Reaching New Heights In The Tien Shan

Remote Focus: Splitboarding in Kyrgyzstan

Feb 17, 2023

Hey reader,

I’ve just returned from a two-week trip to Kyrgyzstan and Turkey. The bulk of the trip was a 10-day splitboard/ski tour expedition into the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the “foot of the Himalayas.”

I embarked on the journey through 40 Tribes, a tour operator that specializes in backcountry ski expeditions in remote places around the globe. I originally booked this trip in early 2020, and after multiple postponements due to a global pandemic and the arrival of my daughter, it didn’t end up happening until this year. It was more than worth the wait.

This week’s essay is a Remote Focus installment documenting the journey. I hope you enjoy the photos (and videos). I’m happy to share more or fill you in on specific details if you have questions, just hit reply.

Before hopping in, welcome to the 25 new subscribers since the last dispatch! You’re here on adventure week — sit back and get hyped.

Enjoy!

Quick note: If this email truncates (is cut off partway through) by your email provider, click the button to expand it at the bottom and you’ll see the rest of the email.

Remote Focus: Reaching New Heights In The Tien Shan

Trip dates: Feb 4-Feb. 11, 2023

Location: Tien Shan Mountains near Karakol, Kyrgyzstan

Logistics: Fly into Bishkek via Istanbul, van transfer to Karakol, then into a former Soviet UAV (pictured below) for transfer to Ichke-Jerges village. From there, we skinned up 2,000+ plus feet to yurt camp at Jalpak Tash.

Spent one week in the yurts, touring each day until about 4:00 pm. Total ascent for the week: 19,800 feet. We averaged about 3,000 feet of gain per day, typically for one or two big runs. Due to conditions, a couple days were spent pursuing “mini-golf” laps in the trees.

All food was prepared in a kitchen yurt that also served as the base for apres-ski rounds of Yahtzee and cheap Russian pilsners. Six of us slept in another yurt, with guides in a third.

Continental snowpack, thin. Almost too thin at points — the snow was entirely faceted on all aspects below treeline, and largely faceted beyond the point of layering even near and above treeline. This greatly reduced avalanche risk, but made for variable riding conditions throughout the trip. The snow often went from frozen to spring corn in a matter of an hour. On the final day, we were fortunate to receive powder — though over five inches per storm is enough to slide out the entire zone.

The snowpack is extreme continental, like nothing I’ve ever seen. If familiar with Colorado or Alberta, take the facets even further — to the point of significantly reduced avalanche risk more than 24 hours after a storm simply because the snow can’t congeal to form a slab.

Notes:

Post up at Karakol Coffee in Karakol before and after for reliable Wi-Fi, great coffee, and a selection of Russian beers. This is the best spot in town to get some work done.
Have a drink at The Hut in Karakol, a bar adjacent to a local guest house that is designed for travelers and frequented by backcountry skiers. Karakol isn’t much on the tourist map — at least not yet — but spots like this provide much-needed camaraderie.
Eat laghman noodles (thick hand-pressed noodles) served just about everywhere. As much as possible.
My primary concern about this trip was in my own ability on the ascents. I’d done big days in the past, but not seven days in a row, and I worried that my fitness wasn’t on par with what was needed. Fortunately, I proved myself wrong, with the help of Tailwind Endurance Fuel powder and a bunch of Honey Stingers. I learned that I can rally when needed, even if my legs are toast each evening.