Postcard from Bishkek

Over 94% of Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of over 1000 meters above sea level and 71% above 2000 meters.  (Generally – anything above 1500 meters is counted as mountainous).

As a result it may not be surprising that when the United Nations declared 2002 as the International Year of the Mountains, the culminating highpoint of the year was the Bishkek Global Mountain Summit.  Representatives from many intergovernmental agencies and other “mountainous” countries met to consider issues relating to life of people inhabiting the various mountain areas of the world.  For the record: the idea for such a project had been proposed by President Akaev of the Kyrgyz Republic, and a similar summit is planned for 2010 – possibly the only time when such an international gathering returns to the same venue for its second session.

Amongst the mountains to be found in Kyrgyzstan are a number of 7000-meter peaks; many peaks which have been climbed only in relatively recent times; many virgin peaks – yet to be climbed and some mountains that are even reputed to be nameless.

It has been suggested in the Western press that there is a “Name that mountain” scheme where, in exchange for a fee, it is supposed to be possible to have a peak named after you. However, no-one here knows of such a scheme and it seems to be just another “modern myth”.  It is true, however, that peaks are being names, for example:

• in 2002 a 5000 peak was named after former Russian President Boris Yeltsin and
• another peak was named in honour of the Kyrgyz Police,
• in 2003 a team from Azerbaijan were reported to have climbed a 5632 meter peak and named it “Azerbaijan Peak”; and
• a mountain with two peaks was climbed and named “9/11” in memory of the events in New York on September 11^th, 2001
• in 2007 a mountain was named after Santa Clause – as it had been identified by some Swedish scientists as the best logistical sport for him to begin annual journey distributing gifts to the world’s children (!)

It is not clear if these are examples of previously unnamed peaks or simply renaming them – some of the more well peaks have already been known by several different names, which can sometimes lead to confusion.

There are over 88 major mountain ranges in Kyrgyzstan, most of them forming the Tien Shan System – the Celestial Mountains. The others, such as the Chon Alai range in the South of the country belong to the Pamir system. They effectively divide the country into a number of quite distinct regions – especially between the North and the South, there is only one road connecting them (the main Bishkek-Osh road).

Most of the ranges vary in length from 100 kilometres to 300 kilometres – the longest, (Kakshaal) is 582 kilometres long and the Kyrgyz Range, lying to the South of Bishkek, is 454 kilometres long. Most ranges are between 10 and 40 kilometres wide.

• The Tien Shan - the largest mountain range in Asia, in surface area; length (2800km); and width (at one point reaching 800 km wide) – with a total of 40 peaks over 6000m.
• The Terksey Ala Too range – (the “shady” mountains) – is located along the Southern shores of Lake Issyk Kul.
• The Kungey Ala Too range – (the “sunny” mountains) – is located along the Northern shores of Lake Issyk Kul – and form the border with Kazakhstan.
• The Kyrgyz Ala Too range run from Lake Issyk Kul across the Northern length of the country – about 40 km South of Bishkek.
• Kokshaal Range with Victory Peak
• The Talas range
• The Chatkal range in the extreme West of the country;
• The Ferghana range
• The Pamirs are found in the South of the country.  Actually, only the most Northerly ranges of the system are in Kyrgyzstan – the Zaalaisky ridge
• The Pamir-Alai Mountains – which separate the Pamirs and the Tien Shan – consists of the Turkestan (including a number of virgin peaks) and Alai ridges and the Chon-Alai, with Peak Lenin .

The ranges which are snow-capped throughout the year are distinguished by the phrase “Ala Too” – although in Kyrgyz the phrase means “many colours” – or “colourful” – or “bright mountains”. The snow-line lies at about 3600 meters.

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan hold many attractions for mountaineers and trekkers. For most of the Soviet period, (or as some locals refer to it – “in former times”), the region was off-limits to foreigners and even Soviet mountaineers had trouble obtaining the permissions necessary for an expedition. Although the system is less rigid these days, there are still some restrictions, and permits necessary, in certain areas – especially in the border zones.

The difficulties faced by mountaineers are exacerbated by the weather – it can snow suddenly and for several days at a time – increasing the risks of avalanches and crevices.

The relief of the mountains varies extensively from Massif to Alpine and many different types of landscape can be experienced. Woods tend to be located on North facing slopes, where snow lies longer whilst grassland meadows, (jailoo), tend to be located on southern facing slopes which benefit greater from the warming effects of the sun’s rays.

Here is a list of the some of the mountain ranges in the country with their highest peaks (from the “Encyclopaedia Kyrgyzstana”):

Range	Length (in km)	Width (in km)	Highest peak	Highest Point (m. a.s.l.)	Average Height (m. a.s.l.)
Koshaal Too	582	54	Pobeda (Victory Peak)	7439	4500
Chon Alai	250	40	Peak Lenin	7134	5460
Alai	350	20	Tandikul	5880	4450
Sari Jaz	93	16	Semyenov	5816	4700
Turkestan	300	30	Sabla	5621	4430
Terskey Ala Too	354	40	Karakol	5280	4290
Ak Shyirak Too	60	28	Djaman Suu	5126	4720
Ferghana	206	62	Kara Kuldja (Uch Seyit)	4940	3620
Kyrgyz	454	40	Zapadni Alamedin (Western Alamedin)	4855	3700
At Bashi	140	30	Uoyrme	4786	4300
Kungey Ala Too	285	32	Chok Tal	4771	4200
Chatkal	225	30	Chatkal (Aflatun)	4503	3800
Naryn Too	120	18	Baibichye	4500	4200
Talas	260	40	Manas	4488	3930
Djumgal	54	15	Min Teke	4281	3800

Different sources quote slightly different figures for some of these statistics – and that is not surprising in that, (especially in some of the more remote regions), surveying is still being carried out.   In one case a disputed figure is blamed on a faulty altimeter being used by a party of climbers – giving a misleading figure.

In particular: until recently Khan Tengri was thought to be only 6995 meters high – but the figure has been revised (and some people treat the new measurement of 7010 meters with an element of suspicion).

The country is so rich in peaks that there are some surprising omissions in this list. For example, the third major peak in the country, Khan Tengri, doesn’t appear simply because at only 7010 m. (or 6995 m.), its neighbour, Pobeda, is about 130 meters higher.  Also missing from the list is Corona – or Crown Peak – which lies to the South of Bishkek.

The website http://www.summitpost.com/ (or http://www.summitpost.org/) gives the following table of “Principle Mountains in the Central Tien Shan” – of the 40 peaks listed, 27 are located in, or on the borders of, the Kyrgyz Republic:

No.	Name	Other Name		Elevation		Country
1	Peak Pobeda	Mount Tomur		7439		China-Kyrgyzstan
2	Khan Tengri	Tengi Tag		7010		Kyrgyzstan-Kazakstan
3	Muzat I			6955		China
4	Pshavela			6918		China-Kyrgyzstan
5	Topografov			6873		China-Kyrgyzstan
6	Rapasova			6814		China-Kyrgyzstan
7	Drushby			6800		China-Kyrgyzstan
8	Pobeda East	Vostochnaya		6762		China-Kyrgyzstan
9	Neru			6742		China-Kyrgyzstan
10	Tamdyn I			6670		China
11	Shatior East			6637		Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan
12	Xueleng	Xuelian		6627		China
13	Nagela			6565		China-Kyrgyzstan
14	Yanamax			6541		China
15	Progrebietskovo			6527		Kyrgyzstan
16	Xueleng South Peak			6527		China
17	Przhewalskovo			6440		China-Kazakhstan
18	Tamdyn II			6447		China
19	Shatior West			6435		Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan
20	Khan Tengri	Temirsu		6435		China
21	Tereza			6401		China-Kyrgyzstan
22	Chapayeva			6371		Kyrgyzstan
23	Stina	Marble Wall		6350		China-Kazakhstan
24	Koxkar			6345		China
25	Chongteren			6301		China
26	Valikhanova			6300		Kyrgyzstan
27	RGO			6278		China-Kazakhstan
28	Stina South			6265		China-Kazakhstan
29	Zorge			6210		China-Kyrgyzstan
30	Proletarski			6205		China-Kyrgyzstan
31	Saladina			6201		Kyrgyzstan
32	Shipilova			6201		Kyrgyzstan
33	Skazka			6200		China-Kyrgyzstan
34	Aktua			6181		Kyrgyzstan
35	Plato			6146		China-Kyrgyzstan
36	Shiroki			6120		Kyrgyzstan
37	Kirova			6072		China-Kyrgyzstan
38	Muzat II			6069		China
39	Maxim Gorki			6050		Kyrgyzstan
40	Edelweiss			6000		Kyrgyzstan

Those mountaineers that climb all five mountains in Central Asia which rise above 7,000 meters (three of which are located in the Kyrgyz Republic) receive a certificate and become a ‘Snowleopard’.  Obtaining this honorary title is a very real ambition for many Russian climbers.

The five mountains are:

1. Peak Communism (in Tajikistan – 7495m)
2. Peak Pobeda (in Kyrgyzstan – 7345m)
3. Peak Lenin (in Kyrgyzstan – 7134m)
4. Korzhenevsky (in Tajikistan – 7105m)
5. Khan Tengri (in Kyrgyzstan – 7010m)

Tags: For_the_Record, Kyrgyzstan