2500km, the length of the Tian Shan mountain range

Parched desert plateaus and millennia old forts gaze up towards the dominating skyline of the Tian Shan mountain range in the east of the region. This beastly landscape is dotted with snow covered estuaries of pristine piste and valleys of untouched powder. 

With 90% of mountain cover, the ‘Switzerland of Central Asia’ (better known as Kyrgyzstan) is the epicentre for snow and mountain sports. Perched amongst the glacial valleys to the east is Karakol ski base, this 3000m high powered dream is the highest resort in Central Asia with copious amounts of backcountry bliss and heli-ski heroic peaks. The entire region outside Karakol has a smothering patchwork of ski resorts, a week’s visit is well spent bumbling around at least 3 different countrywide areas. 

Drifting closer to the central Asian heartland, Uzbekistan itself boasts an impressive ski option with Amirsoy. 2020 saw the installation of state of the art lifts and upgrades to the terrain allowing for 2.5km pistes and endless deckchair dozing. Being only a 1.5 hour road trip from Tashkent, we suggest a stay here at the end of your Uzbekistan trip, if Kyrgyzstan is to be spared for a future visit.