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Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan

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Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan Enquire
Price p/p Based on a group trip for 2025 season with twin-share accommodation
USD 1,971

GUIDED CAT SKIING KYRGYZSTAN | 7 Nights | 5 Days Cat Skiing

Location: Kyrgyzstan | Tour Focus: Guided | Terrain Focus: Backcountry
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Price p/p Based on a group trip for 2025 season with twin-share accommodation
USD 1,971
5 days cat skiing in Kyrgyzstan with plenty of fresh powder, option to spend a night in a yurt, plus time in cities where you can fully absorb the unique culture of this Central Asian country
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Fixed Date(s)
Days
Price
Availability
Fixed Date(s): Dec 29 - Jan 05, 2025
Days: 8
Price: USD 1,971
Availability: Available
Fixed Date(s): Feb 02 - Feb 09, 2025
Days: 8
Price: USD 1,971
Availability: Available
Fixed Date(s): Feb 22 - Mar 01, 2025
Days: 8
Price: USD 1,971
Availability: Available
Future rates & dates are currently not yet available for this operator. Click here to enquire.
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Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan

This Kyrgyzstan cat skiing trip offers a powder paradise in the Tien Shan Mountains, the option to stay a night in a yurt, along with city experiences in this fascinating Silk Road country. Kyrgyzstan is gaining some traction as an adventure ski destination for intrepid powder hounds, and on this Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan trip, all your travel logistics will be taken care of.

Highlights

  • 8 day trip in Kyrgyzstan with plenty of powder and cultural immersion
  • 5 days of guided cat skiing
  • Adventure skiing and snowboarding
  • Fully inclusive tour with full hosting and all the logistics looked after
  • Tour of the city of Bishkek
  • Wander around the city of Karakol and visit the bazaar
  • Working with local guides and local partners, so local experiences whilst supporting tourism in a developing country
  • Stay in the village of Jyrgalan.
  • Potential to stay a night in a yurt camp
  • Have a Russian style banya, a very hot sauna tent and have a dip in the snow afterwards.
  • Enjoy Kyrgyz cuisine
  • Visit to Fairy Tale Valley with its impressive sandstone rock formations
  • Hot springs & ice cold rivers

Kyrgyzstan Cat Skiing

This backcountry adventure utilises 2 Pistenbully snowcats to do the uphill work, whilst you relax in the comfortable cabin on the back and save your energy for skiing or riding down untracked slopes. The snowcat road goes as high as 3,400 metres, and descents go as low as the village of Jyrgalan at 2,300 metres. Your legs will be seriously challenged.

Nearly 10,000 hectares of cat skiing terrain is available, which varies from mellow tree runs to faces of 40+ degrees. Each day generally includes at least 6 to 8 runs with 4,000 to 6,000 meters of vertical. A main focus is the northern slopes of a high peak that provides the necessary shelter. On bad weather days there is sheltered terrain below the tree line.

Lunch is usually held at the centrally located ice bar at an altitude of 2,500 metres, which affords an amazing view over the foothills of the Tien Shan mountains. On a clear day you can even see Kazakhstan.

You can make contact if you have any questions or want to book.

Where is the Cat Skiing?

The cat skiing occurs near the village of Jyrgalan, which is the powder paradise of Kyrgyzstan where there is plenty of precipitation in the form of light snow. The Jyrgalan Valley is situated in far eastern Kyrgyzstan in the Lake Issyk-Kul region.

Jyrgalan used to be the site of coal mining during the Soviet Union days. Today the industry has disappeared and huge snowfields are left behind, along with an emerging tourism centre of eastern Kyrgyzstan, with local guesthouses and yurt camps.

The snowcats leave from the snowy village and drive between the cows and sheep to the first slopes.

Cat Ski Kyrgyzstan Tours

Solos and small groups are welcome to join one of the fixed date cat skiing trips. Or you can make a booking request for a customised cat skiing tour for a minimum group size of size and a minimum of 3 cat skiing days.

Itinerary

After arriving at Bishkek Airport, your hosts will drive you via the north coast of Lake Issyk Kul to Karakol, which is the hub of freeriding in Central Asia. Arriving in Karakol in early afternoon, you can acclimatize, walk around the city, visit the bazaar and do a spot of shopping. Then it’s a drive further east for 60km to Jyrgalan and check in at the guest house. You can make a booking request for more detail on the itinerary of the tour.

Other Information

The Team

Ryce Travel has a fantastic group of freeriders on site. Roman Nasyrov is the driver of the Pistenbully. Aleksey Balabyn is the lead guide during the descents. The tail guides are Maksat Aitkulov, Vasily Nemchenko and Vadim Karaulykh. All guides know the mountains like no other. They all have their diplomas from the KMGA Guide School in Karakol. This means that they have the necessary certificates in avalanche science, mountaineering, first aid and knowledge of snow composition. Due to the current political and financial situation, they do not have IFMGA certified diplomas yet.

The après ski bar (Buchenwagen) is run by friends Vasily Bazhinov and Kostich Kulakov. Here you are always welcome to enjoy a drink after a long day in the snow.

Electricity/Internet

Electricity is readily available and the plugs are the same as Europe (220V and 50Hz). Wi-Fi is available in the guesthouse and you can also choose to purchase a local SIM card. The range even extends to the cat ski terrain.

Food

The Kyrgyz cuisine is a really tasty mix of Turkish, Chinese and Russian influences. Usually for breakfast there is bread, eggs and/or porridge, whilst lunch is held up in the mountains. After a day in the mountains you’ll be hungry. Dinner may include meals such as Kurdak (beef and potatoes), Laghman (noodles and vegetables in spicy sauce), Plov (rice with meat and carrot), Borscht (beet soup), Ashlan Fu (rice and vegetables in spicy sauce), Beshbarmak, Mante (dumplings) and various salads.

Transportation

Your hosts can arrange transportation from any place in Kyrgyzstan or Southern Kazakhstan. The ride from Bishkek International Airport Manas takes about 5 to 6 hours. From Karakol it’s a one hour drive and from Almaty in Kazakhstan, it will take 5 to 6 hours as well. You can make an enquiry regarding pricing for transfers from Almaty.

Accommodation

You will stay at the Ala Kul guesthouse in Jyrgalan. This cosy guesthouse is run by a local Kyrgyz family who provides meals and entertainment. The twin/triple rooms have their own modern bathroom and are fully equipped.

When available, it may be possible to spend a night in a yurt at the freeride base. There are usually 8 sleeping places per yurt, whilst toilets are communal long-drop. These felt tents are the traditional homes of the Kyrgyz nomads. A yurt consists of a wooden frame with a round opening in the roof (the tunduk) and you can even find this tunduk in the Kyrgyz flag. The yurts have been adapted to the winter temperatures with a protective layer and a heater inside. Next to the yurt camp is a Russian style banya sauna tent for you to relax after an intensive day on the mountain. This very hot sauna tent can reach temperatures of 90 degrees. The ritual is for a handful of short sessions in the sauna followed by a dip in the snow to cool down.

In Bishkek the accommodation is at the Olive Hotel.

Rates & Inclusions

Rates Notes 2025

  • Price per person is 1795 Euros
  • Price is based on twin share accommodation. If you are travelling as a group of 3, you can stay triple share at the guest house
  • If you are interested in a private bespoke cat skiing tour you can make a booking request to ask about options and availability
Inclusions
  • 5 days of cat skiing Jyrgalan with local KMGA guides
  • 7 nights lodging twin share: 6 nights in Ala Kul guesthouse Jyrgalan, 1 night in Olive Hotel Bishkek
  • Transfers from Bishkek Airport and all ground transportation
  • City tour Bishkek
  • All meals and drinks during meals (3x daily)
  • English speaking guide during the entire tour
  • Shovel, probe and avalanche beacon
  • Farewell dinner in Bishkek
  • Local taxes
Add-ons
  • Avalanche airbag - 100 euros
  • Freeride ski/snowboard rental
  • Single room surcharge
  • Pick up from Almaty
Not Included
  • Flights
  • Snacks and drinks not during the 3 daily meals, alcoholic drinks
  • Tips & souvenirs
  • Insurance