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Tyup yurts backcountry (2250-3000 m)
Higher peaks to downhill with a bit more opportunities.
The start by the river to the south-east is slower, but there are nice downhills there and the way back is mildly down without putting skins on.
Heights yurt backcountry (2900-3650 m)
Warm up and acclimatization in a lower altitude of Tyup yurts.
Although there is a little bit more walking as a ski tour in the Tyup area, the landscape around is picturesque here.
What's nearby:
The yurt operator is based in a Jyrgalan Yurt. They pulled us to the yurts by a cat ski and then we were on your own with a cook and keeper.
From a sleeping bag right to skis.
The offering included a breakfast, dinner and snacks for a day.
The temperature inside the yurt is somewhere between hot and cold:) The keeper did his best to maintain it…
We chose Tyup and Heights locations. Both had a sauna tent that was awesome to relax after skiing. Cooling down in a freezing snow.
We were there alone in our group of 6 except for two days when we were joined by two British guides exploring the area.
There is practically next to nothing in Jyrgalan, so great to plan the arrival to the mornig to continue right to the yurts.
We had a 4×4 Chevrolet Express V8 for our group of 6 because we were considering to go to more distant places initially, but just to Jyrgalan a back it wasn't necessary. Not much snow on roads in 2020 and we finally didn't went offroad.
Karakol
Biggest town (and maybe the only town among villages in the area).
It takes a full day to drive there from Bishkek.
We more or less stayed here just to have a buffer on our way to Jyrgalan and back, where there is basically nothing at all there.
There's not much to do in the city. We took a day of skiing and freeriding in a nearby small ski resort and visited a morning livestock market at dawn (free entrance).
Issyk Kul monuments
There are many strange old monuments on the way, mostly to the south of the Issyk Kul lake.
The most bizarre monument is Aalam Ordo. It's a mysterious complex of abandoned yurts and fading murals that was meant to be a center of science and spirituality. But it was never finished and it stays there just as a great monument to megalomania.
This city is brutal.
Before our flight back we took a walking tour across its brutalist architecture and monuments.
In two words: faded glory.