Location: Central Tien Shan Range, Kazakhstan/Kyrgyzstan
Lat/Lon: 42.21428°N / 80.17273°E
Season: July — August
Elevation: 7010 m
Duration: 21 days
Cost: 1250 Euro per person

Overview

Khan Tengri is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful peaks in the world. Shaped like a kids drawing of a mountain its summit and sharp ridges form an almost perfect pyramid covered in snow and ice.
Khan Tengri's name means «Lord of the Spirits» or «Lord of the Skies» in the Uighur and «Ruler of the Skies» in Turkic as the mountain was worshipped as a god in in the indigenous shamanistic culture. As with many peaks in this part of the world it also has a number of alternative lesser used names: Khan Tangiri Shyngy, Kan-Too Chokusu, Pik Khan-Tengry, Hantengri Feng.
The mountain is located on the Kyrgyz-Kazah border and 7km west of the China border in the remote heart of the Central Tian Shan. Khan Tengri forms the highest point on the Tengri Tag sub-range that lies between the Northern and Southern Inylchek (or Engilchek) Glaciers.
Khan Tengri is the second highest mountain in the Tian Shan Range after Pobeda (7439m), located a short distance south on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border. It is the fifth highest in the former Soviet Union. As a peak (possibly) over 7000m it is one of the five Snow Leopard Peaks of the former Soviet Union. Whether the peak is actually over 7000m is a controversial subject. It's geographical elevation is 6995m but the glacial cap rises to 7010m. You decide!
Khan Tengri was first climbed by a Soviet expedition in 1931, via the West Col and West Ridge. Since then, most of its ridges and faces have been climbed — all by Soviet teams.
We offer a classical route — from the south, gaining the Western Col from the Southern Inylchek glacier. This approach is most popular among climbers. Depending upon the conditions prevailing at the time, it is likely that 3 or 4 camps will be used to climb Khan Tengri.

Route Description

The West Ridge of Khan Tengri is a classic route that presents a reasonable objective for competent mountaineers. The ridge rises from the West Col, which is very enjoyable, straightforward 'scrambling' for the most part, with steep rocky steps linked with snow patches.
There are only a couple of sections which require more care; such as the vertical rock step of about 50ft at 6,800m and the knife above. In terms of equipment needed once on the route, a single ice axe is sufficient, although the addition of a ski pole might be useful.
From the snow caves (near the West Col) a short snow/ice slope of 40o, which is fixed with rope, leads up to the West Col (6000m). The Col is narrow and heavily corniced and the top of the fixed ropes should be carefully noted. A traverse along the Col leads to the mixed ground of the West Ridge where the angle steepness. The route then follows the West Ridge via a number of small bivouac sites at 6200m, 6400m and 6700m.
Almost the entire ridge is fixed with rope, but these need to be used with caution as their condition and the anchors are variable (the ropes are renewed at the beginning of every summer season by local guides). The route follows the crest of the ridge with snow and scrambling interspersed with steeper rock sections until 6,700m. Here a traverse rightwards across snow slopes reaches a steep rock step of some 20m which is severe in standard.
Above this the route climbs into a snow basin and then traverses out rightwards again to exit onto a short steep knife edged snow ridge of some 50m which is very exposed. This is followed leftwards to a steeper section of mixed ground.

Above this, the fixed rope ends and there remains around 300m of easy snow climbing for half an hour to reach the summit. The true summit is rather difficult to find, being a large flat snow dome, so the summit point is marked by a metal tripod.
The descent from the summit is very quick using the fixed ropes. The snow caves can be reached in about 3 hours.

Program: Bishkek(Almaty)-Biskek(Almaty)