Kyrgyz mountains. The seven highest mountain peaks of Kyrgyzstan. Valleys and lakes

The photos were taken during a trip to Kyrgyzstan in the spring of this year, but somehow everyone didn’t get around to them. It's just a set beautiful views this wonderful mountainous country. As usual, we will accompany the photo with a short story.

More than three quarters of the territory of Kyrgyzstan is occupied by mountains. Pobeda Peak, 7439 m high, is the highest point in the country (the northernmost seven-thousand-meter peak on Earth on the Chinese side, Pobeda Peak is called Mount Tomur). The territory of Kyrgyzstan is located within two mountain systems. Its northeastern part, which is larger in area, lies within the Tien Shan, and the southwestern part lies within the Pamir-Alai. The state borders of Kyrgyzstan run mainly along the ridges of mountain ranges. Only in the north and southwest, in the densely populated Chui and Fergana valleys, along the foothills of the mountains and foothill plains.
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The entire territory of the republic lies above 401 m above sea level; more than half of it is located at altitudes from 1000 to 3000 m and about a third at altitudes from 3000 to 4000 m. Mountain ranges occupy about a quarter of the territory and extend in parallel chains mainly in the latitudinal direction. In the east, the main ranges of the Tien Shan come together in the area of the Meridional Ridge, creating a powerful mountain junction. Here (on the border with China and Kazakhstan) the peaks of Pobeda (7439 m) and Khan Tengri (6995 m) rise.
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Geographically, Kyrgyzstan is conventionally divided into two parts - the south (southwest) and the north. The northern and southern regions are connected by the high-mountain highway Bishkek - Osh. On the way of the north-south highway, the Tyo-Ashuu pass (3800 m above sea level), the Suusamyr valley, the Ala-Bel pass (3200 m), the protected area - the Chychkan gorge, the Toktogul reservoir, the Kek-Bel pass (2700 m) and the exit to the Fergana Valley.
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The population of Kyrgyzstan is 5.5 million people (January 2010). This is significantly more than lived in the country in 1959 (2.065 million), 1970 (2.935 million), 1979 (3.523 million), 1989 (4.258 million), 1999 (4.823 million). Until the 1960s, the population of the republic grew rapidly due to migration and natural growth, which was especially significant among rural Kyrgyz, Uzbeks and other Central Asian peoples.
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The core of the country's population - 72.16% - are Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz live throughout the country and predominate in most rural areas. Russians make up 6.87%, dispersed mainly in cities and villages in the north of the republic. Uzbeks, who make up 14.34% of the population, are concentrated in the southwest of the country in the areas bordering Uzbekistan.
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Some Germans lived in the region already in the 19th century, when the first German Mennonites began to settle in the region, leaving their homes due to religious persecution. There were only a few thousand people living in the north, in the Talas region, where they founded the village-settlements of Nikolaipol, Vladimirovka, Andreevka, Romanovka, later connected to Nikolaipol. Back in 1944, about 4,000 Germans lived in the Kyrgyz SSR. In 1941-1945, about 500,000 Germans were resettled in the republics of Central Asia. In 1989, 101,000 Germans lived in the Kyrgyz SSR, which accounted for 2.4% of the total population of the republic.
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IN late XIX century, shortly after the suppression of the Dungan uprising by the central government of China, thousands of Dungans (Muslim Chinese) moved to Kyrgyzstan from northwestern China. Traditionally, the Dungans were valued as good farmers and gardeners, and their watered gardens served as a model for their neighbors. (It is worth noting that the ethnonym “Dungan” is used mainly in Russia and other CIS countries: in China, their self-name “Hui” is used. In addition to farming, gardening and horticulture, the traditional occupation of the Dungans in Central Asia is trade and small business (for example, restaurant). The area of primary settlement of this minority is the Chui Valley (Tokmok, the village of Aleksandrovka, Milyanfan, Ken-Bulun), the village of Tashirov (Osh region, Kara-Suu district) and the area of Lake Issyk-Kul (Karakol, the village of Today's Kyiv). The street in Bishkek used to be called Dunganskaya.
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The vast majority of believers in Kyrgyzstan are Sunni Muslims. There are also Christians: Orthodox, Catholics.
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Since ancient times, the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan has been inhabited by Scythians, also called Sakas. At the beginning of our era, the Wusuns migrated to the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan from the east (Xinjiang), who were replaced by the Hephthalites (“White Huns”), and then the Sasanians. In the early Middle Ages, the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan was inhabited by Turks, direct descendants of the Saks. In the 7th century, the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan became part of the Western Turkic Kaganate, and in the 8th century - into the Turkic Karluk Kaganate. In the 12th century, the city of Uzgen ( oldest city on the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan) and Balasagun become the centers of the Karakhanid state, which was replaced by the Karakitai Khanate. In the 13th century, the lands of modern Kyrgyzstan were conquered by the Mughals and became part of the Chagatai ulus, from which semi-nomadic Mogolistan emerged in 1347, where the hegemony belonged to the Dulats.
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The first state formations on the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan arose in the second century BC. e., when the southern agricultural regions of the country became part of the Parkan state. In the IV-III centuries. BC, the ancestors of the Kyrgyz were part of powerful tribal unions of Central Asian nomads, which very seriously disturbed China. It was then that construction began on the Great Chinese wall. In the 2nd-1st centuries. BC, part of the Kyrgyz tribes left the rule of the Huns (Xiongnu) to the Yenisei. It was here that they formed their first state, the Kyrgyz Kaganate. It became the center of consolidation of the Yenisei Kyrgyz and the formation of their culture. The first ancient Turkic runic writing arose here. Runic inscriptions are preserved on stone monuments. The destruction of the state under the blows of the conquerors led to the loss of writing. The epic “Manas”, unprecedented in volume, is a genuine encyclopedia that incorporates historical events, information about the society, customs and life of the Kyrgyz people.
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From the middle of the 9th to the beginning of the 10th century, the Kyrgyz Kaganate covered Southern Siberia, Mongolia, Baikal, the upper reaches of the Irtysh, and part of Kashgaria. The heyday of the state of the Yenisei Kyrgyz was not only a period of conquest, but also of trade exchange with the Chinese, Tibetans, and the peoples of Southern Siberia, Central and Middle Asia. It was during this period that the ancestors of modern Kyrgyz, after the victory over the Uyghur Khaganate, first entered the territory of the Tien Shan. However, in the 10th century, only Southern Siberia, Altai and Southwestern Mongolia remained under the rule of the Yenisei Kyrgyz. In the XI-XII centuries. their possessions were reduced to Altai and Sayan. Meanwhile, parts of the Kyrgyz tribes scattered over a vast space took an active part in the events with which the history of the countries of Central and Inner Asia is rich.
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Resisting the power of the Kokand khans, individual Kyrgyz tribes accepted Russian citizenship and became agents of Russian expansion in Central Asia. In 1855-1863, the territory of modern northern Kyrgyzstan was conquered from the Kokand Khanate by the troops of Colonel Chernyaev and became part of the Russian Empire. A number of Kyrgyz leaders resisted the Russian conquest. One of the powerful uprisings against Russia was the movement of the Kyrgyz mullah (the uprising of Pulat Khan) in Fergana in 1873-76.
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An outpost of Przhevalsk was founded on Kyrgyz lands. Southern Kyrgyzstan (together with Fergana and northern Tajikistan) after the defeat of the Kokand Khanate in 1876 was included in the Russian Empire as the Semirechensk region (the administrative center is the city of Verny).
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In Russia, it was difficult to distinguish the Kazakhs (Kyrgyz-Kaisaks) from the Kyrgyz proper (Kara-Kyrgyz), many of whose tribes continued to engage in nomadic cattle breeding, unlike the Fergana Kyrgyz, Kipchaks, Tajiks, Turks and Sarts.
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In 1910, the first mines were opened on the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan and industrial mining of coal (Kok-Zhangak) began. The miners were migrants from Russia who very early came under the influence of revolutionary social democratic circles.
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For the time being, the tsarist government did not interfere in the life of the Kyrgyz, but the First World War led to the need to mobilize the population for trench work. As a result, on August 10, 1916, an uprising broke out, sweeping Russian Turkestan, including the nomads of the Kyrgyz and Kazakhs. The wrath of the rebels fell primarily on the Russian settlers, of whom up to 2,000 people were killed. The uprising was brutally suppressed. Almost half Kyrgyz population The Issyk-Kul region was exterminated. Some of the Kyrgyz fled to China, where later the Kyzylsu-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region was even formed in the border province of Xinjiang.
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The revolutions in Petrograd in 1917 were met with ambiguity in the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan (southern Semirechye). It is known that not only Russian miners, but the “feudal elite” of the Kyrgyz tribes supported the revolution. Whereas Russian peasant settlers were nominated as “kulaks” and they rebelled against the surplus appropriation policy. The uprising was suppressed, and the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan was included in Soviet Turkestan, the administrative center of which was Tashkent. In 1924 Railway Turksib (the construction of which began in tsarist times) connected Pishkek with Almaty and Novosibirsk
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According to the national-state demarcation of the Soviet republics of Central Asia, on October 14, 1924, the Kara-Kyrgyz Autonomous Region (from May 25, 1925 - Kyrgyz) Autonomous Region was formed as part of the RSFSR (headed by Kamensky and Aidarbekov), on February 1, 1926 it was transformed into the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (one of the first chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars became the republic Zh. Abdrakmanov), and on December 5, 1936 - to the Kirghiz SSR. In 1936, Kyrgyzstan received the status of a Union Republic (USSR), the capital of which was the city of Frunze (formerly Pishpek).
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Behind short term The Kirghiz (like many other Turkic peoples of the USSR) changed their alphabet three times: from Arabic to Latin, and from Latin to Cyrillic.
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During the years of Perestroika, all the national outskirts of the USSR experienced an increase in national revival on the one hand and interethnic tension on the other. Coupled with the ineffectiveness of command and control, this often led to bloody excesses, one of which was the Osh massacre of 1990.
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In the wake of the crisis in the USSR, which culminated in the defeat of the Emergency Committee, the Supreme Council of Kyrgyzstan proclaimed the sovereignty of the republic on August 31, 1991. Two years later, on May 5, 1993, the first Constitution was adopted Kyrgyz Republic, which consolidated the presidential form of government. Like Russia, Kyrgyzstan experienced a stage of confrontation between the president and the pro-communist parliament. In 1993, the country was rocked by the first corruption scandal associated with the name of Prime Minister Tursunbek Chyngyshev, as a result of which Apas Dzhumagulov, a representative of the old party nomenklatura, became the new head of government (in 1993-1998). On May 10, 1993, Kyrgyzstan introduced its own National currency- catfish
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At the turn of the millennium, the republic was unwittingly involved in the fight against terrorism, which was anticipated by geopolitical instability near the southern borders. In 1999, Kyrgyzstan was rocked by the Batken events, when militants of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan tried to break out of Tajikistan through the territory of Kyrgyzstan into Uzbekistan. In 2001, the American Manas airbase was located in Kyrgyzstan. The first symptom of the crisis was the Aksy events of 2002. Then the Tulip Revolution occurred on March 24, 2005, ending the 15-year reign of Askar Akayev (1990-2005). The new president was the representative of the “poor south” Kurmanbek Bakiyev (2005-2010), who failed to stabilize the situation in the country.
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Bakiyev was overthrown during another revolution on April 7, 2010. Power passed to a provisional government headed by the leader of the last revolution, Roza Otunbayeva. Clashes between supporters of the new and old authorities provoked an interethnic conflict between the Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in the south of the country, during which over 200 people died and hundreds of thousands of Uzbeks fled the country. On June 27, 2010, a referendum was held in Kyrgyzstan, which confirmed the powers of Roza Otunbayeva as head of state for the transition period until 2011, and a new constitution was adopted, approving a parliamentary form of government in the country.
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On October 30, 2011, presidential elections were held; out of 16 candidates, A. Atambayev won with 63.24% of the votes. In total, about 1,858,596 (61.28%) citizens voted.
27.story about this trip

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Landscapes of Kyrgyzstan

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan are mighty giants that try to rise higher than the sky, cutting white clouds with their icy tops. Tours to these places are very popular among lovers extreme recreation who come here from many countries. On the territory of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan there are two mountain ranges: Tien Shan and Pamir, considered the highest in Asia.

History of the mountains of Kyrgyzstan

The mountains in this area are mentioned in ancient writings and notes of travelers who visited this region on expeditions, all information about which over several centuries has become overgrown with many legends.

One of the first scientific research surveys was carried out by the expedition of P. Semenov in 1856, who made a description and detailed study of the area, for which he received an honorary addition to the surname Semenov-Tianshansky from the Russian Tsar. He was the first to draw a diagram of the ridges, explore Lake Issyk-Kul, discover the Khan-Tengri pyramid and reach the glaciers in the Tengri-Tag group.

To answer the question about what mountains are in Kyrgyzstan, you need to see them with your own eyes. The mountain ranges here have an alpine terrain, which is characterized by numerous mountain ridges and high sharp peaks; smoother terrain is less common ancient origin, usually tilted to one side due to folding.

There are many glaciers and screes in the highlands, all mountains over 3500 m high are rocks frozen to a depth of 30-100 m, the peaks are covered with snow, the snow line runs at an altitude of up to 3800-4200 m, some areas are considered dangerous due to avalanches .

Tien Shan Mountains

Translated from Chinese, they are called “Heavenly Mountains,” which stretch in a west-east direction and consist of 88 ridges. The Tien Shan range is the mountains of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan; it is rightfully considered the longest in Asia (2800 km). In its center are the highest mountains: Pobeda Peak (7440 m) and Khan Tengri Peak (almost 7000 m), there are also 40 more peaks with a height of more than 6 thousand m.

Most of the ridge is located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan and is divided into 6 alpine-type zones. The republic is 92% mountainous; ridges divide it into northern and southern parts, connected by a highway between the cities of Bishkek and Osh. The average length of the ridges is 100-300 km, and the width reaches 40 km. Almost all climatic zones are represented, from taiga and rocky tundra to alpine meadows, where pastures are located in the southern part of the mountains.

Kyrgyzstan is constantly used by climbers and nature lovers to climb mountain peaks, horseback riding, rafting on mountain rivers, starting from the times of the Soviet Union. Even then, the beauty of this region, despite the great distance from civilization and the high complexity of the routes, became popular among all tourists and climbers.

Valleys and lakes

There are many high mountain valleys in the Tien Shan, which are used for fertile pastures, because... covered with grass. At the foot of the ridges there were strips of high-mountain depressions that turned into lakes and swamps, the most famous of which is Issyk-Kul.

According to researchers, the Tien Shan mountains were covered during the glaciation era with very powerful glaciers, the remains of which are found in the form of ramparts, moraines, cirques and lakes. All rivers of Kyrgyzstan originate from these places.

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan are especially beautiful in the spring in May, when all the valleys are covered with flowers: yellow and red tulips, edelweiss, etc. Flowers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan look unusual against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

Lake Issyk-Kul is the pearl of the Tien Shan, occupying deep depression(702 m) between mountain ranges, is the third deepest reservoir in the CIS.

Pamir Mountains

Another massif of Kyrgyzstan, represented only by its northern part, - Pamir. The most famous ridges here are the Trans-Alai and Turkestan, the average height is 5.5 thousand m, and the highest peak of the Pamirs is Lenin Peak (7134 m).

The Pamirs are the largest mountain system in the world, located in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China. The climate here is continental, less humid compared to the Tien Shan and more sunny. The Trans-Alai ridge has a length of 200 km in Kyrgyzstan and continues in China for another 50 km, has sharp peaks, and even deciduous shrubs grow in the valleys. The highest peak of the Trans-Alai Range is Sat Peak (5900 m).

Mountains in Kyrgyzstan: names of peaks and description

The highest mountain peaks of Kyrgyzstan, regularly visited by climbers:

Pobeda Peak is the northernmost of the 7,000-meter mountains, was first discovered in 1938, has a height of 7439 m, is located on the border with China in the Kokshaal-Too ridge near Lake Issyk-Kul. Climbers call it the most formidable and inaccessible, because... Only highly qualified athletes with good training can conquer it. The difficulty of climbing it is determined by the harsh climate, sudden gusts north wind, steep slopes combined with intense cold. This peak was first noticed visually by the conquerors of the Khan Tengri peak in 1936, who 2 years later, under the leadership of L. Gutman, assembled an expedition to examine the open peak and were able to conquer it.

Khan Tengri Peak, which in translation from the Turkic language means “Lord of the Sky,” falls short of the 7,000-meter peak by only 5 m, but is ranked among them in terms of complexity. When climbing this peak, climbers adhere to an interesting ritual: each newly arrived group digs up a capsule with information about the climber (last name, date) laid by the previous one, then writes their own and buries it again. Local residents gave the peak another name "Kan-Too" (" Bloody Mountain") for the large number of accidents that occur with daredevils climbing it. The peak is also famous for its picturesque views.

Lenin Peak is the most visited in the Pamirs, because... climbing it is quite simple and does not have strict health requirements for climbers. As a rule, all tourists get to the base camp by car from the city of Osh.

Mountain peaks that are slightly lower than seven thousand meters in height:

Peaks Chapaev (6370 m), Przhevalsky (6450 m), Marble Wall (6400 m) and Tent (6700 m) are located in the central part of the Tien Shan.
Peaks Karakol (5216 m), Nansen (5697 m), Pyramid (5621 m), etc.

Glaciers of the mountainous regions of Kyrgyzstan

There are many glaciers in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan:

The Korzhenevsky glacier is located in a valley on the northern slope of the Trans-Alay Range, 21.5 km long.
The Lenin Glacier is a mountain type in a basin in the northern part of the same ridge, 13.5 km long, lying at the foot of Lenin Peak.
Mushketov Glacier - belongs to the tree type, located in the center of the Tien Shan, on the northern slope of Saryjaz, length 20.5 km and others.

Mountain passes

To get from one valley to another, you need to use several of them in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan:

Bedel - located in the Tien Shan mountains, passes through the Kokshaaltau ridge on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan, altitude 4284 m, was part of the Great Silk Road for many years and was a famous caravan road.
Kyzyl-Art is a highway located on the Pamir Highway, passes through the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, altitude 4280 m, in the northern part the rise is gentle and picturesque, in the southern part it descends steeper into the valley of the river. Markansu.
Taldyk - the pass connects the river valley from the north. Gulchi and Alaiskub - a valley in the south, located in the Alai ridge, height 3615 m. A highway is laid through it, along which you can get to the city of Osh, on the other side - the village of Sary-Tash.

Sacred Mountain of Suleiman

The city of Osh is considered southern. In 2009, the city added another attraction - sacred mountain Suleiman-Too (Throne of Suleiman), which was recognized as a World Heritage Site.

Its history goes back more than one century, and all this time it has been famous as a place of sacred significance, which is confirmed by the petroglyphs on the mountain. Muslims still believe that this sanctuary has magical significance, giving those who come here with a request prosperity, health, offspring and everything that pilgrims ask for.

Mount Suleiman in the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan is almost 1 km long and 1110 m high. Tourists and pilgrims can follow trails to the mountain (for a small fee) and admire the neighboring peaks and views of the city below.

There are places of worship on Suleiman-Too, each with its own meaning:

Sirat Bridge - according to legend, is the road to the afterlife, which can only be crossed by a person who has no sins.
Ene-Beshik is a 2 m wide hole that affects the fertility of the female half of humanity.
Tamchy-Tamar is a hole that goes 8 m deep, helping to cure infertility and eye diseases.
Kol-Tash is a hole made of karst rocks, treats diseases in the joints.
Bel-Tash is a slab 3 m long, there is a groove in the middle; to cure back diseases, you need to ride on it at least 3 times, which children and old people do with success.
Bash-Tash is a hole next to the trail that is believed to cure headaches.

At the top of Suleiman-Too there is a prayer house "House of Babur", built in the 15th century and restored local residents in 1989, a museum with local exhibits was built inside the mountain.

Why mountains attract tourists

Kyrgyzstan is a country in Central Asia that attracts tourists with its fabulous and the most beautiful mountains, rich history, unusual culture and interesting traditions. It is considered a mountain paradise for mountaineers, rock climbers and travel enthusiasts: there are many peaks here that climbers strive to conquer in order to receive the title of “Snow Leopard”, here skiers can train in winter and summer, tourists and extreme recreation lovers can go hiking and down rivers .

The mountains of Kyrgyzstan are a land of glaciers and snow-capped fields and peaks, wild rivers, blue lakes, many charming alpine meadows with bright flowers and fragrant herbs, a variety of plants and animals.

The abundance of landscape resources or interesting geological features often plays an important role in determining the international tourism image of the country concerned. Tourists can travel thousands of kilometers just to see such famous natural wonders light like the Himalayas, Big barrier reef, Grand Canyon, Fuji, etc.

The main natural attractions of Kyrgyzstan: lakes Issyk-Kul, Sary-Chelek, Son-Kul, Tien Shan and Pamir mountains, Inylchek glacier, Khan Tengri, Pobeda, Lenin peaks, Jety-Oguz gorge, Kozho-Kelen valley, Kokomeren river, Arslanbab forests, numerous gorges and passes, mysterious caves, waterfalls and healing springs- are important landscape elements that have the potential to attract large numbers of visitors. While none of these sites are the tallest, largest, deepest, or rarest in the world, they are strikingly beautiful and world-class attractions. However, it should be emphasized that no more than 15% of the potential of these attractions is used.

The mountain landscape of the republic is complex and extremely diverse. The lowest altitude of the territory above sea level is 401 m, and the highest is 7439 m. More than 93% of the territory is occupied by mountains and only 7% falls on valleys and plains.

A characteristic feature of the landscape is alternation high mountains and intermountain basins, sultry deserts and dry mountain steppes, alpine and subalpine meadows, high-mountain glaciers and peaks.

It is not for nothing that Kyrgyzstan is called the “country of heavenly mountains”. Almost 90% of the territory of the republic lies above 1500 meters above sea level. Other peaks of mountain ranges soared up to 6, or even 7 thousand meters. There are three highest peaks (after the peak of Communism in the Pamirs, 7495) here: the peaks of Pobeda (7439), Lenin (7134), Khan Tengri (6995).

Difficult peaks attract brave athletes. Climbers from various cities and countries.

The first ascent to the Khan Tengri peak, which was considered inaccessible, was made on September 11, 1931 by the expedition of M. T. Pogrebetsky.

It has a pointed pyramidal shape, composed of marbles and marbled limestones. Translated from the Kyrgyz language it means “lord of the sky.”

Located 20 km south of Khan Tengri. The first ascent was made in 1938 by members of a Soviet expedition led by A. A. Letavet. The peak was called the peak of 20 years of the Komsomol.

In 1943, Soviet topographers led by P.N. Rapasov determined the true height of the peak - 7439 m and it was named Pobeda Peak.

The highest peak of the Chon-Alai ridge is Lenin Peak- rises in its central part on the border of Kyrgyzstan with Tajikistan. The crest of the ridge, above which Lenin Peak rises, has a continuous cover of firn and ice. The glaciers of the Big and Small Saukdar descend to the south, and to the north - Lenin glacier.

The first Soviet ascent of the mountain was made by climbers E. Abalakov, K. Chernukha, I. Lukin in 1934. Having reached the top, they laid a stone tour on it, wrapped it in scarlet cloth and installed a bust of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.

Eternal ice, 50-degree frosts, blizzards, blizzards. We connect all this with the Arctic and the Arctic Ocean. But it rarely occurred to anyone that sunny Kyrgyzstan has its own Arctic, in some ways not inferior to the Arctic Far North. The same ice, the same frosts, the same blizzards and blizzards, and all this all year round.
“A transcendental country” in the truest sense of the word. Gigantic mountains hold her on their shoulders, clouds hide her from human gaze...

The sky-high country has its own seasons, which essentially boil down to eternal winter. There is unmelting ice there, the glaciation area in the Tien Shan is 7200 square meters. km. Glaciers are storehouses that store water among the vast waterless expanses of Central Asia. Here the word “water” is a synonym for the word “life”.

The volume of water contained in the glaciers of the Central Tien Shan is 650 cubic kilometers. The glaciers surrounding Issyk-Kul contain 13 times more water than all its 80 rivers bring into the lake annually.

In the Khan Tengri massif alone, glaciers occupy an area of almost 2.5 thousand square meters. km, equal to the territory of Luxembourg.

One of largest centers glaciations in the Tien Shan, and throughout Central Asia - Akshiyrak. There are 131 glaciers in Akshiyrak.

The largest in the Tien Shan and the second (after the Fedchenko glacier in length) of the mountain-valley glaciers is Enilchek, consisting of Southern and Northern Enilchek. The length of Southern Enilchek is more than 60 km. On the left side it has tributaries-glaciers: Zvezdochka, Dikiy, Proletarsky Tourism, Komsomolets and others.

The Northern Enilchek, or Reznichenko Glacier, is separated from the Southern by the latitudinal Sredinny Range with the Khan Tengri Peak in the east. Its length is more than 38 km.

It was first described by the geographer-researcher of Central Asia A.V. Kaulbars in 1869.

90 years after this, glaciologists found that since the time of Kaulbars, the glacier had shortened by 1.5 km.

Glacier is one of the wonders of the Tien Shan. Named after the German traveler who first described it.

Between the South and North Enilchek glaciers there is a lake filled with melt water from the glacier and snowy shores. The mountainous shores of the lake are encased in ice in some places. From time to time, a “piece” weighing several thousand tons breaks off from them and crashes into the water with a roar. It will dive and then come up and float like a white iceberg.

Gradually, the lake fills up, the water level becomes higher, the pile of hummocks and icebergs rises higher until the ice floes that until now “plugged” the hole somewhere at the bottom rise. There is a lake breakthrough. The water goes into a tunnel cut by it in the thickness of the glacier and goes under the ice for about 20 km, breaking out at the place where the glacier ends and the Enilchek river begins.

Sometimes up to two spillways occur in a year, usually occurring in August and September. During the breakthrough, the small river Enilchek becomes a powerful and formidable stream, which carries huge boulders like grains of sand. When the water subsides, the retaining wall of the glacier is exposed - 40-60 m.

Then the lake gradually fills with water again, and it again murmurs along the wall in light streams, flowing into the valley.

When the spillway is in progress, there is a roar along the entire route of the sub-ice channel. Strange sounds can also be heard near the lake: a low, guttural rumble, as if someone huge was swallowing stones and grinding them in its monstrous stomach. This is Enilchek's voice. The glacier resembles a 24-hour stone rolling factory. There are never lunch breaks here.

Can ice be called hot? Everyone knows that its temperature does not rise above zero. However, a day spent on a glacier will reward you with burns that can only be obtained by being in the flames of a fire.

A square centimeter of the horizontal surface of the Tien Shan glaciers at noon receives 1.5 calories of heat per minute, and about 600 calories during daylight hours. With light cloud cover promoting heat return, the amount of solar heat on the glacier can increase to 800 calories. These numbers are the maximum for our planet. Neither at the equator nor in the tropics is there such a high voltage of solar radiation.

“The country of mountains”, Kyrgyzstan can also be called the “country of valleys”. There are many valleys in the republic - wide and narrow, sunny and shady, fertile and desert. The most famous of them is Chuyskaya.

The most important of the intermountain basins are: low-mountain depressions - Talas (length 140 km, width up to 26 km) and Chui (250 and 60 km, respectively); mid-mountain - Issyk-Kul (250 and 70 km) and Srednenarynskaya (170 and 54 km); alpine - Aksai-Myudyurumskaya (180 and 30 km) and Alaiskaya (165 and 25 km). The most extensive of the basins is the Fergana basin, 340 km long and 160 km wide.

The Tien Shan is characterized by many formidable natural phenomena. One of the most destructive is an earthquake.

It may last a fraction of a second, but cause enormous damage. Scientists have calculated that about a million earthquakes of varying strength occur on Earth every year. Of these, more than 100 thousand are recorded by sensitive instruments. About a thousand of them are destructive and more than a hundred are catastrophic.

Every year and repeatedly our mountains tremble. Mountain building in the Tien Shan is not complete, the mountains are still “growing”, this is one of the reasons for earthquakes. Nowadays in all major cities in the Tien Shan and in the neighboring lowland regions of Central Asia, seismic stations are equipped with the latest instruments, which keep a round-the-clock watch, sensitively listening to the pulse of the planet.

In 1975, the Institute of Seismology was founded as part of the Academy of Sciences of the Kirghiz SSR. Its tasks are to study seismicity on the territory of the republic, monitoring the deformation of the earth's crust in order to detect signs of an earthquake.

The Institute of Seismology has determined the degree of seismic hazard for a number of regions of Kyrgyzstan, in particular, microseismic mapping of Frunze, Tokmak, Rybachye, and Osh has been carried out.

The strongest earthquake in the Tien Shan (magnitude 10 at the epicenter) over the last 2-3 centuries occurred on the night of January 4, 1911. Its epicenter was located in the middle reaches of the Chon-Kemin River. It went down in history as the Kemin earthquake. Only in the river valley. Chon-Kemin killed 248 people and many livestock.

Scientists have calculated the energy of the earthquake. It turned out that the energy released in this case was equivalent to the amount that the Dnieper Hydroelectric Power Station can produce in 325 years with all turbines at full load.

In November 1946, the Chatkal earthquake struck with a force of 9 points, in 1954 - the Dyurbeldzhinsky (7 points), in 1955 - the Ulugchatsky (6-7 points), in 1958 - the Sonkul (6-7 points), in 1961 - Alai and Mailisai (6 points), in 1962 - Kokyangak (7 points). Other catastrophic earthquakes are also memorable. Tashkent (1966), Sarykamysh (1970), Tyup (1978).

The destructive power of mudflows is enormous - mud-stone flows that suddenly appear and act briefly in river beds. One of the catastrophic mudflows occurred in June 1966 from a dam breakthrough mountain lake Zhashil-Kel in the valley of the river. Tegersword. The lake appeared 200 years ago from an earthquake.

With a terrible roar, large granite boulders were thrown out of the broken dam, like artillery cannonballs. Water gushed after them, dragging the mud and stone mass with it. The lake has disappeared. To the river valley Tegermech collapsed 15 million cubic meters. m of water along with 3 million cubic meters. m of stones and dirt. According to specialists' calculations, the maximum flow rate reached 5 thousand cubic meters. m per second.

Humanity does not remain an outside observer of the manifestations of the unbridled forces of nature. Hydrologists of the republic have taken into account the prevalence of mudflow-prone valleys, which helps in the fight against the destructive power of mudflows. Nature itself suggests the path to taming mudflows. It turns out that the more mountain spurs are covered with forest, the fewer mudflows are formed on their slopes.

In addition to forest reclamation works, the construction of seleduks over canals and roads, as well as mudflow protection dams near settlements. An avalanche of snow, which the mountains can bring down at any moment, is a powerful weapon ice world against the person invading it. Nothing predicts its appearance: the sky is clear, the sun is shining, there is no wind, there is silence all around. And suddenly... the alarmingly growing whistle in an instant turns into a roar, a roar, an explosion. The sky, air, mountains disappear, the whole world begins to move - a white whirlwind, a white collapse, white heaviness, white death... This is an avalanche, one of the most formidable phenomena of nature.

No more than a minute passes, again - the gentle sky overhead, the hot sun, calm, silence...

There are six snow avalanche research stations operating in the snows of the Kyrgyz ridge, Susamyr, Kavak, and Chatkal.

“Avalanche watchers” monitor the behavior of snow, the development of avalanches, 24/7, predict the possibility of a disaster, and prevent it.

The unusual nature of glacial landscapes and landscapes, the dangers and difficulties that tourists experience while on glaciers are the strongest attractive factor. Glaciers are becoming a desirable tourist product and are widely used by tour operators in the resource base of adventure and extreme species tourism.

Mountains of Kyrgyzstan 88 ridges of the powerful mountain system - the Tien Shan - stretch in long chains from west to east. The name of the system translated means “Heavenly Mountains”. Other mountain systems, such as the Chon Alai range in the south of the country, belongs to the Pamir mountain system. Mountains divide the country into northern and southern regions, connected by one single road Bishkek-Osh. The average length of the mountain ranges of Kyrgyzstan is 100-300 km. The length of the longest ridge (Kakshaal) is 582 km, the Kyrgyz ridge, which is located south of Bishkek, extends for 454 kilometers. The width of the ridges varies from 10 to 40 kilometers. Tien Shan Mountains Tien Shan is the longest mountain system in Asia. The length of the ridge is 2800 km and the width is 800 km. There are 40 peaks over 6000 meters high on the ridge. It lies on the territory of several neighboring states, but most of it is located on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic. Stretching 2,800 kilometers from the Chatkal range east of Tashkent to Urumqi (beyond which the Tien Shan borders the Bogdo-Ula range), the mountain range is divided into northern, western, eastern, central and internal parts, each of which has a characteristic “alpine” appearance. signs. The central part of the ridge lies southeast of Lake Issyk-Kul and is known for two- the peaks of Pobeda and Khan Tengri, adjacent to other mountain ranges stretching from east to west. The mountain range surrounding a group of glaciers in the upper reaches of the Inylchek River is interesting with two peaks over 7,000 meters high, 23 peaks over 6,000 meters high, including 3 inaccessible peaks and 80 peaks ranging from 5,000 to 6,000 meters above sea level with another 14 peaks. The ridge consists of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. The first mention of the Heavenly Mountains appeared in ancient times. According to ancient writings and notes from travelers, expeditions to these places have been made since ancient times, but all of them are more like legends than facts. The expedition of the Russian explorer Pyotr Semenov in the mid-19th century shed light on the mystery of the Heavenly Mountains for the first time. Thanks to his research, P. Semenov even received a second surname from the tsar - Tian-Shansky. Interestingly, northern regions mountain system were first described in the 7th century by the Buddhist monk Xuan-Zan, who left behind the following information: “... nothing but snow and ice. It snows both in summer and spring. A furious wind rages day and night.” Surely I saw a similar picture famous traveler Marco Polo, who traveled along this route with his father and uncle back in 1273. The Terskey Ala-Too ("Misty Mountains") ridge is located along the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Kungey Ala-Too Ridge (“ Sunny Mountains") is located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul and forms the border with Kazakhstan. The Kyrgyz ridge (Kyrgyz Ala-Too) originates in the valley of the Issyk-Kul River and stretches along the northern border of Kyrgyzstan, 40 kilometers south of Bishkek. The Pamirs are located in the southern part of the country. In Kyrgyzstan lie the most northernmost sections of the Pamir system, namely the Trans-Alai Range. The Pamir-Alai Mountains separate the Pamirs from the Tien Shan and are divided into the Turkestan (with several unconquered peaks) and Alai ranges. The majestic mountains of Kyrgyzstan attract climbers and mountain walkers from all over the world. Mountains whose peaks are covered with snow all year round are called “Ala-Too” in Kyrgyzstan, which translated from Kyrgyz means “multi-colored, bright mountains.” Often, the snow line extends to 3600 meters. The smaller mountain systems of Kyrgyzstan: Ak Sheirak, Chatkal, Fergana, Keolu, Kok Shaal, Talas and Zaalai are no less popular among climbers. IN Soviet time the region was closed to foreigners, and even citizens of the Soviet Union had difficulty obtaining permission to conduct expeditions and hikes here. Currently there are still restrictions for tourists in some mountainous areas, and special permission is required for civilians to be in border zones. The difficulties faced by climbers are compounded by changeable weather: snow can suddenly fall, and this can happen several times a day, which significantly increases the risk of avalanches and landslides. Mountainous terrain changes from usual mountain ranges to the alpine-type highlands, where you can observe a variety of landscapes. Forests are mainly concentrated on the northern slopes, which are covered with snow most of the time, while grassy meadows and pastures (“jailoo”) on southern slopes abundantly illuminated by sunlight. List of mountain ranges and peaks of Kyrgyzstan: Ridge Length (km) Width (km) Highest peak Highest point (above sea level) Average height (above sea level) Kokshal Too 582 54 Pobeda (Victory Peak) 7439 4500 Chon Alai 250 40 Lenin Peak 7134 5460 Alai 350 20 Tandykul 5880 4450 Sary Jaz 93 16 Semenov Peak 5816 4700 Turkestan 300 30 Sabla Peak 5621 4430 Terskey-Alatau 354 40 Karakol Peak 5280 4290 Ak-Shiirak 60 28 su 5126 4720 Fergana 206 62 Kara-Kulja (Uch -Seyit) 4940 3620 Kyrgyz 454 40 Western Alameddin Peak 4855 3700 At-bashi 140 30 Erme 4786 4300 Kungey-Alatoo 285 32 Chok-Tal 4771 4200 Chatkal 225 30 Chatkal Peak (Aflatun) 4503 3800 Naryn-Too 120 18 Baybiche 4500 4200 Talas 260 40 Manas Peak 4488 3930 Jumgal-too 54 15 Min Teke 4281 3800 Climbers who manage to conquer all five seven-thousanders in Central Asia, three of which lie on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, receive a certificate and the honorary title of “Snow Leopard”. List of seven thousand meters: 1. Communism Peak (Tajikistan - 7495 m) 2. Pobeda Peak (Kyrgyzstan - 7345 m) 3. Lenin Peak (Kyrgyzstan - 7134 m) 4. Korzhenevsky Peak (Tajikistan - 7105 m) 5. Khan Tengri Peak ( Kyrgyzstan - 7010 m) Mountains of Kyrgyzstan: secondary peaks The names of the lower peaks may not mean anything to non-professional climbers, but here are the most famous of them: Adygene Peak (4393 m) is located in the territory National Park Ala-Archa. The peak is more suitable for trekking than climbing. Chapaev Peak (6371 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Corona Peak (4860 m) is located on the territory of the Ala-Archa National Park. From afar, the six peaks resemble a crown, which explains their name. The mountain slopes reach a height of 600 meters, the northern slope - 900 meters. Friendship Peak (6800 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Gorky Peak (6050 m) lies in the Pobeda massif. It represents one of the most difficult peaks for climbers due to the constantly changing weather conditions. From the side, the mountain resembles a pyramid with icy slopes up to 200 meters high. Free Korea Peak is located on the Ak-Sai ridge in the Ala-Archa National Park. The northern slope rises 800 meters above the steep cliffs. Peak Dzhigit is located in the Oguz Bashi massif on south coast Lake Issyk-Kul. Peak Karakol (5216 m) is located in the Oguz Bashi massif on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Komsomol Peak is traditionally conquered every year on May 1st. Manas Peak (4482 m) is the highest point of the Talas Range. The Marble Wall peak (6400 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Shater Peak (6700 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Military Topographers Peak (6873 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Peak Peace (4940 m) is located near Lenin Peak. The ascent takes two days and is often used by climbers to acclimatize before conquering higher mountains. Nansen Peak (5697 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztagh massif. Peak 19th Party Congress (5882 m) is also known as Korzhenevsky Peak (not to be confused with Korzhenevskaya Peak in Tajikistan at 7105 meters). It is clearly visible from the camp sites at the foot of Lenin Peak and is often used by climbers for acclimatization before conquering Lenin Peak. Petrovsky Peak (4910 m) rises above the Achik Tash camp, used by climbers preparing to climb Lenin Peak from its northern side. Often used by climbers to acclimatize before conquering higher points. Przhevalsky Peak (6450 m) is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif. Peak Pyramid (5215 m) is located in the region of the Turkestan Ogus Bashi ridge in the Jeti Oguz valley near the city of Karakol on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. Peak Pyramid is massif with such peaks as Karakolsky and Dzhigit and is surrounded by glaciers. The northern slopes of the massif are dotted with deep gorges. There are a number of routes leading to the peak - from easy to difficult. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky Peak presents great difficulty for climbers. Only a few expeditions have been recorded to have established seven routes to the summit. The peak of Soviet Kyrgyzstan is located in the Central Tien Shan in the Muztag massif.

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