Backcountry skiing and snowboarding in Kazakhstan - Key Points
November — June
Kazakhstan
There are two main mountain regions in Kazakhstan which offer almost unlimited opportunities for backcountry skiing and snowboarding - the Northern Tien Shan, south-east of Kazakhstan, near Almaty and the Altai in the Eastern Kazakhstan region, near the town of Ridder and Katon-Karagai.
The Northern Tien-Shan
The Ile-Alatau (Zailiyskiy Alatau) is a large mountain range of the Northern Tien Shan, located on the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Almaty, the largest city and the southern capital of Kazakhstan, is located at the foot of the Ile-Alatau mountain range. While there are several ski resorts located around the city, in order to really get to know the Ile-Alatau it’s best to explore the mountains on touring skis or a splitboard!
There are a huge number of valleys, ridges, peaks and glaciers located within an hour’s travel from the city, and the small number of locals riding in the backcountry means it’s regularly possible to find untracked lines as long as two to three weeks after the last snowfall.
The Altai
The Altai (or Altay) mountain system is located on the border of Russia, Mongolia, China (Uygur Autonomous Region) and Kazakhstan. The highest point of the range is Mount Belukha (4506 m). The part of the Altay in Kazakhstan that is of the most interest to skiers and snowboarders is called the Ore Altai (Rudny Altai). Here the mining industry (The Ore Altai is known as a treasury of ore minerals) neighbors with untouched Altai nature and boundless forests. This region is considered to be the snowiest in Kazakhstan, which is fundamental in our choice of location for powder skiing, especially at the beginning of the season.
There are two main ‘seasons’ for backcountry skiing in Kazakhstan:
1. The winter backcountry season (November to March). In this period it’s possible to ride the backcountry below the treeline, at elevations ranging from 1,500 to 3,000m in Almaty and from 500 to 2500 in Ridder.
2. The spring backcountry season (April to June). In the spring and summer there is still plenty of snow above the treeline, and you can find a multitude of lines on glaciers and the higher slopes of 4,000m-plus peaks around Almaty (Shymbulak area, Tuyuk-su valley, Kumbelsu, Ozerny etc). It’s not uncommon to ride lines with vertical descents of up to 1,500m during the spring.
If you plan to spend some time in the backcountry while you’re visiting Almaty, the team at FrozenRocks.kz can help you organize a tour and find a qualified local mountain guide. We’ll help you choose the most suitable areas based on your group’s ability and needs. We also offer a number of guided skitour trips over the course of the season.
When all the lift-accessible powder has been tracked out and there’s no more fresh snow in the resorts, don’t despair – at FrozenRocks, we have the answer! Ski touring will allow you to open new horizons, get away from the lifts and discover fields of untouched powder, perfect lines and many hours and days of exhilarating riding.
For the uninitiated, ski touring is a way of moving through the backcountry – and in particular climbing uphill – using skis or a splitboard fitted with special bindings and climbing skins.
Ski touring will open up a new page in the life of any skier or snowboarder, offering not just the freedom to discover new areas and new lines, but a way of bringing yourself closer to nature.
Each year, the FrozenRocks.kz team runs a ski touring school in the mountains around Almaty and Ridder, providing lessons and practice in the basics of ski touring and route finding in the mountains in winter.
We also offer guided ski mountaineering expeditions and ski mountaineering course for experienced riders looking for something new.
If you want to learn more about mountain safety to feel more confident on the slopes, then a basic avalanche safety course is for you.
For those who want to experience freeriding without hiking for hours to reach it and ride as many lines in a day as possible, and see the mountains in a whole new light - we can offer heliskiing and catskiing programs.
