Guided Climb of Khan Tengri
Khan Tengri roughly translates as ‘Lord of the Skies’ in Uighur and Turkic language and is also called ‘Kan-Tau’ meaning ‘Blood Mountain’ by local Kyrgyz people. The marble in the rock glows red at sunset, like blood, and is a particularly memorable sight on expedition.
It is on the Kyrgyz/Kazakh border in the heart of the central Tien Shan range, close to the Chinese border. It is the highest point between the northern and southern Inylchek glaciers and second highest in the Tien Shan after Pobeda Peak at 7439m.
Overview
Khan Tengri roughly translates as ‘Lord of the Skies’ in Uighur and Turkic language and is also called ‘Kan-Tau’ meaning ‘Blood Mountain’ by local Kyrgyz people. The marble in the rock glows red at sunset, like blood, and is a particularly memorable sight on expedition.
It is on the Kyrgyz/Kazakh border in the heart of the central Tien Shan range, close to the Chinese border. It is the highest point between the northern and southern Inylchek glaciers and second highest in the Tien Shan after Pobeda Peak at 7439m.
It was first documented by Russian explorer Piotr Semenov in 1856 when he described a giant snow-white pointed pyramid rising above a magnificent mountain range. Indeed it’s shape and symmetry is aesthetically very striking; Russian mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev, who achieved the first solo speed ascent in 1990, described it as perhaps the world’s most beautiful peak.
It took until 1931 when a Ukrainian team first reached the summit by the south side in Kyrgyzstan, and the first ascent from the north in Kazakhstan was in 1964.
| Grade | Alpine D, UIAA IV/V, Russian 5b |
| Season | Summer (June, July) |
| Range | Tien Shan |
| Prominence | 1685m |
| 1st Ascent | 1931. Mikhail Pogrebetsky |
| Route | Solamatov (Northern) |
SUMMARY OF KHAN TENGRI ITINERARY OVERVIEW
Days 1 & 2: Arrival into Almaty, preparation/rest day/ sightseeing. Transfer to Karkara (3.5hrs)
Day 3: Transfer by helicopter from Karkara to Khan Tengri Base Camp
Days 4 – 20: Climb Period*
Day 21: Helicopter back to Karkara
Day 22: Additional bad weather day
Day 23: Transfer to Almaty and evening departure for home
* As in all big expeditions the climb period has no fixed itinerary due to so many variable factors. The altitude profile below is based on one possible climb phase. We have plenty of time to acclimatise and practice skills.
