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Before Your Climb...
Trekking Expedition to Central Asia's Pamir
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BOOKING DEADLINE
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PRICE
PRICE INCLUDES PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE
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Trekking in Kyrgyzstan's Pamir-Alay under the Aksu and Sabakh Peaks
We've hand picked some of the most stunning peaks of Central Asia. Their names may not be familiar, but the pictures will convince you right away. The cultures you'll encounter are exotic, and the crowds of popular Himalayan trails are still unknown here. This is still a very virgin environment.
How's this for a view? Aksu, 5355 m
The nature of the Pamir-Alay mountains is very wild, vivid and virtually unscathed by Western tourism. Bright colours of valleys and foothills give place to austere modest palette of the rocks, snow-capped peaks and glaciers. The mountains of Pamir-Alay range are majestically tall with sharp, rugged peaks.
The contrasting images of the area fascinate with their apparent inconsistency. Crystal-clear air impregnated with coniferous fragrance of thick juniper woods makes you feel exhilarated. Roaring untamed streams give life and strength to the surrounding majestic beauty. Here, among the landscapes of the famous Aksu peak (5365m) we make our memorable trekking.
These landscapes inject you with such a supply of positive emotions, that you'll infect others when you return home. Once you experience Kyrgyzstan, you will come back, trust me :).
START DATES END DATES
- 1. August 2010, Sunday
- 13. August 2010, Friday
- 11. August 2010, Wednesday
- 23. August 2010, Monday
BOOKING DEADLINE
About these prices...
Join Summit Club for free and enjoy a huge discount from your first trip on!
All you have to do is sign up on a short form and you are immediately eligible for Members' price! Click here for details and to enroll. Yes, it is FREE and takes 2 minutes.
About these prices...
Join Summit Club for free and enjoy a huge discount from your first trip on!
All you have to do is sign up on a short form and you are immediately eligible for Members' price! Click here for details and to enroll. Yes, it is FREE and takes 2 minutes.
Prices
- 4-8
-
Friendly Price:1200 GBP
-
For Our Members:1100 GBP
* You get to choose this after booking, don't worry about it just now.
PRICE INCLUDES PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE
- Airport pick-up/drop off services
- All transfers as per itinerary
- Accommodation in 2/3 –star hotels in Bishkek and Osh (breakfast included)
- Airfare Bishkek-Osh and Osh-Bishkek
- Celebration dinner on the last day of trekking
- Services during the trekking part of the tour such as: Accommodation in guest-house in Uzgarysh village; Full board (3 meals a day); Services of escort team (mountain guide- interpreter- a cook-porters); Double accommodation in tents; The camping facilities (tablewear-folding furniture-toilet)
- Horse packing services
- National Park entry permit; Pass to frontier zone
- Ecological permit
- Ecology tax
- Registration with the authorities of internal affairs
- Visas
- Insurance
- Alcoholic Drinks
- International flight
Other info
This trek is not too exhausting, but very very scenic. You're looking at Kyrgyzstan, the Pamir-Alay mountain system, trekking along and under the Turkestan ridge. The duration of the trekking part of the tour is 9 days/9 nights.
About these grades...
Physical difficulty of trips
- Alpine trekking - up to 1200 m of vertical in a day on short trips
- Longer trips with high daily loads of 1000 m+ vertical
- Climbs involving 1000 m+ of vertical climbing above 4000 meters
- Same as Level 3 with the addition of speed as a must
- Climbs to summits over 6000 meters in altitude
Technical difficulty grades
- Trekking on rocks or snow to 25 degrees steepness, no hands required
- Alpine Grade PD - 30-45 degree snow/firnice axe required, may have to use with hands, as you may meet UIAA Grade III rock.
- Alpine grade AD: 40-55 degree slopes or UIAA grade-III rock
- "My feet are shaking!" Alpine grade D: 50-70 degree snow-walls or UIAA IV-V rock: serious stuff
- D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.
Here's a table detailing the above used grades on MountainDays.
Culture shock grading
As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.
- Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life
- A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises
- Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.
- This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.
- Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.
About these grades...
Physical difficulty of trips
- Alpine trekking - up to 1200 m of vertical in a day on short trips
- Longer trips with high daily loads of 1000 m+ vertical
- Climbs involving 1000 m+ of vertical climbing above 4000 meters
- Same as Level 3 with the addition of speed as a must
- Climbs to summits over 6000 meters in altitude
Technical difficulty grades
- Trekking on rocks or snow to 25 degrees steepness, no hands required
- Alpine Grade PD - 30-45 degree snow/firnice axe required, may have to use with hands, as you may meet UIAA Grade III rock.
- Alpine grade AD: 40-55 degree slopes or UIAA grade-III rock
- "My feet are shaking!" Alpine grade D: 50-70 degree snow-walls or UIAA IV-V rock: serious stuff
- D graded climbs None of our package trips do this level, but you can request an expert to accompany you for your D or higher graded project.
Here's a table detailing the above used grades on MountainDays.
Culture shock grading
As far as the cultural environment of your country/area of destination, we have set up grades to indicate what degree of culture shock you may expect.
- Your usual cultural environment, no big surprises in relation to Anglo/Saxon way of life
- A little different than what you are used to at home, but no big suprises
- Your trip is a cultural experience in itself, with amusing differences form what you're used to at home.
- This is a different world; you have to significantly alter your expectations and behaviour.
- Possibility of extreme culture shock; forget any rules you may have brought from home, life runs completely differently than what you can even dream up.
Is this climb for you?
- Physical difficulty:
- Technical difficulty:
- Culture shock:
Your guides
Day 1.
Arrival in Bishkek. Flight to Osh, accommodation in the hotel.
Day 2.
Transfer to Uzgarysh village.
Uzgarysh is a typical Kyrgyz mountain village with established centuries-old lifestyle. The country folk are amicable and hospitable. The majority of the local villagers are engaged in animal husbandry, tobacco cultivation and flour milling at small watermills. Gardening, too, is a great help for the locals. Apricot is the most common fruit-tree. The fruit is extremely sweet but not big enough to satisfy you appetite after first bite. It’s amazing, but due to unique climatic conditions, you can taste the ripe apricot right from the fruit-tree even in mid-August. In addition to being eaten fresh it is often dried up for wintertime. Dried apricot, called kuraga, is really finger-licking good.
Now we drive into the village and stay over in the guesthouse of uncle Nuretdin – the senior horse driver known in closed circle as “Miller” since apart from dealing with pack horses he simultaneously owns a watermill. From the village we’ll continue our journey accompanied by horse drivers and their graceful quiet horses which can help us carry the loads throughout the whole journey.
Day 3.
Trekking from the Laily-Mazar river valley to its confluence with the Uryam river. Camp 1. Distance: 10 km. Altitude difference: +300 m.
The morning sun hasn’t yet beamed down on the valley gardens but in the camp the life is already in full swing. The substantial breakfast leaves no chance for loosing weight.
After short preparations we set up for our first day of trekking. Soon enough the vain thoughts start to flash across your mind that you should have been training for the trek instead of wasting time. But the farther you go this is interrupted by more cheerful thoughts, like “ My goodness! Can it be real? Isn’t it a dream? How beautiful it is here!”
Now, approaching Laily-Mazar canyon and becoming more and more enchanted by the surrounding landscapes we reach the right tributary of the river. They say, in the upper reaches of the river every spring there blooms up a virtually extinct flower “Aigul” which according to a popular legend can be found only here and in one or two canyons in Batkent region. The symbolic image of this flower can be traced in many Kyrgyz ornaments. So if you happen to encounter this peculiar “distinctive feature” of Kyrgyztan, you will easily recognize it.
Step by step, marching along the mountain path, we reach the locality intended for the camp. The camp site is chosen in a really picturesque setting, next to a mountain stream whose murmur will serve you a sweet lullaby.
Day 4.
Passage from the confluence of the Laily-Mazar and Uryam rivers to the confluence of the Laily-Mazar and Sabakh rivers – the upper reaches of the Sabakh river. Camp 2. Distance: 8 km. Altitude difference: +900 m.
A new day starts and everyone is concerned about the weather we are going to feature today. There are always natural ‘forecasts’ all around, and you are just to observe the surroundings. Today eagles are hovering high in the sky, loud shrills of grey partridge are heard from the high grass. These are the indications of a warm sunny day.
Grey partridge is a common game bird of the area. It likes to hide in high grass and only when being startled the whole flock suddenly take flight just from under the feet. This is accompanied by a loud shrill series of the frightened birds.
A short detour to the bridge and we again walk up the picturesque Laily-Mazar valley. This is not a leisurely journey as we are to reach the river confluence before lunch and then to ascend along the Sabakh river canyon. The river valley is dotted with birch trees lining the river banks, juniper thickets scattered all around, and even mountain ashes that spread out on the canyon slopes. Here and there rocks bear the tracks of ancient glacier activity.
We reach the foot of the lower moraine where we pitch a camp on a cozy glade. The nature itself seems to have created this ideal site for the camp: the imposing rocks covered with juniper trees of peculiar forms guard the tents of the travelers. After a long and a bit tiresome trekking we can now relax, delight in a delicious dinner and have a full night of sound sleep.
Day 5.
Radial trek to Sabakh peak (5300 m). Distance: 8 km.
Altitude difference: +/- 600 m.
Today’s trekking pace is rather relaxed and comfortable. We’ll make a radial passage to Sabakh peak (5283 m). First we’ll ascend the moraine rampart from the top of which one can see a beautiful panorama of mountain valley with a small river meandering amongst pastoral setting. This is also the place of herdsmen camps. We’ll make a stop and visit one of these camps to find out more about herdsmen’s life in the severe conditions of highlands.
Continuing our way to the peak we cross one more moraine rampart behind which Sabakh Peak opens up in its full splendour. Standing at the foot of this forbidding 5000-metre-high giant we feel the cold breath of the glacier. The high altitude mountainscape is really spectacular. The pictures of the Peak itself taken from different angles present this giant differently depending on the light.
After a short rest and energizing lunch at the foot of the Peak we’ll set out for our return trip. The pleasant descent will bring us to the camp where the warmest welcome and hot, delicious dinner await us.
Day 6.
Passage through Udobniy pass (4140m) to the Uryam river valley.
Camp 3. Distance: 7 km. Altitude difference: +/- 1100 m.
The height of Udobniy pass cannot embarrass high-spirited trekkers. So after breakfast we’ll start our ascent. Your efforts will be well rewarded. The view that opens from the pass is absolutely magnificent, almost spellbinding. We stop here to savour the grand vistas: a fantastic panorama of the Uryam river valley and neighbouring ridges with their majestic peaks including Parus (Sail) peak ( 4883 m). It really looks like a filled out sail. The peak is much loved by local and international climbers. Elated by the thrilling sight we descend to the valley. The camp will be pitched on a mountain meadow next to the river and we ‘ll have a long-expected rest in this idyllic location. Sitting round the dinner table laid in a warm cozy dining tent, surrounded by the fellow-travellers, you can congratulate each other on the first pass you have surmounted, and exchange the impressions of the day.
Day 7.
Trekking rest day and radial trek to the upper reaches of the Uryam river.
Distance: at the trekkers’ discretion from 4 to 7 km.
Altitude difference: up to +/-400 m.
This scenic place dispose to relaxation and there is nothing shameful in your wish to just lounge on the grass or to loaf around. The most active, though, are invited to make a short hiking along the river meandering amongst the ancient moraines, and en route to marvel at the views of snow-topped peaks, a succession of lush meadows and juniper groves which remind Japanese gardens carefully groomed by a gardener. This is the land of pastures and now and then we encounter the herdsmen’s camps. A good opportunity for us to meet the local people, spend some time in their company and enjoying a cup of tea and a friendly chat to appreciate their well-known hospitality.
Day 8.
Passage across Uryam Pass ( 3760m) to the Ak-Mechet river valley, to the confluence of two rivers - the Ak-Suu and the Kara-Suu. Camp 4.
Distance: 8 km. Altitude difference: + 750/-900 m.
Today’s goal is to ascend Uryam pass. Though in height it’s inferior to the previous pass it is no less spectacular. Approaching the pass once again we can see Parus peak, this time towering behind us, with a bladelike Sabakh peak emerging from behind it on the left. As we proceed further we can delight in observing the majestic views of the valley where the Ak Suu and Kara Suu rivers interflow into the wide, rapid Ak-Mechet river. And then, just in front of us, there comes into sight one more range crowned with glaciers. It separates Aksu peak region from Karavshin region. The cone-shaped snow-capped Aksu peak (5355m), which to the north drops off in almost vertical two-kilometre-deep rock precipice, attracts the mountaineers from all over the world. The majestic view of this natural amphitheatre is accentuated by imposing crecent-shaped Iskander peak (51220m), Admiranteyets peak (5090m) Petrogradets peak (5163m) and Blok Peak (5239m).
The descent is rather comfortable and soon we reach our campsite. It is arranged at the height of 2800 m, where you can feel the warmth of the summer air and smell the rich coniferous fragrance of the juniper wood. Sunset is the best time for picture-perfect views of Aksu peak.
Day 9.
Trekking rest day and radial trekking to the foot of Aksu peak (5355m).
Distance: 8 km. Altitude difference: +/- 700 m.
Today we’ll trek to the glacier that lies under the tops of several peaks - Blok, Aksu, Admiralteyets, Petrogradets and Iskander. Today hardly anyone would prefer idling in the camp to trekking to a spectacular destination.
Though the glacier itself is hidden under the moraine and there you will only occasionally feel its ice-cold breath through the sole of your trekking boots, the view that awaits us at the end usually leaves people speechless.
After another few hours of trekking, you find yourself standing in front of a 2-km-high Black wall of Aksu peak that seems to rise up from out of nowhere. It's scary how it towers over you with all its might.
We’ll have the lunch at the Aksu river which springs from the glacier sliding under from under the peak.
Being among these eternal towering rocks fills you with a sense of belonging to macrocosm. We’ll come back to the campsite by sunset and the fantastic images of the day will stay in your memory for long.
Day 10.
Descent to the Ak-Mechet river and further to Uzgarysh village.
Distance: 14 km. Altitude difference: - 1400 km.
Today you will experience a relaxing stroll down the river. The juniper woods all around fill the air with coniferous fragrance and lift your spirits. The trail runs through alpine grassland dotted with flowers of every colour. And suddenly realizing that this is your last trekking day, you try to imprint in your memory, as well as to capture on your cameras, the stunningly beautiful surroundings. Who knows when there will be another chance to delight in the world of wilderness.
Meanwhile, we approach the river’s outfall and enter the Laily-Mazar valley. Our circuit closes up in Uzgarysh village where our trekking programme is completed with a celebration dinner. Today you can give vent to your appetite and eat your fill, since so many delicious dishes were prepared by our cook, and then to relax and share wine and laughter with new-found friends while recollecting every day of the adventurous journey.
Day 11.
Transfer from Uzgarysh village to Osh. Accommodation in hotel.
Overnight in Osh.
Day 12.
Flight to Bishkek. Accommodation in hotel.
Day 13.
Flight back home.
Visas
Residents of the EU and North America typically require a Kyrgyz visa. This can be obtained at your local embassy. You'll need letters of invitation and may require support filling out the documents, but we're here for that.
Meals
The food we provide is tasty, nutritious and provides energy. The menu has a high liquid and carbohydrate content – the important elements for trekking.
Equipment, Weather
In the lower regions and in cities, summer is really hot and dry. You'll have the ability to buy canned water everywhere and you'll be provided with beverages during the trek. Sun protection is a must. The highest point of your trek will be just under 4200 meters, where it'll be cooler, so you should have a fleece sweater. In the evenings, temperatures will drop to around 0 Celsius in higher camps. You'll need a hard or soft outer shell to protect you against any precipitation.
Breakfast
- First dish: cereal porridge (semolina, oats, rice)
- Second dish: cooked eggs with sausages, omelette, pancakes, thick pancakes, toasted bread, cottage cheese pancake, etc.
- Buffet table: cheese, sausage, assorted bread, butter, ketchup, marmalade, chocolate paste, sweets, cookies, wafers, dried cream, honey, sugar, halavah.
- Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa.
Bread, fresh salad, canned fish, cheese, sheep cheese, assorted meat appetizers, tea (black and green) sweets, cookies, wafers, fruits (apples, pears), dried fruits (apricot, raisin, figs, etc.), assorted nuts.
*In case of camp lunch first course is added.
Dinner
- First course – soup (European or local cuisine)
- Second course - various dishes of European cuisine with assorted garnish, as well as a choice of local dishes. Buffet table: assorted bread, cheese, sausage, ketchup, spices (mustard, various dressings), sweets, cookies, wafers, sugar.
- Drinks: selection of hot drinks, such as tea (black and green), coffee, cocoa, thin jelly.
- Dessert: watermelon, melon, fruits.
Recommend to my friends