Chimgan mountain massif is justified considered most popular place of pilgrimage shrine for all devotees of the active mountain rest. It’s very strange, but landscapes of different climatic zones have converged and peacefully coexist amazingly here around the main summit of this unique massif - Big Chimgan summit (3309m). It seems like during many ages majority of plant species had acclimatized to hard life in conditions of frosty winters and hot summers - and, in addition, it is on altitude which is more then 1500m over sea level… It became habitual for a long time that in the neighborhood with dense coniferous thickets of juniper birch groves rustle by its leaf, clinging to cliffs with roots and raising young trunks from piles of their elder brothers fallen in avalanches… And life goes on… And every year spring lights here fresh colours of young grasses and flowers, washed by warm rains of the sky woken after long winter, and birds find shelter into lavish crowns of trees again, from which warbling of nightingale spreads around all slopes of these kind Chimgan mountains. And these mountains beckon us again to their mysterious gorges and ask us for the nth time to go by known and unknown paths towards distant corners of their stony kingdoms… And we come - we come there being loyal children of Mother-Nature. We need it so much - to touch again to breathtaking wild, simple, pure life where everything is honestly, everything is just like it’s must be in this strange and beautiful world…
We are glad to invite you to take the plunge into miracles of this astonishing adventure around close environs of Big Chimgan summit together with us. We are going to start the route near foot of its northern ridge, and taking a ring the summit we make ascent there from the southern side. After that we will lock the ring around Big Chimgan in the Beldersay tract, coming to be in “the outdoor museum of the rock carvings» along the way on Takhta and Kumbel passes. Motley palette of the marvelous Land, rocky sculptures made by ingenious Nature, noisy stony rivers and cool springs, inimitable sceneries where you can see yourself Pulatkhan plateau cloaked in fantastic stories, Charvak sea from bird`s-eye view, close ridges of Western Tien-Shan - all that wonders are waiting for your coming impatiently promising most interesting adventure which is going to be remembered long years later…

Total duration - 8 days / 7 nights.
Duration of the active part - 6 days / 5 nights.

Program of the tour:

detailed tour description >>

The cost includes:

The cost does not include:

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Detailed tour description:

Day 1. Arrival in Tashkent. Meeting at airport and transfer to a hotel. Accommodation. Sightseeing around Tashkent. Lunch at restaurant. Return to the hotel.

Day 2. Breakfast. Transfer by Tashkent - Gazalkent - Chimgan highway to «Goat» ravine to the start point of the route (85km, 2h, 1500m, +1100m). Ascent to Pesochny pass (1832m). Ascent to Small Chimgan summit (2097m), (4km, 2h, +597m).
Dear friends! Finally You’re here, in Chimgan - that’s cool! Do you watch there the summit of Big Chimgan? Well, You can believe or not, but the fact is that not later then two days you are going to stay on that point yourself! Do you feel what air is here? Aha! What did I tell you! It’s full pleasure to go up hill and down dale running this crystal clear air through your organism! So, we go up by path - with happy smiles - towards to Pasochy pass. We are going to stay here not for long - only to get our breath back after absolutely not hard 40-minute ascent. Coming to be on this pass you can watch at once Gulkam gorge in its birch beauty - down there are birch groves everywhere, and you will go by their shady crowns, but… some time later. And right now we ascend to Small Chimgan summit. Don’t worry - it’s easy! But You can watch just super picture of Charvak reservoir and also Pskem, Ugam, Korjantau ridges above it. And all that views - at the same moment, could you imagine that?! By the way, Okhotnichy peak (3099m) with the ridge, connecting it with Big Chimgan summit, is watched very clear from this point. (When You come next time then we are going to ascend to this peak together).
Descent from Small Chimgan summit back to Pesochny pass and further dawn along Gulkamsay river gorge to the place of inflow of Kichkinekocksay river into it (4km, 1h30min, 1500m, -597m). Pitch Camp 1. Lunch.
Well, now we go dawn, to the Gulkamsay river gorge. As we promised to You before - the path is passing under the canopy of birches, which are everywhere here. Usually the silence just sounds, and birches rustle with their leafage in the wind among this singing silence… And Your touched heart becomes excited from this pacifying picture… We will go dawn by not big but very nice waterfall which become overgrown with peppermint, burdock and “touch-me-not” from every sides. Then we are going to come to the Camp 1 spot. And meanwhile we’ll have a snack - it’s the time for lunch. Do You feel rested now? Then…
Walk around Gulkamsay river to narrows (± 800m, 30min).
Probably, many people talked to You about these narrows. At its massive and serious appear these narrows though can be passed very easy - of course, at having experienced guide with rope. Even kids are able to pass this place, but if You’re first time then it’s better not to try to pass it Yourself. Just we know every simple stone here, so, let’s go with us. Actually, this place is quite famous. Hundred meter rocky walls here clutched the river with its giant vice, and the river falls dawn with waterfalls into stony bowls of its narrow bed, shocking Your imagination. It’s so beautiful!
Return to Camp 1. Rest. Dinner.
Let’s gather firewood - if to check close environs then we always can find dry snags and twigs.
In return - we’ll sit around campfire in the evening! By the way, we are able to sing songs - it’s so romantically, when indistinct shadows of the night creep to the firelight ring, and gleams of the light dance on fun faces of Your friends singing at the top of their lungs… It would be cool to spend all the night near dancing fire tongues, but… Tomorrow morning we have to wake up early, so, lights-out time is declared now!

Day 3. Breakfast. Passage from Camp 1 up by northern-western slopes of the Big Chimgan to the spring calld «Vodoprovod» («Water pipe», if to translate), (2km, 1h, 1650m, +150m). Lunch near the spring.
Passage up to northern-western spur of the Big Chimgan and further along it towards the uppers of Mazarsay river to the place called «Kholodilnik» («Fridge», if to translate), (7km, 2h, 2150m, +500m).
Fallows, wake up! We have breakfast, pack up our things and go in single file up by those path among trees. If You face with apples, barberry, blackberry or «alcha» (it’s small round yellow or black fruit with taste of plum) - You can take it and eat without problems, because if You don’t do it then bears do it - they are well-known gourmands! But though it’s going to be enough for everybody! Firstly we have to go to «Vodoprovod» - it’s a spring, which comes out of the rock and does not become dry even in summer season. The water in this spring is ever cold with tinge of melted snow, it’s very delicious. It’s a reason to sit down close to the spring and to make lunch. May be, somebody does not feel hungry yet - then just get a water, it will come in handy later, when You get hungry or just want to drink. Here, near the spring, juniper forest grows close to birch grove. And very soon - in 15 minutes approximately - You will see real Stone Man! Nobody knows where he had come to be from and how long time is he sitting there. But - just like many years ago - You can always meet him at one and the same place. Everybody visits him, climbing up from the path, and he is glad to see every single guest - he shakes them by the hand, but he always keeps silence. That’s what phenomenon is. There are a lot of different rocky towers, castles and sculptures made by winds, cold and hotness - You will be surprised. But we go further - along the crest, ascending gently to the uppers of turbulent Mazarsay river becoming closer to the foot of Big Chimgan and Okhotnichy peaks. Grandiose canyon of its bed is just like hewed from cliffs by some giant power. Look! Do You watch there something strange looking like a heap of ruins of some castle? That is limestone stratum which had come out of the ground and covered the adjacent one. You can see there grottos and caves where shepherds usually stay overnights. This place is called «Kholodilnik» («Fridge»), because only 10 years ago snow was not melting here even in summer, and it was always cold. But now we have got global warming and another similar stuff more, and now we have only name from the «Fridge». But, in order to be just, we have to note that wind is always chilly here. We will go a little further and pitch camp.
Pitch Camp 2 at fit place near the river.
Tomorrow we are to exert ourselves in some sense, so, You should not sit up very late after delicious dinner. It’s better to come to sleep earlier in order to have a good relaxation and get life powers.

Day 4. Breakfast. Ascent to Komsomolets pass (2700m), (4km, 2h30min, 2850m, +700m) and further passage to the uppers of the Kara-Archa river by good path along the crest (2850m). Lunch on a shoulder.
Morning sun is rising from behind of Okhotnichy peak - it means that it’s time to wake up and have breakfast. Friends, be ready! Great adventures wait for us! Especially today, because, as we had already reminded, today it’s going to be ascent to Komsomolets pass. We are not going to hush up that it’s not easy walk, because in reality it’s quite intensive ascent by dry stony river bed, where it’s impossible to hop up on one foot. Just You should remember that besides feet You also have hands, so, You should not ignore the chance to use this usable parts of Your organism in proper time. There on a stepped bottom of the drained river small terraces with islands of moss on wet stones took shelter here, and even not melted snow islands, too. Every single new glance around opens some new little miracle - it can be unknown flower or some stone of queer form… Having trained a little in scrambling by cross-country locality we finally come out to the saddle of the pass. Now everything is going to be easy, because the path becomes gentle and then goes up almost horizontally to the shoulder, after that short descent is left to the camp spot. Here we can take lunch, but if You prefer to be on a plane ground as soon as possible, then we can take lunch beneath. In return You will have free time before dinner for making a walk dawn to the snow tongue which is jammed with long plug into up part of the Kara-Archa river bed and it’s not going to melt ever.
Pitch Camp 3 on a plane green ground under Big Chimgan summit (3km, 1ч30, 2600m, -250m). Dinner.

Day 5. Breakfast. Ascent ot the summit of Big Chimgan (3km, 2h, 3309m, +709m). Lunch on the top.
Ok, ok! Today You can luxuriate in Your warm sleeping bags a little more time! It seems to be real ascent (such a serious word), but - as You can be sure - it will be not hard absolutely. You even don’t have enough time to feel tired. In return going by slope You can watch (many people watch it firstly!) unique plant - «snowdon rose», or «rosewort» (Rhodiola rosea)! You know, that it’s terrific rarity, and there is plenty of this sort of medical plant here. Of course, we are not going to pick it, - «Red Book», You know, and besides we would feel sorry to pluck this plant.
But, any way, we can scrutinize it and take photographs - it’s going to be welcomed! And - surely! - the most breathtaking thing is panorama opened from the summit - yes, yes, You are on the summit of Big Chimgan now! Do You remember - somebody could not believe that? Look there - You can see those mysterious Pulatkhan plateau just like on a palm. This plateau is full of strange legends and rumours… Yes, that’s truth - several very deep caves are there - depth of it is up to 300m, could You imagine?! Even a few research expeditions were carried out there. And besides all neighbours of Big Chimgan are situated here - there are ridges called Mingjilky, Pskem, Ugam, Korjantau, summits called Surenata and Maigashkan, and also - Charvak reservoir, which looks like a small sky-blue triangle from this point… Such a real pleasure to have a lunch on the summit of Big Chimgan, looking round this beauty! Well - it’s time to return now!
Descent from the summit of Big Chimgan to Camp 3. Rest. (3km, 1h, 2600m, -709m). Dinner.
Don’t You feel tired? If somebody did not go to those huge snow tongue then You can do it now - while all members loaf about before dinner. And then - invite You to sit down to table!

Day 6. Breakfast. Passage by good path across saddle (6km, 2h, 2900m, +300m) to the Takhta pass (2620m). Introduction to the petroglyphs. Lunch.
Today we are going to pass quite long distance - in order to stay by camp to the evening at some comfortable place near spring. But the way today is going to be very interesting and not hard. Firstly we ascend to those saddle, which looks distant, but it finds out that we reach it in quite short time and easily. During our ascent we would like to recommend You to look at Pulatkhan plateau again and remember view of it - just because this path is the last place of the route when You can see this plateau. Well, we are on the saddle now - incredible view is revealed from this point! Now we have to descend to Takhta pass - You can watch there - ahead and beneath.
Walking by this path You can easily face with traces of bear’s paws which suspiciously lead in our trace’s direction… But don’t worry - bears indeed live hear, but they fear greatly of people and so bears try not to come nearer to them. In return - when we stay near Takhta pass for having lunch, then we don’t miss the chance and walk to rock carvings which are absolutely real, everything is open and aboveboard! It is everywhere around - it’s just like some under the open sky museum! Unbelievable! Can You imagine that all those ancient people run here with their bows hunting for mountain goats, and after that their warm hands engraved on firm rock pictures of their deeds…

These petroglyphs were carved with such amazing details that You can see clearly not only images of the persecuted (goats with nice-curved horns), but also their persecutors (hunters with bows - riding on horses and not, and also wolves, packs of which are chasing hunters), and moreover - You can see images of camels (this gives you something to think about how come that camels are here?), spiders, some intricate maps and symbols. And all pictures of this wild and primeval life become real, people and animals return to life, and this astounding harmony of the man and the nature which reigned at those far epoch becomes reality when the word «life» itself had literal meaning – as the planet barely started to be peopled… Don’t forget to take photographs of these unique petroglyphs - then You talk to Your friends about it. And now we are going to walk further to Kumbel pass near which we can watch new rock pictures. Then the time to go down - to Chet-Kumbel pass, where we plan to settle in for the night.
Passage from Takhta pass to Kumbel (2550m) pass and further to Chet-Kumbel (1880m). Pitch Camp 4 after Chet-Kumbel pass on gentle slope near spring (12km, 4h, 1800m, -900m). Dinner.
The Big Chimgan summit is falling asleep being still aflame with the red sunset"s dying glow - just yesterday You were staying there and observing environs top-down. It’s impossible to believe that! Say Big Chimgan «Good night!» - because this is final night near foot of this eternal mountain…

Day 7. Breakfast. Passage by good path lying at up part of Kumbel mountain (2200m) slopes along Beldersay river to the down station of the Beldersay tract chair-lift (6km, 1h30min, 1500m, -300m).
In the morning You can take a shower under waterfall - to completely wake up and at the same time to get dust from Your body away. After breakfast during which everybody is going to recollect all nuances of our adventure we go down along the Beldersay river gorge not being in hurry. Dense thicket of juniper parts in front of Your path, giving You a pat on the shoulders with acerose leaf boughs just like they want to say: «Dear friends! We are glad that You are here!».
Well, we have already come to the foot of Kumbel mountain, closing the ring around Big Chimgan. Sunny haze will wrap the summit round, and it will take shape with not clear contour under dome of deep-blue Asian heaven conjuring with clouds. And Big Chimgan will look at You from under its heavy brows and having said «Good bye!» to his guests old mountain will fall into a deep somnolence… He has been seeing so much, he is so wise…
Lunch on Beldersay river bank. Meeting with bus. Chair-lift tour - at will. Let’s sit on the river bank not for a long time, wash tired feet, have a snack and then - set off to Tashkent. Adventure along Chimgan ring has finished, and You take away full sea of impressions, and - of course! - You will want to come back. Then we wait for You, dear friends! Transfer by Chimgan - Gazalkent - Tashkent highway (80km, 2h). Accommodation at hotel in Tashkent. Dinner.

Day 8. Breakfast. Transfer to airport. Departure.

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