To The Icy Giants of Central Tien Shan. Trekking. 14 days.

Region: Kyrghyzstan, Central Tien Shan, Terskey Ala Too, Sarydjaz, Tengri Tag ranges
Activity: trekking
Trip Category: regular, fixed dates, custom dates upon request
Difficulty: medium, no need of special skill
Season: July-August. Fixed dates tour to join: July, 10 - 23; July, 28 - August, 10; August, 07-20. Other dates are possible by request!

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 at the airport. Transfer to the hotel. After short rest and late breakfast, transfer to Karakol (380 km). Lake Issyk Kul en route (1600 m high, 170 km long, 700 m deep). Hotel or yurt camp accommodation. (Yurt is the traditional dwelling of the Kyrghyz nomads). Note: you can leave you stuff you dont need on trek in Bishkek and we deliver it to Issyk Kul hotel!
Day 2	Transfer from Karakol to the At-Jailoo BC (2500 m) through the Chon Ashuu pass (3822 m). Camping on the alpine meadow.
Day 3	Hiking up the Inylchek valley then along the Inylchek Gl. to a place called Chon -Tash (2900 m, 18 km, 6-8 hrs), opposite Nansen Peak (5697 m). Camping
Day 4	Hiking on the moraines along the Inylchek Gl. to the Putevodniy Gl. (3100 m, 8 km, 6-8 hrs). Camping.
Day 5	Hiking along the Inilchek glacier up to the Mertzbakher Glade (or Green Glade, 3400 m, 8 km, 5-7 hrs), opposite of the North and South Inilchek glaciers junction. Camping.
Day 6	Excursion to the natural phenomena - disappearing Mertzbakher Lake. Return to the camp on Green Glade.
Day 7	Hiking on the Inylchek Gl. to the junction with Komsomolskiy Gl. (3800 m, 10 km, 6-8 hrs). Camping.
Day 8	Hiking on the Inylchek Gl. to the junction with Dikiy Gl. (3900 m, 7 km, 4-6 hrs). Camping.
Day 9	Hiking on the South Inilchek glacier (virtually no trail, not very easy trekking!) up to the Inilchek Base Camp. (4100 m, 5 km, 2-4 hrs). Camping at the BC. Rest.
Day 10	Rest day. 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 11	About 40 min helicopter flight to the Karkara BC (magnificient views of Pobeda massif and Khan Tengri South and North!). Transfer to the village on Issyk Kul Lake shore. Optional swimming in Issyk Kul Lake. Hotel accommodation.
Day 12	Transfer to Bishkek. Hotel accommodation BB.
Day 13	Cititour in Bishkek, including Manas Monument, State History Museum and Ala-Too Square (ceremony of The Guard of Honor). Farewell dinner. Hotel accommodation BB.
Day 14	Transfer to the airport. Departure from Bishkek.