A country of altitude
Kyrgyzstan is 95 per cent mountainous, and one third of the country's surface area is above 3,000 m. This makes Kyrgyzstan, along with neighbouring Tajikistan, the region's veritable water tower, with nearly 7,500 km² of glaciers, including one of the largest in the world, the Inylchek glacier, 54 km long and located at over 4,000 m, around Khan Tengri. There is nothing boring about the heights, however: the scenery varies from one valley to another and crossing a pass is sometimes enough to go from a high desert plateau to a green forest, a frozen tundra or a glacier. Not to mention the lakes!
Mountain ranges in all directions
The mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan are divided into two major massifs: the Pamir and the Tian Shan. The Tian Shan extends from China's Xinjiang to the north of the Pamir range roughly following the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border, while the Pamir occupies the southern part of the country and extends into Tajikistan, China and Afghanistan. These two massifs are streaked with several other secondary chains. The Terskei Ala-Tau extend for 300 kilometres along the southern shore of Lake Issyk Kul. They are cut by several valleys and canyons oriented north-south: Djhuuku, Kichi-Kizilsou, Chon-Kizilsou, Djeti-Ogouz, Karakol and Ak-Sou, which have become popular meeting points for hikers. The proximity of the lake and moderate altitude bring a milder climate to this range than that of central Tian Shan. In July and August, thunderstorms and snowfalls are frequent. The Kungei Ala-Tau range extends north of Lake Issyk Kul, forming the natural border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In the Pamir, the Zaalaiski Mountains in southern Kyrgyzstan are well known to climbers from all over the world. The Lenin Peak (7,134 m) is the most accessible of the peaks above 7,000 m.
Between peaks and glaciers
Central Tian Shan glaciers are usually divided into two zones: the northern and southern Inilchek glaciers, and the Kaindi Glacier. The Inilchek Glacier Zone includes the two highest peaks of the Tian Shan, Jengish Chokusu (formerly Pobedy Peak, 7,439 m) and Khan Tengri Peak (7,010 m). It includes a total of 23 peaks above 6,000 m, and about 80 peaks between 5,000 and 6,000 m. Many of them have never been climbed. The southern Inilchek glacier, at 54 km, is one of the longest on the planet. Its maximum width is 3.5 km and its depth is 200 m. It is also the most difficult of the Tian-Shan: the weather is very changeable, snowstorms can occur suddenly. The most serene period is from August to mid-September. The average temperature in July is 5°C; in August, 7°C; in September, 3°C. The Kaindi Glacier is located southwest of the Inilchek Glacier; it also includes the Tereki Glacier. Expeditions there are much rarer - the first took place in 1995 - and many of the surrounding peaks are still virgin. The climate is similar to that of the Inilchek.
The peaks of Kyrgyzstan
The former USSR had five peaks above 7,000 metres, three of which are in Kyrgyzstan. The Lenin Peak, located in the northern part of the Pamir Massif on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, is 7,134 metres high. It was first conquered by an expedition led by the German Karl Wien in 1928, when it was still known as "Mount Kaufmann". In 2006, Lenin Peak was renamed "Independence Peak", but the name given in honour of the Russian revolutionary leader has remained in common usage. Pobedy Peak, or "Victory Peak", renamed "Jengish Chokusu" after independence, is the highest peak in the Tian Shan, at 7,439 m above sea level. It is located on the border between Kyrgyzstan and China. Its ascent is largely motivated by the desire to walk on one of the largest glaciers in the world, the Inylchek, where many treks are organized in scenery of unsuspected splendor.
Finally, at an altitude of 7,010 m, the Khan Tengri, on the border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, is the third highest peak in Kyrgyzstan and the second highest in the Tian Shan range. Its elegant pyramidal shape has earned it the reputation of being one of the most beautiful 7,000-metre peaks. The first ascent of the summit from the Kyrgyz side was made in 1931 by the Ukrainian Mikhail Pogrebetsky, while the north face, on the Kazakh side, was not conquered until 1964.Rivers and lakes: the Kyrgyz pearls
Kyrgyzstan is traversed by a multitude of rivers born in high glaciers and giving rise to the two largest rivers in Central Asia, the Syr Darya and Amudarya, which flow through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The Naryn, "the sunny one", is the longest river in Kyrgyzstan, which it crosses for more than 500 km between the Ak-Shyrak Mountains and the Ferghana Valley, where it merges with the Kara-Daria to give birth to the Syr-Daria. If each city or village seems to be bathed by one of the countless rivers of the country, it is especially its lakes that make the success of Kyrgyzstan. This small Central Asian republic is home to the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. In the north-east of the country, the Issyk Kul stretches 180 km long and 60 km wide at an altitude of 1,620 m. It never freezes because of the slight salinity of its waters, which has earned it the nickname of "warm" lake (issyk). It is a popular summer destination for wealthy families from the country and neighbouring republics, who mainly visit the northern shore, while the southern shore is wilder and still has few tourist facilities. On the eastern tip, the small port of Pristan still houses a few fishermen in a setting that seems to have emerged from the era of the great explorations. But Kyrgyzstan also has other natural gems. At an altitude of 3,000 m, Lake Song Kul, nestled in its green setting and surrounded by mountains, is undoubtedly one of the country's tourist gems. The lake is 25 km long and is accessible only two or three months of the year, although the period when it is not frozen is even shorter.
