Tien Shan: Marble Wall. 19/20 days, from Almaty.

See also: Marble Wall and Khan Tengri.

Region: Kyrghyzstan, Central Tien Shan, Meridional range
Activity: mountaineering expedition
Trip Category: regular
Difficulty: medium/difficult (4B UIAA), some need of special skill and full set of mountaineering gear. 1 night hotel accommodation, 13 nights at tents.
Season: July-August (July, 20 - August, 31 recommended).
Fixed dates joint expedition: August, 11-22.

Tien Shan - "The Sky 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.

Marble Wall peak is situated at the altitude of 6,400 m above the sea level, and belonged to Meridionalny (Meridional) Range mountain system, at the Kazakhstan-Chinese border. No climbing is conducted right along the wall due to frequent icefalls. The peak was named because of it's marble outcrop. It is not much snow in winter there because it is blown away by the northeastern wind. Daytime temperature in summer at the altitude of 2000 m is reaches +24...+26°C. At night the temperature falls down to +5...+8°C. The Marble Wall glacier is a source of two small rivers: Ashi-Tor and Kesken-Tas, further confluence of which forms the river of Bayankol, flowing to the North. The Base Camp was named after the river.

Itinerary (fixed dates unguided):

Day 1	Arrival to Almaty. Meeting at airport. Transfer to Base Camp (BC) Karkara (290 km, 2200 m). Accommodation in comfortable double-covered tents for 2-3 persons or in the tents for one for individual clients. 3 hot meals daily, showers and toilet facilities.
Days 2,3	Acclimatization days. Recommended climbing of neighbour Bas Karkara peak (4059 m). Helicopter flight up to North Inylchek Base Camp (4000 m) - 35 min.
Days 4-17	Climbing Marble Wall with set the intermediate camps at 4400, 5200 and 5800 m. See climbing map.
Day 18	Helicopter flight to Karkara BC. Drive to Almaty. Overnight in the hotel (DBL).
Day 19	Departure from Almaty.

Note: the itinerary of above is draft one and should be subject to adjust to meet weather conditions, helicopter flights shedule, participants' wishes, etc.

Cost fixed dates unguided: $1500 p/p (minimal group size 2 persons).
Included: OVIR registration, meeting and seeing off in Almaty airport, interpreter service, all transfers in Almaty and Almaty - Karkara BC - Almaty, helicopter flight Karkara BC- Bayankol BC, lunch-box on the way to Karkara BC and back to Almaty, all permits, royalty fee, full board meals in BC: tent accommodation (2 persons tent) and 3 times hot meals a day, hot shower and toilet facilities, electricity at BC, medical aid at BC, long-range (BC-Almaty) radio communications and walkie-talkie for climbing, climbing consultation, cloak room, 1 night hotel accomodation in Almaty (DBL).

Itinerary (fixed dates full guided all logistics):

Cost (joint team full guided all logistics: $1700 p/p (no minimal group size limit!).
Included: OVIR registration, meeting and seeing off in Almaty airport, interpreter service, all transfers in Almaty and Almaty - Golden Mines- Almaty, lunch-box on the way to BC and back to Almaty, all permits, royalty fee, pack horses for Golden Mine -BC leg (up to 30 kilo p/p); full board meals in BC: tent accommodation (2 persons tent) and 3 times hot meals a day, walkie-talkie for climbing, climbing consultation, cloak room, 2 nights hotel accomodation in Almaty (DBL), experienced climbing guide service, guide assistants for each of 4 climbers; group equipment: 2 and 4 persons high-altitude tents, ropes, gas stoves, gas cartridges, cooking utensil, climbing food.
Not included: Travel to and from Almaty, visa fees, alcoholic beverages and other luxuries, personal items, insurance and cost of rescue team support, climbing porters service.

Options. Visa support. The arrival and departure point can be changed with Bishkek. The climbing of Marble Wall peak may be combined with climbing the Khan Tengri peak. Transfer to and from Almaty from Bishkek, hotel accommodation in Bishkek and Almaty (from * to *****), transfers in Bishkek and Almaty, additional excursions.