan.
Pik Pobedy, on the west side of Enylchek Glacier, is a monstrous peak that often goes several seasons without a successful climb. The mountain has the distinction of being the northernmost 7,000-meter peak in the world. It is a forbidding mountain, and countless Soviet climbers have lost their lives on its long, exposed ridges. The classic route on Pobedy is not as aesthetically pleasing as the route on Khan Tengri. It begins well to the east of the summit, then traverses at 7,000 meters along the eastern ridge; a final camp is set at 7,100 meters before one reaches the actual summit. Many parties are turned back by high winds. An alternative is the original Abalakov route, which takes a direct line from the glacier at 4,100 meters.Vitaly Abalakov, the “Father of Soviet Mountaineering,” made the first ascent of this peak in 1943 by this route. Due to ice fall and avalanches, few parties now attempt this route. In 2003 a Russian team put up a new route on the north face of the east ridge. There is tremendous potential for new routes in the Tien San. A large collection of 5,000-meter and 6,000-meter peaks rarely see ascents, and those only by the most obvious line. Neglected peaks include the Peak of Military Topographers, Chapaeva, and Gorkova, to name just a few. These peaks can be reached from the same base camps used for climbs on Khan Tengri and Pobedy. Peaks in the nearby Kaindy region require a longer approach and involve special travel arrangements.
SEASONS
The climbing season on the high peaks is very short, lasting only about six weeks from mid-July to the end of August. For climbs below 6,000 meters, September provides stable weather and easier river crossings.
Kokshaal-Too Range
The Kokshaal-Too (“Forbidden Range”) is located on Kyrgyzstan’s Chinese border. It was a closed military region until the late 1990s, when the first Western expeditions visited the region. The Soviets had climbed the highest peaks, Dankova (5,982 meters) and Kizil Asker (5,842 meters), but the region as a whole had not been well explored by climbers. This will remain a region of unclimbed pearls for some years to come. In 1997 several Americans, Britons, and a German climbed new peaks, including Lyev, Unmarked Soldier, Jerry Garcia, Pik 52 Years, and others. More Americans and Canadians returned in 1998 to climb Babouchka (Butterfly) and Ecstasy, among others. At the same time a British guide brought groups of clients to claim the unclimbed points in the Dankova group to the east.
GETTING THERE/SERVICES
Arriving by vehicle entails a two-day drive from Bishkek. Although the region is a military zone, the border guards are now accustomed to climbers and no difficulties should occur if the paperwork is in order. A final 10 kilometers of off-road travel over wet grass and rocky riverbeds takes you to the tip of Komorova Glacier, where a base camp can be established. There are no services available here; the local population was long ago removed by the Soviets as a way to sanitize the border. As the popularity of the region increases, local tourist companies will no doubt set up makeshift tent camps that provide basic services such as radio communication and meals—but for now be prepared to bring all of your own supplies.
HIGHLIGHTS
Kizil (or Kyzyl) Asker (5,842 meters) and its surrounding peaks offer the best new-route potential. One waiting challenge is the main couloir on the southeast face of Kizil Asker, where the wall rises 1,300 meters above the glacier. To reach this obstacle, approach via the Komorova Glacier, climb over the 4,700-meter “window col” just east of Unmarked Soldier, and then proceed down into Chinese Sinkiang. This wall was attempted alpine style by a Scottish team led by Edmond Tresidder in 2002. After ascending 500 meters on steep ice, their attempt was aborted due to thawing conditions. On the Kyrgyzstan side, the northwest face was climbed in 1985 by a Kazak team led by Kasbek Valiev. The north ridge of Kizel Asker, accessible from the Kyrgyzstan side, has a dramatic high point of 5,400 meters that has been attempted but remains unclimbed. Much of the new route activity of the last few years has been on the more accessible granite cliffs called Ochre Wall, where in 2002 a Canadian team put up the 600-meter mixed route Beef Cake (IV M5 WI4), while a Spanish team put up the rock route Ak Saitan (“White Devil”— 600m, 6a+ A3+) on the wall’s main pillar. This wall has several obvious lines waiting to be climbed.
SEASONS
Unfortunately, there seems to be no good season to go to Kokshall Too.Most expeditions come back with tales of tentbound days waiting for good weather.Mandatory expedition gear includes board games and playing cards. The best weather-window seems to be from the end of August to the middle of September. Ideally, arrive in mid-August and stay as long as possible. The access road closes in October.
Pik Achiktash 7134m (formerly Pik Lenin)
Along the shared borders of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and China lies the Pamir-Alai Range. While this area does not offer much in the way of technical routes, it provides a great area for hiking and mountaineering in remote ranges that see little traffic. The highest peak in the region is Pik Achiktash, a popular destination point for climbers desiring to hike into altitude without technical challenges.
GETTING THERE/SERVICES
Base camp below Achiktash (3,500m) is a day’s drive from the southern city of Osh. It is possible to drive directly to a grassy meadow at the base of the peak. Several companies set up base camps each season and provide services such as meals and tent lodging.
(pictures courtesy of Danfung Denis)
HIGHLIGHTS
Pik Achiktash’s calling card is the non-technical walk into high altitude. From base camp it is a straightforward climb to the summit,with four high camps usual. The most difficult components of this climb are the altitude and strong winds. In this same region are the Zaalayskiy and Khurumdy ranges, both of which offer solitude and virgin peaks.
SEASONS
The season begins in early July and goes through the end of August.
Karavshin
Near the tangled borders of southern Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan lies a field of soaring granite towers in the Karavshin Valley. The Soviet climber Vitaly Abalakov visited the area in 1936 with geologists, looking for tin and other metals. To this day the remains of the mining camps can be seen along the approaches. After Abalakov’s attempt on Pik Pirimidalny (or Piramida—5,509 meters), the highest peak in the region, the area remained untouched until the 1980s, when the Soviets used the region as a venue for their alpine championships. In the 1990s the area gained international fame as the place for new routes on accessible 1,000-meter granite walls. Thirty kilometers west is the Lyailak Valley,with yet another collection of granite faces, including Ak Suu, whose 1,600-meter north face has 16 routes.
The political situation worsened in 1999 when Islamic fundamentalists crossed the border over an unguarded mountain pass and kidnapped a large group of Japanese geologists. This event was followed in 2000 by more kidnappings of Americans, Germans, and Ukrainians. The government dispatched troops to rescue the remaining hostages and turn back the incursion, but during the ensuing battles and rescue of the hostages, 32 Kyrgyz soldiers were killed. All hostages were released or escaped unharmed. The government removed the local shepherds who inhabited the high pastures and prohibited outsiders from entering. To prevent further incursions the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have placed land mines in the high mountain passes in border areas. Due to border disputes, there is debate where the borders are drawn, creating confusion as to where these mines were laid.
The U.S. government recommends not traveling to this area due to the political instability and the existence of land mines. For these reasons potential climbers should go only to the area with reputable local companies and be accompanied at all times by local guides. The specific climbing area described here has no reports of mines, but climbers should be aware of potential dangers in the region. Independent travel to this region is strongly discouraged, but a well-organized expedition can safely visit the granite walls of the Karavshin. In 2003 Czech climbers visited the region and had no problems.
GETTING THERE/SERVICES
Getting to the Karavshin can be as great a challenge as the actual climbs. Expeditions usually start from Osh, but once out of Osh do not expect to purchase further supplies. From Osh it is a minimum 10-hour drive to Vorukh, the last village before the start of the trail along the Karavshin River. At the trailhead is a small military fort, and past this it’s a long one-day hike—17 kilometers— to the rock walls of the Karavshin. Several travel companies have plans to establish tent camps in the grassy valleys at the base of the walls, with radio connection and food available.
HIGHLIGHTS
The upper Karavshin Valley is divided into two side valleys, the Ak Suu (“White Water”) to the east and the Kara-Su (“Black Water”) to the west. The ridge between the two valleys contains many of the region’s rock towers. In the Ak Suu Valley rise the granite walls of Pik Slesova (“Russian Tower”—4,240m). Here is located Perestroika Crack, a 25-pitch line first climbed by a French party in 1991(F7a-A2). In 1993 other French climbers freed the route (7b) in a day, one of the climbs that earned the group a Piolet d’Or prize. At the end of the valley is Pik Ptica (“Bird”—4,710m), with a dramatic 700-meter central pillar. To the right is the massive 1,200- meter northwest face of Pik 4,810. This face was unclimbed until 1988 when four aid routes were created in one competition. In 1995 American climbers freed an aid line for the first free ascent (5.12) of the wall.
In the Kara-Suu valley are peaks Asan-Usen (4230m), 1000 years of Russian Christianity (4,507m) and the northwest face of Pik 4810 (4,810m). The valley is closed by the 1,000- meter ice-laced north face of Pik Pirimidalny (5,509m), and to the west the fated Yellow Wall. The Yellow Wall (5.9 A0) has one of the few easy routes in the region: a diagonal slash that gives a truly awful climb with a wet start, off-width cracks, and a long exit. But the views of the region are worth the suffering. To the left of this route is where the four Americans were shot at and kidnapped in 2000 while putting up a new direct line.
SEASONS
Climbing in the Karavshin can start in mid-June when the seasonal rain finishes and continue through the end of October, when cold weather sets in.
Other Information
TRAVEL WARNINGS
Although since the war in Iraq anti-U.S. sentiment has increased considerably, minimal overt hostility exists specifically toward Americans. (Most overt hostility comes from self - righteous Europeans). Most violent actions involving foreigners are petty crimes, a risk that can be minimized by commonsense precautions. But this is a changing situation and should be monitored closely before travel to Kyrgyzstan. All Americans are advised to register with the U.S. Embassy upon arrival to Kyrgyzstan.
VISAS AND PERMITS
For citizens of the United States, Western Europe, and many other countries, a one-month Kyrgyzstan tourist visa is available at the airport. Visas are not available at land crossings. Registration after arrival is no longer necessary. Visas can be extended after arrival. As of 2003, peak fees are not necessary for climbing in Kyrgyzstan; a $100 fee for peaks above 7,000 meters was eliminated to make the country a more attractive climbing destination. Permits, however, are required any time a military border zone is approached. This includes the areas of Enylchek, Kokshaal-Too, Achiktash, and the Karavshin. These documents can be arranged through a travel company before arrival or obtained once in the country. An Uzbek visa helps for travel to the Karavshin, as the main road crosses over the Uzbek border several times. An alternative route stays within Kyrgyz territory but travels over a terrible road and adds several hours to the journey. The road to the Karavshin also passes through a Tajik enclave. A Tajikistan visa is not now necessary, but check with a travel agency for current information.
TRANSPORTATION
International flights to Kyrgyzstan include Turkish Air, British Air, and Aeroflot. KLM also flies to Almaty, Kazakhstan, with a free shuttle to Bishkek. Transit visas for Kazakhstan are available at the airport. Flights from the U.S. range from $1,200 to $1,600. Intra-country flights between Bishkek and Osh go several times a day ($35 one way). Private cars, vans, and 4x4 vehicles are inexpensive to rent.
OUTFITTERS
In recent years tourist agencies have met the increasing demand of climbers by raising the quality of service and responding to individual needs. An association of tour operators now handles permits, rescue operations, and licensing. For non-commercial mountain information see www.alpinefund.org
The following companies specialize in tours for climbers:
MAPS AND SUPPLIES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Garth Willis traveled to Kyrgyzstan in 1995 with no job waiting or real plan except to explore what on a map looked like an amazing region of mountains. He has been living and climbing in Central Asia ever since. He has climbed in all the regions described here except Pik Achiktash. Garth has summited Khan Tengri and in 2002 put up a new route on Pik Pirimidalny in the Karavshin which helped re-open the region to climbers. In 1999 he received a Masters in International Education at Boston University before starting the Alpine Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working in Bishkek that takes orphanage youths to the mountains. Garth later lived in Tajikistan directing a U.S. State Department program that brought internet to rural schools. As of fall of 2005 he started a PhD program in International Education at the University of Minnesota.
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