Winter travel pleasures in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan is quite attractive in winter for skiing and other extreme to moderate nature excursions and winter is the best season for skiing in the beautiful mountains of Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is quite attractive in winter for skiing and other extreme to moderate nature excursions and winter is the best season for skiing in the beautiful mountains of Uzbekistan. There is a misconception that Uzbekistan is a tourist paradise only for culture lovers and middle-aged people who are interested in Islamic heritage, culture, and archeology. But that is not trueโ€”really, it is not true indeed.

Just 80 km away from the capital city of Tashkent, Ugam-Chotqol National Park offers the resort Chimyon-Chorqoq-Beldersoy which stretches out in the western spurs of the Tian Shan โ€“ the Celestial Mountains. On the magnificent mountainsides of the Chimyon (popularly known as Chimgan), situated at the height of 1,600-2,400 meters above sea level, snow covers the tops from October to May.

The word โ€œChimganโ€ or โ€œChim yon (ะงะธะผะณะฐะฝ in Russian)โ€ is translated as โ€œgreen grass,โ€ or โ€œgreen valley.โ€ Local ski slopes meet international ski standards, and the relatively mild climate means almost no wind makes descent excellent for winter recreation.

The slopes of the Big and Small Chimyon (popularly known as Chimgan) are considered a fine place for skiing and snowboarding. Descents from an untouched snow cover in these mountains are usually organized at the altitude of 4,100-1,500 meters above sea level.

Barely accessible to ordinary skiers, the tops, ridges, and spurs are selected for free-ride lovers by experienced guides. Top qualified helicopter pilots are available to drop thrill-seekers to the starting point of descent. It is possible to perform four or five descents with a total 5-7 kilometers run-up. Mi-8 helicopters are usually used to drop tourists at the starting points. It can take aboard not more than 24 people, including three crew members, two guides, and one expert on avalanches. The number of athletes served counts 18 people, while the maximum number of persons onboard is 15.

The most popular descent from the dominating top of this mountain area is Big Chimyon, which has a height of 3,309 meters above sea level. A stunning beautiful view of the whole resort area opens up from this top. Outlines of Tashkent can be seen in the west, and Karjantau ridge is in the northwest. This is a favorite place for free riders. The peaks of the Chotqol range are barely visible from the southeast. Looking to the southwest, one can see the snow-covered tops of Kuramin range. Looking closer, one can see hotels, houses, and lots of buses at the foot of Big Chimyon. This is the resort โ€œChimyon Oromgohi.โ€ The six-kilometer route of the descent ends here.

The slopes of Pskem valley are the most picturesque in the region. First of all, these are descents from the tops of Padir and Kaptarkumish with a height of more than 3,500 meters. Skiers and snowboarders can move around the iced surface of the exotic mountain lake Ihnach-koโ€™l or finish their descent on the valley overgrown with shrubs and trees. A rapid descent on the surface of iced mountain rivers โ€“ the glaciers Tekesh and Eastern Ayutor on Maydontol ridge – leave quite unforgettable impressions.

The descent from the Davon pass in the Chotqol Mountains has its special charms as well. The length of this track, ending on the high-mountain Angren plateau, is eight kilometers. For masters of free-ride, it has no special difficulties, but for the beginner it is of great life impressions.

Weather and snow conditions in winter (average):

January: The weather in January varies greatly. Snow conditions are unstable (heightened avalanche potential) in all regions, and in all areas offered for skiing. During this period, the density of the snow is low, friable; there are many stones and rocks barely covered by snow. In January there are more days with so-called โ€œflat lighting.โ€ And it is necessary to take into account that the daylight hours are rather short in January.

February: The weather in February remains calm. Snowfalls are rare. There are few sudden changes in the weather. The air temperature rises in the daytime, but falls to below zero at night. The snow pack becomes more stable, but the possibility of avalanches still exists.

March: The weather in March is characterized by its turbulence. Long periods of bad weather followed by long periods of good weather. The air temperature rises in the daytime to considerably above freezing, but in nighttime falls to below zero. Snow pack becomes stable during good weather. In periods of bad weather, the probability of avalanches rises sharply.

www.dnd.com.pk

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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