Skiing At Kyrgyzstan’s Karakol Ski Base:
A Weekend Off the Runs

Karakol Ski Base. Everybody says it’s the best. In the country for sure, in the region perhaps. It’s certainly the highest elevation of any in Central Asia, at 3040m. If you’re a skier looking for good runs and comfy hotels for a winter sports trip in Kyrgyzstan, Karakol Ski Base is where people will point you to.

Which is exactly why I didn’t ski there, you understand.

Because there’s a lot to see. A lot to photograph. And not enough time in a weekend to see it all AND make time to actually ski it. Which makes me, I suppose, amongst the least qualified to be telling you about how the skiing is. I hung out for a while atop the kiddie slopes, taking photos back towards the excited riders on the first of several lifts and the far-away mountain tops on the border with Kazakhstan across the lake. I spent some time off-piste to the east of the main runs, tramping through deep piles of powdery snow that even with snowshoes sunk me down to the knees at times. All the time waiting (and waiting, and waiting…) for somebody to ski past and play the impromptu model for the camera.

Finally, money shot and ‘must-see’ site rolled into one, the ‘Panorama’. The top of the topmost lift, overlooking the Karakol ski base and a hint of Issyk-Kol waaaaay below. There were skiers and snowboarders up here, as one must expect. But there were other visitors too, sort of like myself. Foreigners who just rode the lift straight up and right back down, for an excuse to take in the view of snowy Kyrgyzstan. Local families from Karakol who came up for the day to picnic, and who of course are quick to offer a shot of vodka. Silly folks with cameras, waddling along on snowshoes trying and hoping to stay out of the way of those more meant to be there, even on narrow downhill paths hardly suited to skiers and walkers simultaneously.

But the best bits, beyond the ski runs and beyond the chair lifts and beyond the fancy schmancy hotel at the bottom (more on that in a minute), are the parts just beyond. The parts doable in a good pair of boots, more enjoyable on a nice pair of snowshoes, the big open spaces just between the last ski hill and the first proper sharp mountain ascent that defines the edge of the Issyk-Kol Valley. From here, a broad vista opens up onto it all. The upper bits of the Karakol Ski Base, but beyond than that the town of Karakol and the Issyk-Kol Lake and valley and (if the clouds are clear) even the tips of the tops of the Ala-Too range that define the border with Kazakhstan to the north.

Sitting above the base, watching more adventurous sportsmen tackle the ungroomed off-piste sections and a few brave souls take to the skies on a paraglider, the decision to not ski seems justified. The speed and the thrill are great after all, but there are few things better than standing on a beautiful mountain on a beautiful day with all the world stretched out below.

The skiing? I bet it’s wonderful. It looks absolutely terrifying. I’m excited to go back and check it out. But for now, for me, a weekend on snowshoes struggling up slippery snowy hills under beautiful sunny skies and through the quiet of winter forests is more than enough.

Costs

Karakol National Park:

Karakol Ski Base is located just inside the Karakol National Park, which has a 50 Som entrance fee that you’ll need to stop and pay as you drive up.

Lift Pass:

A one-day lift pass is 1100 Som / day on weekends, cheaper on weekdays. The shorter bottom lift starts running from 10a, the others… sometime later. All close at 4p, though signs indicate an additional few hours from 6p-11p.

If you’re around for sightseeing a a few photos, rather than skiing, a one-trip pass is 350 Som. Either way, there’s a refundable 300 Som deposit for the card itself.

Equipment Rental:

Both skis and snowboards are available from 9a-4p, with the price dependant on the age of the equipment:

2006 – 400 Som / day
2008 – 600 Som / day
2011 – 1000 Som / day
2015 – 1200 Som / day

Equipment rental is also available at the EcoTrek tourist office in Karakol city from 500 Som per day, or from a vendor with an office set up just at the turn off from the city onto the road up to the ski base.

How To Get There

It’s a bit of a trip from Bishkek. The easiest option is of course to arrange a full-on group trip, paying for accommodation and transport and ski rental all at once, which is how I visited with the Trekking Union of Kyrgyzstan. Barring that, there are plenty of busses from Bishkek and both shores of Issyk-Kol Lake to the town of Karakol, from which it’s a fairly easy taxi ride (from around 1400 Som) up to the ski base. If you’re feeling *real* budget, there’s also a minibus #101 that goes from central Karakol to the gate of the national park, from which you could beg and hitch your way up to the ski base on most weekend mornings. However you get up to the base itself, it’s about a 25 minute ride.

Where To Stay

So about that fancy schmancy hotel, the one that Lonely Planet describes as “shaped like a white Toblerone” or at any rate something similar: the Capriz Hotel. It’s certainly well located, with a short downhill ski to get to the first lift. It’s also quite nice, all things considered, with beautiful views and nice facilities and certainly a comfortable stay. It is also quite expensive, at least in terms of hotels in Kyrgyzstan. For that same $120 a night, you could more than rent a whole summer beach house on the north shore of Issyk-Kol. This is a place to stay, then, if you don’t mind the cost and want to be right in the midst of as much skiing as you can possibly fit into a day.

If you’re looking to take advantage of beautiful and cheap skiing, on the other hand, it’s also quite easy to stay at a guesthouse in the city of Karakol and get a bus or taxi up to Karkaol Ski Base each day. The SunHouse Hostel is between the city center and the Karakol Ski Base, well located and well comfortable (and about 1/6th the cost per night of Capriz). If you’re looking for that proper ‘nomad experience’ sort of feel, the Happy Nomad Village is on the opposite side of town but features a couple of yurt tents out in the backyard that act as dormitories. Either one is under $15 a night (in winter, at least) and can organize a ride for you up to the Karakol Ski Base if you’re hoping to get out to the slopes for a few hours.

‘A Weekend Of Not Skiing At Kyrgyzstan’s Karakol Ski Base’ is part of an ongoing series providing information on options for skiing in Kyrgyzstan. Subscribe via RSS or social media for updates on other ski options in Central Asia.

As an aside, I’ve also published a quick and dirty guidebook to show tourists around for their first few days in Bishkek. If you’re headed towards Kyrgyzstan and expect to need some help getting around, consider my Unanchor: Bishkek guide!

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