Kyrgyz Mountain ranges

There are over 88 major mountain ranges in Kyrgyzstan, most of them forming the Tian Shan - the Majestic Mountains. The others, such as the Chon Alai Range in the south of the country, belong to the Pamir Mountains. Kyrgyzstan's mountains effectively divide the country into a number of distinct regions. The two biggest regions are the northern and southern halves of Kyrgyzstan, united by one main road from Osh to Bishkek. Most of the ranges vary in length from 100 to 300 km. The longest, Kakshaal, is 582 km, and the Kyrgyz Range, which is to the south of Bishkek, is 454 km long. Most ranges are between 10 and 40 km wide. In Soviet times, many of these peaks were off-limits without passes, which were hard to get. Even now, when many restrictions have been eased, some places still require difficult border passes, making them difficult to reach. That is why we recommend to use car rent in tours.

In the north, the Issyk-Kul basin is bounded by the Kungei Ala-Too Ridge, in the south-the Teskey Ala-Too ridge, converging in the east and west, they form a closed intermountain space. The only natural exit from the basin to the Chui Valley is the Chu River, which flows through the Boomsky Gorge. The basin has a length from east to west of 240 km, a width of about 100 km. The central part is occupied by Lake Issyk-Kul. The lake is surrounded by a plain, the narrow coastal strip is covered with sand, less often with pebbles, in some places it is composed of cemented sandstone, in some areas it is swampy. The plain stretches 40-50 km East of the lakes through the valleys of the rivers, the Tyup and Jyrgalan. On the north bank, its width is from 1 to 10 km, on the west - 10-15 km. Only on the southern shore, it is sometimes interrupted, giving way to foothill ridges. The foothills of Kungei and Teskey Ala-Too are composed of Meso-Cenozoic sediments, strongly dissected by sayas, ravines and river valleys. The length of the Kungei Ala-Too ridge is 280 km. The crest of the ridge is located at an altitude of 3800-4000m. The highest point is Mount Choctal (4,771 m). The central part of the ridge lies above the snow line, so there are small snowfields and glaciers. The length of the Teskey Ala-Too ridge is 350 km, its high part is located in the upper reaches of the Ak-Suu and Kara-Kel rivers, where many glaciers are concentrated. To the south of Teskey Ala-Too are located syrty, sparsely inhabited high-altitude areas with a characteristic alternation of gentle ridges and intermountain depressions. During tours you will learn more from our guides. Use car rent service in tours, you will surely not regret. 

 

Check out this info before you start off your trip in Kyrgyzstan:
7 days tour 2  
Memorable summer tour