Kyrgyzstan gained independence in 1991 and is relatively unexplored but opening up to the world to become a great trek destination. Five days trekking with the essentials, exploring the natural beauty of the Issyk Kul region; mountain passes; and lush green valleys with incredible vistas. Camp under the stars and soak in hot springs to relax.
9 days | Kyrgyzstan | Tough
Are you an Individual, Corporate or Charity interested in having your own private group departure?
If yes, please email info@charitychallenge.com and one of our team will be in touch to help with your enquiry.
What to expect
What you will do
Ways to pay
All you need to know
This page provides you with a variety of information about the challenge that you might find useful.
The Kyrgyzstan trek challenge is graded as tough. This challenge is suitable for participants who want to get out of their comfort zone, and challenge themselves to a high level. A good level of training is strongly advised to take part in this challenge. You wil be trekkiing on average 6 hours per day, through mountainous terrain and camping in the gorges, whilst carrying all your kit. The maximum altitude you'll reach is 3860m on the Ala-Kol pass.
The Kyrgyzstan trek challenge is graded as tough. This challenge is suitable for participants who want to get out of their comfort zone, and challenge themselves to a high level. A good level of training is strongly advised to take part in this challenge. You wil be trekkiing on average 6 hours per day, through mountainous terrain and camping in the gorges, whilst carrying all your kit. The maximum altitude you'll reach is 3860m on the Ala-Kol pass.
A typical day will be spent trekking through mountainous terrain with your bags for an average of 6 hours a day before getting in to camp.
A typical day will be spent trekking through mountainous terrain with your bags for an average of 6 hours a day before getting in to camp.
Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount.
Charity Challenge considers the safety of all of our participants and staff to be a top priority, and as such we have set up Challenge Safe, one of the most advanced and thorough safety management systems in the industry. Challenge Safe formalises our ethos when it comes to safety, and brings together the procedures and risk management strategies that we use to audit all aspects of our challenges, from vehicles to accommodation to the challenge activity itself. Your welfare is absolutely paramount.
At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.
At Charity Challenge we are committed to sustainable and responsible tourism, and work closely with bodies such as the International Porter Protection Group and Climate Care to ensure that our challenges benefit the local environments and communities in which they take place. We ensure that all rubbish is disposed of responsibly, and following local guidelines on cultural and environmental protection and respect, we aim to limit our impact on the natural environment. In addition to taking these practical steps to ensure that our challenges are sustainable, we also make a contribution each year to a number of local community projects, so as to give something back directly to the communities that we visit. Since 2000 we have donated almost £200,000 to such projects, supporting a range of initiatives, including schooling for children in Africa, shelter for street children in Brazil, and Orang-utan conservation in Indonesia. We recommend that any gifts brought over for children are given to the UK challenge leader and distributed where needed by them and our local Ground Agent. If you wish to do more, you should consider buying drinks, postcards and souvenirs from the local vendors. For many, it is their sole source of income. For more information, please visit our Responsible Tourism pages, where you will be able to view a list of the projects that we currently support.
You will be flying from London Heathrow to Manas International Airport in Biskek with a transit in Moscow. The flying time is approx. 10-12 hours indirect. Your flight tickets will be issued to you upon departure at the airport. If you choose to book your own flights please confirm with the Charity Challenge office first, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). For more general flights questions, please refer to our main Q&As page.
You will be flying from London Heathrow to Manas International Airport in Biskek with a transit in Moscow. The flying time is approx. 10-12 hours indirect. Your flight tickets will be issued to you upon departure at the airport. If you choose to book your own flights please confirm with the Charity Challenge office first, otherwise you may be liable for your included group flights (please contact flights@charitychallenge.com for further assistance). For more general flights questions, please refer to our main Q&As page.
British nationals don’t need a visa to enter and stay for up to 60 days. If you stay in Kyrgyzstan for over 60 days without a valid visa, you’ll be liable for a fine. It’s not possible to get a visa in Kyrgyzstan if you originally entered the country without a visa. If you think you may spend more than 60 days in Kyrgyzstan, you should get a visa from a Kyrgyz Embassy before you travel or on arrival at the airport in Bishkek. The visa can be extended at a Kyrgyz Government office at 66, Razzakova Street in Bishkek.
Passport validity - Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 3 months from the date of entry into Kyrgyzstan and must have at least 1 full blank page if you are applying for a visa.
Please always check with the Foreign and Commonwealth travel advice page before travel as situations can change https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kyrgyzstan/entry-requirements
British nationals don’t need a visa to enter and stay for up to 60 days. If you stay in Kyrgyzstan for over 60 days without a valid visa, you’ll be liable for a fine. It’s not possible to get a visa in Kyrgyzstan if you originally entered the country without a visa. If you think you may spend more than 60 days in Kyrgyzstan, you should get a visa from a Kyrgyz Embassy before you travel or on arrival at the airport in Bishkek. The visa can be extended at a Kyrgyz Government office at 66, Razzakova Street in Bishkek.
Passport validity - Your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 3 months from the date of entry into Kyrgyzstan and must have at least 1 full blank page if you are applying for a visa.
Please always check with the Foreign and Commonwealth travel advice page before travel as situations can change https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/kyrgyzstan/entry-requirements
It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.
For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.
It is a condition of booking that you have a suitable travel insurance policy whilst participating on the challenge. We have a special policy which covers among other things, medical (emergency, evacuation and repatriation) arrangements, cancellation and curtailment of the challenge, and more specifically for the adventurous activities undertaken on this challenge. If you have your own travel insurance policy, you must ensure that it provides at least the same level of cover as our recommended policy, including protecting the charity in the event of your cancellation 56 days or less prior to departure. If you choose not to purchase our recommended policy when you book we will send you a disclaimer which you should complete and return.
For more general travel insurance questions, please refer to our main FAQs page.
For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. Although the Charity Challenge team are travel professionals, they are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting in Kyrgyzstan, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.
For up to date vaccination information please check the NHS ‘Fit for Travel’ website: http://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home.aspx. Although the Charity Challenge team are travel professionals, they are not medical experts and we would encourage you to visit your GP or travel nurse to discuss vaccination requirements. Your GP may ask questions about the specific locations that you are visiting in Kyrgyzstan, and as such it may be useful to take a copy of your itinerary with you.
In July-August average daily temperature is 24˚C to 27˚C, the temperature at night cooling down to 10˚C to 15˚C. This is typically the best time to trek in the mountain ranges as the days a long and clear but on the highest peaks will still be snow capped. As with all mountains weather can be quite changeable so be prepared.
In July-August average daily temperature is 24˚C to 27˚C, the temperature at night cooling down to 10˚C to 15˚C. This is typically the best time to trek in the mountain ranges as the days a long and clear but on the highest peaks will still be snow capped. As with all mountains weather can be quite changeable so be prepared.
Training and fitness is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, leg and joint strength, and balance in order to get as much out of the challenge as possible. You will be trekking up and down thousands of steps so climb stairs as often and wherever you can! The trek takes place in a mountainous environment, so the best training advice is to get outdoors into some of the mountains of the UK to familiarise yourself with walking on rugged terrain, while carrying weight in your daypack. You need to be able to sustain around 4-7 hours of trekking for 5 continuous days, so if you can then replicating this over a weekend would be fantastic training. You can also look to join one of our training weekends.
Training and fitness is definitely required. It is important that you work specifically on your stamina, leg and joint strength, and balance in order to get as much out of the challenge as possible. You will be trekking up and down thousands of steps so climb stairs as often and wherever you can! The trek takes place in a mountainous environment, so the best training advice is to get outdoors into some of the mountains of the UK to familiarise yourself with walking on rugged terrain, while carrying weight in your daypack. You need to be able to sustain around 4-7 hours of trekking for 5 continuous days, so if you can then replicating this over a weekend would be fantastic training. You can also look to join one of our training weekends.
If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?
We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!
We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here
If you would like to get a feel for our challenges ahead of your departure, why not consider booking on a 1 or 2 day UK Challenge?
We have a variety of challenges, covering all levels of difficulty, taking place in stunning National Parks across the UK that are led by highly qualified and experienced expedition and mountain leaders. These challenges will give you the perfect opportunity to monitor fitness levels, test out your kit, meet people in the great outdoors, share fundraising stories and gain valuable advice and support for the challenge ahead. We encourage participants to make use of our highly knowledgeable leaders and ask them any questions you may have about clothing and equipment, expedition health and wellbeing, trekking skills, walking techniques and teamwork!
We are offering all participants 50% off the registration fee when you book on one of the UK challenges listed via the link below. Just use the code TRAINING when booking. T&C’s – you must have an active booking on a challenge to avail of this offer. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Find out more here
The luggage allowance for Aeroflot is 23kg. You will be trekking with all your kit including your tent which will be picked up in country. So pack light and only take what you really need. There may be opportunity to leave some kit that you do not wish to take with you on the trek with the ground handler, but this should not be too much. You will need to pack efficiently.
There is an option to hire a personal porter to carry your kit. This will be an additional USD180 per person and they are limited to carrying 15kg.
The luggage allowance for Aeroflot is 23kg. You will be trekking with all your kit including your tent which will be picked up in country. So pack light and only take what you really need. There may be opportunity to leave some kit that you do not wish to take with you on the trek with the ground handler, but this should not be too much. You will need to pack efficiently.
There is an option to hire a personal porter to carry your kit. This will be an additional USD180 per person and they are limited to carrying 15kg.
There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.
There will be an English-speaking challenge leader who will be responsible for the logistics and co-ordination of your challenge. There will also be numerous local support staff to assist them. The challenge leader will be ultimately responsible for the running of the itinerary and the safety of your group.
Each group is intended to be a minimum opf 16 people in order for the challenge to run and a maximum of 20. We will be able to run this challenge with 10-15 people but with a small group supplment of £75 whihc will be added to your final balance invoice (self funders) or charged to your charity (minimum or flexi sponsorship).
Each group is intended to be a minimum opf 16 people in order for the challenge to run and a maximum of 20. We will be able to run this challenge with 10-15 people but with a small group supplment of £75 whihc will be added to your final balance invoice (self funders) or charged to your charity (minimum or flexi sponsorship).
Good quality durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof, well-worn in boots will be indispensable, particularly coupled with some really good quality walking socks. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated, so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are a high quality gore-tex waterproof jacket and technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. Walking poles are also highly recommended, as the steps on this challenge are very tough on even the fittest knees, and descents can be tricky, however, we would recommend training with these prior to your trek. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners Outdoorhire, Cotswold Outdoor and Cycle Surgery.
Good quality durable kit could mean the difference between a fantastic challenge experience and an uncomfortable one. For this challenge, waterproof, well-worn in boots will be indispensable, particularly coupled with some really good quality walking socks. The benefits of a comfortable day sack cannot be underestimated, so make sure that you train with this. Other essentials are a high quality gore-tex waterproof jacket and technical/wicking t-shirts rather than cotton shirts. Walking poles are also highly recommended, as the steps on this challenge are very tough on even the fittest knees, and descents can be tricky, however, we would recommend training with these prior to your trek. A full kit list for this challenge can be found here, and once you book you will have access to kit discounts with our partners Outdoorhire, Cotswold Outdoor and Cycle Surgery.
You will stay in local hotels for 3 of the nights in Kyrgyzstan and rooms will be allocated on a twin share basis. Whilst trekking you will be sharing a 2 person tent which will be provided, staying in static campsites.
If you wish to have a single room/tent this can be accommodated with a surcharge but please request this at the time of booking.
Toilets in the hotels are of a western style in camp you'll be using a short drop with a toilet tent for privacy.
You will stay in local hotels for 3 of the nights in Kyrgyzstan and rooms will be allocated on a twin share basis. Whilst trekking you will be sharing a 2 person tent which will be provided, staying in static campsites.
If you wish to have a single room/tent this can be accommodated with a surcharge but please request this at the time of booking.
Toilets in the hotels are of a western style in camp you'll be using a short drop with a toilet tent for privacy.
Towns such as Bishkek will have a variety of cafes providing local foods and it is possible to find some more western dishes. Whilst trekking, meals will be fairly basic. Breakfast - porridge, eggs, cheese, biscuits with tea or coffee; lunch - sandwich, salad, dried fruit, snack bar; dinner - meat, vegatables and garnish.
All meals will be provided unless otherwise stated. Alcoholic drinks are available in the towns but not on the trek
Towns such as Bishkek will have a variety of cafes providing local foods and it is possible to find some more western dishes. Whilst trekking, meals will be fairly basic. Breakfast - porridge, eggs, cheese, biscuits with tea or coffee; lunch - sandwich, salad, dried fruit, snack bar; dinner - meat, vegatables and garnish.
All meals will be provided unless otherwise stated. Alcoholic drinks are available in the towns but not on the trek
Most accommodation will have Wi-Fi available when you are camping and trekking there will be no signal.
Most accommodation will have Wi-Fi available when you are camping and trekking there will be no signal.
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