Backcountry skiing at Tuu-Ashuu pass

DURATION OF THE TRIP: 7 days
DISTANCE : up to 600 km
ROUTE: Bishkek-Tiu Ashuu- Susamyr - Bishkek
SEASON: December-March

This adventure takes skiers and snowboarders to the Susamyr valley, which backs the Kyrgyz mountain range from the south. This area gets 1.5-2 meters of snow per winter season. We will be skiing from the Tiu Ashuu pass (3,586 m). The slopes drop nearly 1,000 m from the top of the pass to the buttom of the valley. The pass is located 130 km to the west of Kyrgyz capital - Bishkek. One of the busiest motorways of the country runs thru this pass. This thread of road asphalt connects the south and the north of Kyrgyzstan - the settled cultures of the Ferghana valley and the nomads of Northern Tien-Shan, following the medieval trails of the Great Silk Road. The highway went thru a capital rehabilitation project and is now maintained in an excellent condition.

As a lift and a transport vehicle of the expedition, the skiers and snowboarders get to drive in an all terrain, full-wheel drive, former army vehicle GAZ-66. The vehicle is equipped with the systems of self-sustainability. The tourist group is supported by ski instructors and an expedition doctor. All travelers are provided with avalanche transceivers and ham radios.

Up on Tiu-Ashuu the group will be hosted by the High Altitude Clinic of the Bishkek Medical Academy, which is located by the top of the pass. The place boasts a hot shower, a kitchen fascility and single or 2 and 4 persons room.

From here the group decides on day trips, files their plan with a program manager in Bishkek and checks on weather forcasts and avalanche warnings. Several other
passes of the picturesque Susamyr mountain valley are waiting for their first descenders. Together we can look for places where a GAZ-66 can ascent to and the travelers can be hosted by the true nomads in their winter yurts or have a chance to stay in an autonomous tent camp, isolated by snow.