€1920
excl. of flights
AVAILABLE:
2-15 January 2024,
bespoke dates for groups of 4+
Moderate difficulty
-5 to -15 °C
4-10 participants
Discounts for couples and group leaders
Kyrgyzstan: safe and visa-free
Cheap flights to Bishkek via Istanbul by Pegasus
Kyrgyzstan is the land of nomads — a vast, free, and mountainous country of rugged beauty. It may not offer the world’s finest ski holidays but decidedly one of the wildest, with its peculiar mix of yurts, ruined Soviet resorts, and winding roads squeezed between snowcapped peaks. In two weeks we will travel from Bishkek to Osh, delving into the country’s everyday life and exploring its world-class ski touring spots.
Textbook ski-tour terrain for any weather, avalanche conditions, and fitness of a group.
‘Bottomless’ continental snowpack remains pleasant to ski for many days after the snowfall.
Very compact area with short approaches and great choice of skiing lines.
Sunny weather, spectacular ridge walks and relatively low competition for the snow.
Ski-touring adventure in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan
Tian Shan — which translates rather beautifully as ‘the celestial mountains’ – covers 75% of Kyrgyzstan, which is farther from the sea than any other country. It does, however, have its own inland ‘sea’ — Issyk-Kul, the second largest alpine lake on the planet. The lake never freezes due to underwater hot springs and high salinity and that results in abundant snowfalls in the mountains around the lake’s southeast shore.
That is where the tiny mining town of Jyrgalan is located — at 2,300m above sea level, some 60km away from Karakol ski resort and roughly 6 hrs drive from Bishkek international airport. With a population of just over 1,000, Jyrgalan looks like a charmingly decrepit village — with cows, sheep, and horseback locals wandering around the main street.
Over the last few years, the settlement has grown in popularity with local and European ski-tourers who sought untracked snow while still based at the nearby popular ski resort in Karakol. They discovered Jyrgalan, with its textbook ski-touring terrain — countless gentle buttresses for safe uphill travel and downhill slopes for any weather, avalanche conditions, and ability of a group, including steeper wind-sheltered couloirs, shallow and fun fields, wide ribs, and forest runs. Thanks to relatively low elevations, with the highest runs starting at around 3,000m, little acclimatization is required.
At the same time, Jyrgalan receives more precipitation than any other mountain valley around Issyk-Kul lake. While not as light and fluffy as the ‘cold smoke’ powder of Siberia and not as deep as in maritime regions such as British Columbia, Kyrgyz ‘bottomless sugar’ snow is a delight to ski for many days after the snowfall.
This combination of terrain and snowpack, together with now numerous top-notch accommodation options (including Soviet miners’ barracks renovated in style!) make Jyrgalan, perhaps, the world’s raddest place for a ski-tour adventure.
1 full day of shared catskiing: 5-7 runs with total elevation drop of about 3,500-4,000m
4 days of guided ski-touring.
At least 1 guide per 5-6 participants
All accommodation:
4 nights in Jyrgalan in luxury twin cottages, half board.
2 nights in a heated yurt at 2,900m, full board.
1 night in Bishkek, 3* hotel, twin/double rooms with breakfast.
All transfers from arrival to departure.
International flights to Bishkek (FRU) via Istanbul. Pegasus airlines is usually the cheapest option.
Dining out a la carte in Bishkek.
Personal insurance.
Single accommodation.
Gear rental, if necessary.
Discretional gratuities.
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We ski toured in Siberia with Andrey in December 2018. Was a fantastic trip; perfectly organised. Great food and great fun.
Jamie Brown
November 3, 2020I joined Andrey now twice, once in Kamchatka and once in the Fann mountains. Each time everything worked out well. Andrey has done some excellent organizing and catering. We had... read more
Ulrike Kiefer
November 4, 2020 -
In 2018 I had the privilege of doing volcano trekking in Kamchatka with a group of experienced South Africans and Andrey, with the grand prize in mind of summiting Klyuchevskaya... read more
Anton Durrant
November 27, 2020They definitely succeeded in making the trip enjoyable and in breaking any negative stereotypes – we loved Russia and have come away with a very good impression and a wish... read more
Julie Pritchard
November 3, 2020 -
Superb unique experience to Siberia in 2019. We were well looked after and adapted to our needs and fitness levels. I look forward to going again, perhaps Kamchatka next year ?
Adrian Parsons
November 3, 2020We joined Andrey on a fantastic trip to the Fann Mountains in Tajikistan, pure nature and magnificent scenery! Andrey was super prepared and led us safely up and down numerous... read more
Monika Steinlechner
November 11, 2020 -
I went with Andrey to Kamchatka back on 2013. At that time PrimalScapes didn't even exist. He invited me to join his expedition with his fellow Russian friends (We had... read more
Xavi Tarafa Mercader
December 5, 2020I was impressed with your organization of the trip. The upfront information was accurate and relevant. More importantly everything ran smoothly. I was particularly impressed with your organization of the... read more
Robert Cromarty
November 3, 2020 -
Our ski tour in Siberia was superbly organised. Your information before the trip was very clear and comprehensive. We knew exactly what to expect – and got it
David McClelland
November 27, 2020I was impressed with your organization of the trip. The upfront information was accurate and relevant. More importantly everything ran smoothly. I was particularly impressed with your organization of the... read more
Robert Cromarty
November 3, 2020
Most flights arrive in Bishkek at around 5AM. We meet at the airport and board our private minivan. Provided snow-free roads, driving to Jyrgalan takes around 6hrs but we will be stopping to quickly visit a 9th century large minaret — Burana tower, prehistoric petroglyphs at Cholpon-Ata, and, of course, a roadside cafe for lunch.
Upon arrival, we check into our luxury lodge, have dinner, check our ski gear, and run a safety briefing.
Catskiing in Jyrgalan is the best way to get used to peculiar Kyrgyz snow, warm up for the coming ski touring days, and have lots of fun! Pistenbully snowcats seat 12-14 passengers and are shared with other skiers/snowboarders. Expect about 5-7 runs with 3,500-4,000m vertical drop per day.
Two days of ski touring in Jyrgalan. Usually we’ll have 2-3 runs per day with total elevation drop of about 1000-1200m. Drive to the trailheads around the village takes about 10 minutes. Most ascents follow gentle ribs up to scenic ridges, while descents are usually on fun 20-30 degree slopes. There are some tree runs as well.
In the morning snowmobiles transfer our stuff to a yurt camp further up in the valley. The ride takes about 30 minutes and we are towed behind snowmobiles.
Located 11km away from Jyrgalan at 2,900m elevation, the yurt camp enables access to ski terrain as private as it gets. The yurts are heated with a wood-burning stove and come with half-board cooked meals and a steam sauna. Thanks to the absence of 4G signal, internet detox comes as a pleasant bonus.
Drive back to Bishkek, a short optional city tour, overnight in a 3-star hotel.
Your guides
Andrew Golovachev, an IFMGA aspirant ski guide within the guides’ association of Kyrgyzstan, an avid alpine climber, and devoted adventure photographer.
Ran treks, climbs, ski tours and expeditions to Tajikistan Pamirs, Patagonia, Peru, Morocco, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Siberia, Caucasus and Kamchatka. A full member of the British Alpine Club. Professional avalanche education: equivalent of Canadian Avalanche Association Level 1 certificate.
Visited over 40 countries, lived in the UK for four years. Certified first-aider.
High street of Jyrgalan village:
Accommodation
During ski touring around Jyrgalan village, we will be based at luxury twin cottages with an outdoor thermal pool, a shared lounge, a bar, and a restaurant with half-board meals of European and Kyrgyz cuisine included.
Yurt-based ski touring in upper Jyrgalan
For the last two days we will be ski-touring based in a yurt in order to gain private access to untracked slopes. The yurt is located 11km away from Jyrgalan at 2,900m elevation, has comfy bunk beds and is heated with a wood-burning stove. Half-board cooked meals and a steam sauna are included. Thanks to the absence of 4G signal, internet detox comes as a pleasant bonus.
Booking terms
Sounds exciting? It truly is! We love the place and would be happy to share it with you. Should you have any questions, please check out our FAQ section below. Alternatively, don’t hesitate to send us your inquiry using the contact form or WhatsApp.
We require financial commitment from the participants in a form of €340 deposit paid via bank transfer or Paypal. The remaining amount is paid in cash or wire transfer upon arrival.
Cancellation policy
If you need to cancel your trip 60 days or less before departure because you are prevented from travelling due to:
1) a government banning non-essential travel to the destination or imposing a quarantine for vaccinated upon arrival upon return from the destination country, or
2) a national or local lockdown
We will put your deposits in full towards a future trip with us, this year or the next year.
The above does not apply in the following cases:
– You or a family member is diagnosed with Covid and you are required to self-isolate, which prevents you from travelling.
– A close relative is diagnosed with Covid and you are required to care for them.
– You are denied boarding to your flight due to failing Covid checks.
– You are unable to join your trip due to not fully complying with the testing or vaccination requirements to enter the destination country.
We strongly recommend taking out a travel insurance with specific Covid-19 cancellation and curtailment provision which is now available from many reputable providers.
We also promise a 14-day risk-free booking window: you can cancel at any point within two weeks after you put down the first deposit. This buys you time to sort out vacation and flights, to bring in your friends, etc. and not have to worry about someone else taking your spot on the trip.
In case of cancellation of the trip by the participant due to any other personal circumstances any deposits made are NOT refunded. At our sole discretion we may put them towards your future trips with us.
The minimum group size for this trip is 4 participants plus the guide. Should there be less, the trip will be cancelled and all deposits made will be returned in full.
Enquire & book
Let us know any questions or concerns via the form below and we’ll get back to you within 24hrs!
Alternatively, you can just email us at hello@primalscapes.com
We will never email you any marketing materials without your further consent. Your info will only be used to respond to your question and will never be shared with third parties.
