Khan Tengri and Midlle gorge from the slopes of peak Pobeda Photo "RISK online"

Tien Shan is a Chinese name meaning "Celestial Mountains", is a great mountain system located mainly in Western Kyrgyzstan and in Eastern China. Its northern and futherest western ranges are located in Kazakhstan, whereas its south-west extremely reaches the bounds of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Within the ex-USSR territory, it stretches in an arc more than 1200 km long and 300km wide. It is bordered to the north by the Ili valley and the Fergana depression to the south, while to the east of latter it joins the Alai ridge of the Pamir Alai system.

All the chains are ridges of the Tien Shan except the meridian one, run west-east and consists of four separated by natural features: the Central Tien Shan, the Northern and the Western and the Inner Tien Shan. The northern slopes of the ridges are cut by 2000-4000m deep gorges of mountain river valleys are shorter and shallower. The predominant height of summits in the Tien Shan is 4000-5000m and passes range between heights of 3500-4500m. The climate is typically Central Asian and precipitation becomes heavier with altitude - up to 900-1000mm a year on the western slopes of the Fergana valley.

The Tien Shan is well glaciated: it has 7787 glaciers, the biggest one being the South Ingylchek glacier, 60 km long. It has several ranges: Trans-Alai Alatau, Inylchek, Kyrgyz, Kokshaal-Too, Tengri-Tag, Terskei-Ala-Too, Talass Ala-Tau, Fergana and others.

Peak Pobeda (Victory)

Tien Shan's highest summit is Pik Pobeda (7439m), discovered in 1943, the most northern seventhousender of Earth. When climbing it one should bear it mind that periods of utterly bad weather with heavy frosts, snow storms and avalanches can occur, so that snow caves are the best means of survival.

Not far from Pik Pobeda rises Khan Tengri (6995m), "Lord of the sky", a gigantic pyramid, first climbed in 1936. Both of these summits are very popular with Russian and now Western climbers.

Peak Pobeda - base camp

Of the three principal mountain ranges of ex-USSR the Tien Shan is the biggest. It has more than 900 graded routes and also the largest number of visitors. The highest and most interesting section is the central one where its two highest peaks are to be found. Another interesting nature feature is Merzbacher glacier. It was named after a German professor who explored the Central Tien Shan in 1903, including the South and North Inylchek glaciers and Issyk-kul lake. This enormous reservoir of slightly salty water is located at 1608m and is 702 m deep. It is extraordinary beautiful owning to the intense dark blue and blue-green colours of its water and the picturesque ring of snow - covered range surrounding it.

Khan Tengri - classical route, view from snow cave at 6 000 m. Photo "RISK online"

The most suitable time of year to climb Pik Pobeda and Khan Tengri is between 10 July and 20 August. An average commercial tour would last 30 days but could be shorter if climbers were to arrive fit and acclimatised. For climbers who wish to climb both peaks, 40 days would be a realistic time scale. It is also possible to trek the region, for instance to the largest glacier of the Central Tien Shan. Such a trek would probably lasts for about 17 days.