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Kazakhstan skiing: 5 days ski touring in Ketmen Ridge, Almaty Region

Kazakhstan skiing: 5 days ski touring in Ketmen Ridge, Almaty Region
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Join a KMGA-aspirant guide for this scenic, exciting and fun 5-day ski touring adventure. From Almaty, head into the heart of the Kazakh backcountry at Ketmen Ridge, enjoying plenty of unspoiled views and pristine powder throughout the trip. Make several great runs reach day and spend each evening in the cozy mountain hut.

Private

Tian Shan

5 Days

Jan, Feb, Dec

High

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Enjoy the stunning scenery around Ketmen Ridge.
  • Challenge yourself with intermediate and advanced-level slopes.
  • Get off the beaten path and explore a more remote part of the world.

Description

Sandwiched in between the remote easternmost corner of Kazakhstan and the Chinese border, Ketmen Ridge is the perfect ski touring get away!

After meeting in Almaty first thing in the morning on day one, we will transfer to the trailhead in this out-of-the-way border region.

Once, we've packed all of our food and gear onto the horses, we will ski out to the mountain hut, enjoying plenty of great views along the way and whetting our appetite for the adventure ahead.

After arriving in this immaculate wilderness locale, we will spend the next three days skiing up and down Ketmen Ridge and surrounding peaks.

Each morning, we will skin up a different summit, from which we will enjoy incredible views out over the stunning Tian Shan mountains. After taking in the view, we will make incredible descents back to the mountain hut.

The skiing can be quite technical, making this the perfect opportunity for advanced and intermediate-level skiers to challenge themselves on some unique terrain. Vertical descents range from  400 meters to 2,000 meters, ensuring plenty of long afternoon runs back to the cozy mountain hut.

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this unforgettable 5-day ski touring experience in the remote reaches of Ketmen Ridge!

If you like the look of this trip, but were looking for something a little bit longer, then we think you may enjoy our 14-day Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan ski touring adventure!

Price includes

  • Accommodation included
  • Guiding fee
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Transport during the trip
  • Transportation start and back
  • Permit and entrance fees
  • Mountain guide expenses

Price details

  • Tour Price INCLUSIONS:
  • 1. Accommodation in the mountain hut for 4 nights.
  • 2. All transfers according to the program by comfortable vehicle.
  • 3. Cargo horses rental.
  • 4. Englishspeaking skiing guide services.
  • 5. Bottled water (1 liter) on Day 1 and 5.
  • 6. Ecological and environmental fees.
  • 7. Meals according to the program.
  • 8. Bathhouse on Day 3.
  • 9. Entrance to the hotsprings resort.

Itinerary

Day 1: Almaty – Ketpen – mountain hut

After meeting in Almaty first thing in the morning, we will transfer to Ketpen via a 4WD vehicle and then spend the afternoon skiing to the mountain hut.

Distance – 7 km, elevation gain 630 meters, loss – 450 meters

Meals included: B, L, D

Day 2 to 4: Skiing around the mountain hut

Each of the following three mornings, we will get an early start.

We will skin up to a different scenic vista and mountain ridge each morning and spend the afternoon skiing back down to the hut.

Daily elevation gain: ~1000-1500 meters. Length of descents: ~400-2000 meters. Slopes steepness: ~15-35 degrees.

Meals included: B, L, D

Day 5: Mountain hut – Ketpen

We will start the day by skiing back out from the mountain out to the trailhead. From here, we will transfer to some nearby hot springs and enjoy a long soak in the natural mineral water. Afterwards, we will return to Almaty.

Meals included: B, L

 

Equipment you will need to bring

Water bottle

Backpack

Helmet

Poles

Ski equipment

Sunglasses

Goggles

Avalanche eqmnt

Climbing skins

Sleeping bag


About the guide

Guide profile image

ACT

Aspirant Guide

ACT ADVENTURE is the adventure department of ACT KAZAKHSTAN - one of the largest and fastest-growing inbound tour operator companies in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Established in 2008, and having two offices in the largest cities of Kazakhstan - Almaty and Nur-Sultan, we specialize in providing tourist and related services in more than 20 cities and 5 resorts in Kazakhstan.

We offer a wide range of outdoor activities in Kazakhstan:

- Resort skiing/freeride/backcountry/heli-skiing - Trekking/hiking - Horseback riding tours - City cycling and MTB tours - Water rafting - Off-road expeditions - Photo tours - Other kinds of activities upon request

Why choose us?

• Our region is wild and less explored, you will not meet here many tourists, but find untouched nature and harmony. • Different kinds of landscape: from canyons and deserts, to river valleys, forests, rocky mountains and glaciers. • Opportunity to learn about the historical and cultural heritage of our ancient nomadic land. • All our tour programs have been developed and tested by us. • Our guides are our proud; they all are professionals in their field. • We have all the necessary stuff for organizing our outdoor programs. • Archive of amazing memorable pictures after each tour. • We care about your safety and guarantee a high level of service.

Members of ACT Adventure Team Darya Ponomaryova & Alexandr Zadneprovskiy

Languages

Russian | English

Certificates

KMGA


What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

 

4.8

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