To The Icy Giants of Central Tien Shan. Trekking. 15 days.

Region: Kyrghyzstan, Central Tien Shan, Terskey Ala Too, Sarydjaz, Tengri Tag ranges
Activity: trekking
Trip Category: regular
Difficulty: medium, no need of special skill
Season: June to September.

Tien Shan - "The Celestial Mountains" is one of the world's biggest and highest (up to 7,439 m - peak Pobeda) mountain land on the south of Central Asia where virtually all kinds of mountain outdoors are possible - from easy trekking to extremely difficult mountaineering. The entire area keeps ecological purity and untouched wild nature so far. Central Tien Shan also is very rare populated area with very few (comparing with, for example, northern ridges of Terskey Alatoo Range) cattle grazing.

This unusual route crosses the Terskey Ala Too ("Variegated mountains turned away from the sun") and Saridjaz ranges via high passes, then brings you to the very heart of Central Tien Shan. Travelers hike along one of the world's biggest glacier - Inilchek, visit interesting natural phenomena- high-altitude Mertzbakher Lake - glacial lake on the junction of South and North Inilchek, which is draining into the glacier rapidly once a year close the same time at a very beginning of August, causing the overflow down the valley. Then, you visit the high altitude Inilchek Base Camp - the place where you can observe the mountaineering expeditions activity on the 2 icy above 7,000 m peaks - Peak Pobeda (7439 m) and the marble pyramid of Khan Tengri (7010 m). You descent on helicopter to the Maida Adir checkpoint, then go on 4WD via high pass (dead Inilchek mining town en route!) to Karakol. Medium trekking/pass hopping.

Itinerary:

Day 1	Arrival to Bishkek. Meeting and transfer to the hotel. Rest.
Day 2	Transfer to Karakol (380 km). Lake Issyk Kul en route (1600 m high, 170 km long, 700 m deep). Yurt camp accommodation. (Yurt is the traditional dwelling of the Kyrghyz nomads).
Day 3	Transfer from Karakol along the Karkara river valley through the Kyzyl-Moinok pass up to the Echkily Tash checkpoint (120 km). Hike up the first camping site. Camping on the alpine meadow.
Days 4-6	Hiking through the Tuz Pass (4001 m, 1A CD) to a place called Chon -Tash, opposite Nansen Peak (5697 m).
Day 7	Hiking along the Inilchek glacier up to the Mertzbakher Glade (or Green Glade), opposite of the North and South Inilchek glaciers junction.
Day 8	Excursion to the natural phenomena - disappearing Mertzbakher Lake. Return to the camp on Green Glade.
Days 9,10	Hiking on the South Inilchek glacier (virtually no trail, not very easy trekking!) up to the Inilchek Base Camp.
Day 11	Observing the mountaineering activity on Peak Pobeda (7439 m) - on of the hardest-to-climb and dangerous mountain (similar or even worse than Everest from the North!) and the beautiful marble pyramid of Khan Tengri ("The Lord of The Sky") - the world's northernmost above-7000 mountain.
Day 12	Short (about 20 min) helicopter flight to the Maida Adir checkpoint (you can see your long way from the air!). Rest. Sauna.
Day 13	4wd drive (about 6 hrs) via Chon Ashuu pass to the Karakol. Welcome back to civilization! Excursion to Nikolay Przhevalsky - famous Russian discoverer of Central Asia - museum on the shore of Issyk Kul lake. Rest. Yurt accommodation.
Day 14	Return to Bishkek. Hotel accommodation.
Day 15	Transfer to the airport. Departure from Bishkek.