Central Asia is also famous for its beautiful antique silk road citys Samarkand, Bouchara and Khiva (Uzbekistan). Some trips to the mountains can easily be combined with excursions to these cities.

Trips to the mountains can be organised by different travel companies, such as Asia Travel in Tashkent. See for more information: Lonely Planet guide, sections Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan).
However, trips organised by these travel agencies can be quite expensive, for all kinds of reasons (for example contracts with very bad - sovjet style - but expensive hotels, costs of many necessary licences, bribes). Therefore is can be much cheaper and nicer to go into the mountains with individual guides, who are cheap, experienced and know the cheaper and more comfortable places to stay (alpine huts, private houses). When I stayed in Tashkent I learned to know two of these guides, with who I spent some weekends in the mountains.

Guides

• ALEXANDER SHASHKOV guides individuals and small groups (trekking, climbing, expeditions). He is a very experienced guide and ski-teacher who speaks English quite well (he also worked as an interpretor).
  Email Alexander Shashkov: alexsha_@mail.tps.uz

• ANATOLY KHUDOTEPLOV has much experience guiding individuals to the summits of the Pamir and Tian Shan mountains. He started his own travel company, ASIA VOYAGE, which offers fairly cheap trips into the mountains (trekking, climbing, expeditions). His company is not mentioned in the Lonely Planet Guide, so I also give some information about the trips he organises.
  Email Anatoly Khudoteplov: anatoly@saturn.silk.org

More information

• P. Sicouri and V. Kopylov: Forbidden Mountains. The Most Beautiful Mountains in Russia and Central Asia. Indutech, Milano (Italy), 1994.
• F. Maier: Trekking in Russia and Central Asia. A Travellers Guide.The mountaineers, Seattle, Washington (USA), 1994.

Mountain areas

• Fan mountains
  The Fan mountains are situated South East of Pendzhikent. Summits are between 14.500 and 18.000 feet (4.500 - 5.500 metres). The mountains are very beautiful. In between there are beautiful lakes with all kinds of colours. This is a very good region for trekking. No special equipment is necessary. The highest mountain is Chimtarga (18.010 feet, 5487 m), which can be climbed along different routes with difficulty varying from 3-6. Here we find also the Bodhona, a peak with very steep rock walls of 6000 feet (2000 m.). This is one the most famous peak for rock climbing in the Pamir-Tien Shan area. Difficulty 5/6.
  The Fan mountains are one day driving from Tashkent (a few hours from Samarkand).

• Turkestan Range
  The Turkestan Range lies north of the eastern end of the Zerafshan Valley. This very remote area is very good for rock climbing.
  The region can be compared to Patagonia (with good weather). In a region of 15 x 10 miles there are 6 high granit peaks to climb, with altitudes up to about 18.000 feet (about 5.500 m), for example AkSu (17.568 feet, 5355 m), Blok Peak (17.155 feet, 5230 m), Karasu Peak (17.404 feet, 5309 m) en de Assan Ussan (5009 m). Some slopes have very steep rock walls of 6.500 feet (2.000 m) high.
  Ten days climbing is minimum, even 40 days climbing is possible. It is possible to start a hiking trip in the Uzbek enclave of Sokh, south of Fergana valley, and end up at the Zerafshan river in the Karafshan/Aksu region. This takes 5 days hiking.
  The Karafshan/Aksu mountains are 2 days driving from Tashkent.

• Alay mountains (Shachimardan, Dugoba)
  The Alay mountains lie in Kyrgyzstan, just south of the Uzbek enclave of Shachimardan, south of the Fergana Valley. In this region there are many beautiful mountains of 16.000 - 17.500 feet (5.000 - 5.500 m) with very good opportunities for long trekkings through the mountains, mountain and rock climbing (difficulties 4-6).
  Close to the mountain region there is mountain resort with comfortable double rooms, central heating, sauna and cooking facilities, called Dugoba.
  The Alay mountains are one day driving from Tashkent.

• Pik Lenina
  Pik Lenina (23.372 feet, 7.134 m) is the highest mountain of the Pamir Range that can be climbed safely. This mountain can be climbed by very easy and more difficult routes. Close to the mountain lies a Kirgiz mountaineering camp with comfortable sauna, bathrooms and dining rooms. People can camp near the huts and make use of the facilities. The Pik Lenina region offers good opportunities for ice climbing, skiing and paragliding.
  The area is 2/3 days driving from Tashkent.

• Tien Shan
  In the eastern part of Kirchizstan there are many high peaks over 16.000 feet (5.000 m). The highest is the Pik Pobedy (24.500 feet, 7439 m). Here you can find big icewalls, clear mountainrivers and green grass covered slopes. This area is interesting for rock and ice climbing and for trekking. Everybody with hiking experience can climb different mountains of 13.000 - 17.000 feet (4.000 - 5.000 m).
  Pik Karakul (18.000 feet, 5.600 m) has 10.000 feet (3000 m) high walls of ice/rock which take 5 days climbing.
  The Tien Shan area is 2 days driving from Tashkent.
  A trekking takes a minimum of 10 days; longer trekkings are better.

Links to websites about mountain regions

Pamir mountains
Fan mountains, Turkestan Range, Alay mountains, Pik Lenina, High Pamirs (Communizma, Khorzenevski, Revolutski, Fedshenko glacier)

• Risk
• Kopylov

Tien Shan

• Risk
• Kopylov