Private Tour
Ketmen ridge skitour programme
Overview
Available languages
120 hours
Mobile ticket
Take a guided freeride tour with our experienced mountain guides to discover new spots and bag the best lines on the untouched slopes of the Northern Tien Shan!
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What‘s Included
Private transportation
All Fees and Taxes
accomodation
Services of a ski guide
Lunch
return transfer from Almaty
Dinner
Breakfast
all transfers as part of the ski tour programme
avalanche equipment rental if needed
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
The Ketmen ridge, just 20km from the Kazakhstan / China border, is almost untouched by humans, notwithstanding its proximity to Almaty. The unique geography of the ridge means it gets relatively early and heavy snowfall every year, allowing us to open the Tien Shan backcountry season early, which is why FrozenRocks team holds one of our earliest programmes here every year! Accommodation for the five-day programme is in a comfortable, heated mountain hut in the Ketmen valley. A banya (Russian sauna) is also available. We can run this programme at any point between mid December and late February, whenever we have a group. Programme: Day 1. Meet in Almaty, transfer to Ketmen village and further on horseback (optional) or minibus, then ski touring to the mountain hut. Days 2-5. Ski-touring / splitboarding from the mountain hut, exploring the surrounding ridges and couloirs. We’ll choose our routes based on the weather, the snow conditions and the ability of the group. Day 5. Ski-touring. Transfer (on horseback (optional) or minibus then by car) to Almaty.
Options
Backcountry trip
Guest House on Sadovaya
Ski touring: Splitboarding
Duration: 5 days
Breakfast
Kim-Asar gorge: Butakovka gorge
Minibus
Pickup included
Reviews
2 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
A unique experience in the remote Kazakh backcountry
tacod601,
Mar 2, 2020
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Our 7-day program with FrozenRocks was excellent! Our group, consisting of two skiers and two boarders, first did a one-day skitour trip near Almaty including an avalanche safety session. The day after we embarked on a 6 day tour in the Ketmen region, where we spent the nights in a comfortable mountain hut. During our stay in the hut we were taken great care of by the local couple, cooking for us and preparing the banya (russian sauna) after hard days of skitouring. Our guides Max and Sergey made sure we rode unique lines and always managed to find good powder lines, even though the snow conditions were quite hard. At some point Max even discoved a new descent using a drone, which saved us another hour of skinning back up to the hut. Communications via email upfront sometimes took a while because the team was out exploring the mountains, but never more than a few days. Julia, one of the founders, was very kind and clear in answering all of our questions. We absolutely recommend Frozenrocks for exploring the Kazakh backcountry!
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Operated by FrozenRocks Backcountry Adventures