Snowshoeing in Kyrgyzstan: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

The rugged and varied terrain of Kyrgyzstan lends itself to snowshoeing. Whether you only have a few days, a week or an entire month or more, there are plenty of options.

The Suusavyr Valley in the Tian Shan, with its stunning alpine scenery and old Soviet army bases, is one popular spot to explore on your snowshoes. You could easily spend a week or more here.

Jyrgalan Valley and Irdyk Gorge are two other excellent and scenic spots to practice the sport. You’ll need at least a week to explore both of these.

If you have less time than that then heading out to Ala Archa National Park will yield great scenery and only take a day or so. Regardless of what you want or need, you’re bound to find it in Kyrgyzstan.

Get off the beaten path

Kyrgyzstan is a bit of a hidden gem in Central Asia. Not very many people head out here, especially in the winter, which means you might have large tracts of wilderness in this rugged place all to yourself on your snowshoeing adventure. There is no better way to disconnect from the modern world then heading out into the unknown and discovering something new and special.

Stunning scenery

Kyrgyzstan is a stunningly beautiful place. More than 90 percent of the country is covered in mountains and heading out in your snowshoes is a great way to see some of the country’s most remote and scenic spots in the heart of winter. Enjoy fantastic views of mountains, valleys, forests, lakes and gorges from the Tian Shen to local ranges, right outside of the capital.

Get in a workout

While heading out for a jog or hike in the heart of winter may not sound like the epitome of fun, snowshoeing can be a good way to get in a workout and not even notice. Workout your legs, strengthen your core and get some cardio in too, all while enjoying amazing views and discovering new things. You won’t even notice your exercising as you tramp through lovely powder fields with amazing views at every turn.

During the winter, the average daily temperatures in Kyrgyzstan hover right around freezing. Temperatures decrease as you gain elevation to well-below freezing. Snow is also fairly common, with an average of between 25 to 33 millimeters of snow falling each month.

Any trip to Kyrgyzstan begins with a flight into the Manas International Airports (FRU) in the capital of Bishkek, which offers direct flights from Moscow, St Petersburg, Istanbul and Dubai among others. From here, you will be able to take a bus to your final destination. However, many guides offer to meet you here and arrange transport.

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