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Backcountry Skiing and Yurt Lodging at Jyrgalan Tyup Lodge: A Winter Wonderland

Nestled in the breathtaking mountains of Kyrgyzstan, the Jyrgalan Tyup Yurt Lodge is set to welcome back adventurers for the winter 2025 season. After a brief hiatus, this unique destination is ready to delight backcountry skiing enthusiasts with its exceptional setup, including cozy accommodations and thrilling slopes.

What’s New for Winter 2025?

The lodge reopens with its signature setup:

  • One Client Yurt: Comfortable and warm accommodations for guests.
  • One Dining Yurt: A communal space offering hearty meals to fuel your adventures.
  • Sauna: A relaxing retreat to unwind after a day of exploring snowy trails.

Why Visit Jyrgalan Tyup Yurt Lodge?

Unrivaled Backcountry Skiing
The Jyrgalan Valley is a powder paradise, offering pristine trails suitable for beginners and intermediates. Certified guides are available to ensure a safe and memorable skiing experience.

Authentic Yurt Stay
Experience the charm of traditional Kyrgyz hospitality in yurts equipped with modern amenities. Enjoy electricity, Wi-Fi, and the comforting warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Adventure All Year
While winter brings backcountry skiing and snowboarding, summer offers hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking, making this an all-season adventure spot.

Accessibility and Pricing

Located just a few hours from Bishkek or Karakol, the lodge is accessible via private transfers or shared vans to Jyrgalan village and then a snowmobile transfer to the lodge site. Pricing starts at $130 per night per person, with discounts for extended stays and group bookings. Guided tours are an optional add-on for those seeking expert assistance on the slopes.

Plan Your Visit

With its reopening, the Jyrgalan Tyup Yurt Lodge promises an unforgettable winter getaway. Don’t miss the chance to explore this mountain retreat, combining adventure, relaxation, and cultural authenticity.

For bookings and more details, visit dedicated page or send a direct whatsapp message.

At the Karakol ski resort, the eastern ski lift broke down

On February 5, 2024, during midday hours, the ski lift leading to an altitude of 3040 meters (known as the panoramic lift) suffered a breakdown at the Karakol ski resort. At the time of the incident, numerous skiers and snowboarders were utilizing the lift.

The rescue operation to evacuate stranded tourists commenced only after a delay of 1.5 hours. Faced with the wait, some tourists grew impatient and chose to jump off the chairlifts, resulting in one person sustaining a broken arm.

The rescue operation, which involved lowering tourists using ropes, continued for several hours beyond the ski resort’s usual operating hours.

Eyewitnesses attribute the breakdown to a malfunction of the lift’s motor. Consequently, this specific lift is expected to remain non-operational for the next 7-14 days.

Tragic Avalanche Fatality Strikes Jyrgalan on February 5, 2024

In the picturesque setting of Jyrgalan, tragedy struck on February 5, 2024, as an avalanche claimed the life of a skier from France. Departing early in the morning from the Alakol guesthouse, the individual embarked on what was intended to be a memorable day on the slopes. However, as evening descended, and the skier failed to return, concern grew among fellow visitors and staff.

The following morning, authorities were promptly notified, triggering a collaborative effort involving local law enforcement and the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) to initiate search and rescue operations. Despite exhaustive efforts throughout February 6th, the day concluded without success. It wasn’t until Wednesday, February 7th, that search teams homed in on the location of an avalanche, ultimately discovering the skier’s body buried beneath the snow.

While this incident stands as a somber reminder of the inherent dangers of mountain recreation, it’s essential to glean insights from such events to enhance safety measures for future endeavors. From this tragic occurrence, several crucial reminders emerge:

  • Buddy System: Never venture into the mountains alone; always have a companion.
  • Professional Guidance: Utilize the expertise of local certified guides to navigate terrain safely.
  • Communication: Before embarking on any excursion, inform others of your intended route and expected return time.
  • Risk Assessment: Even with guides, familiarize yourself with local conditions and heed advice on avalanche-prone areas.
  • Safety Gear: Equip yourself with essential avalanche safety equipment, including beacons, probes, and shovels.
  • Self-Reliance: Understand that insurance coverage may not always apply; therefore, rely on personal preparedness and resources in emergencies.

Moreover, it’s vital to acknowledge the unique characteristics of snow cover in the Jyrgalan region, notably its susceptibility to avalanches during February, the peak of the winter season. With temperature fluctuations and strong winds contributing to the instability of the snowpack, caution and preparedness are paramount for all enthusiasts exploring this breathtaking landscape.

As we mourn the loss of a fellow adventurer, let us honor their memory by fostering a culture of safety and responsibility within our mountain communities, ensuring that future pursuits are grounded in awareness, preparedness, and respect for the unpredictable forces of nature.

Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge ski tour camera is back online

Finally the web camera at Jyrgalan valley is back online. We had a huge renovation at the site since the September and had to turn off the camera. 

Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge - back country skiing splitboarding and skitour
Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge, December 2018

Overall we have 4th yurt set up at our area and now we have 3 client yurts, in the spring we will add one more yurt which means that in summer you can choose to stay from 3 private yurts and one shared.

As for mid-December snow status – there is around 35-45cm of snow at the snowmobile-supported back country skiing area and yesterday we had a group from Kazakhstan who enjoyed the snowboarding at this area.

The plans for upcoming season are huge and awesome, check them out:

  • New lodge at the upper Jyrgalan valley at 2900m – named Jyrgalan Heights Yurt lodge – done, details coming soon
  • New lodge at the Tyup valley at 2300m – named Jyrgalan-Tyup Yurt Lodge – in the process of setup
  • Personal windguru weather station at the Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge site – done
  • Explore snowkiting possibilities at Jyrgalan valley – coming soon
  • New website dedicated to the back country yurt skiing in Kyrgyzstan – SKIYURT.KG – coming soon

March 3 snow conditions update, Karakol ski resort avalanche fatality

A huge storm on March 2-3 brought a lot of snow all over the east Issik-Kul area. Here is the small update on the local areas:

Jyrgalan back country skiing yurt lodge: 50+ cm of fresh powder.
Aksuu back country skiing yurt lodge: 35-45 cm of fresh powder overnight.
Karakol ski resort: around 20 cm of fresh powder.

There was also a couple small snowfalls during the past 7 days. The weather is already a spring-like and more and more slopes are becoming avalanche-dangerous.

Karakol ski resort avalanche fatality

There was an avalanche fatality at Karakol ski resort a few days ago. A family of 2 adults and 9 y.o. kid went off-piste and triggered avalanche. Whole group  got caught by avalanche and while 2 adults ended on the surface the kid got buried. Not much information available but seems like no any avalanche beacons or safety gear were used. The kid didn’t make it.

Semi-online camera at Jyrgalan valley

Check weather and snow conditions at Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge almost online. We have installed a web camera at our site and it is available here or at the Backcountry Skiing Yurt Lodge page. Image refresh rate is 20 minutes in the case of the good internet connection at the site.



Веб камера в хостеле Жергалан. Следите за погодой и состоянием снега в режиме он-лайн. Теперь, прежде чем решиться на поездку в настоюащую фрирайд сказку, просто посмотрите камеру! Картинка обновляется раз в 20 минут.

Snow status update for Aksuu Backcountry Skiing Yurt Lodge

As said in the previous post – this winter is quite poor for snow in the Northern Kyrgyzstan. At this date (Jan 18, 2018) we have around 40-45cm of snow at the Aksuu Backcountry Skiing yurt lodge site and around 50-60cm at the higher-altitude slopes. See some photos below.

Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge skitouring snow status update

2017/2018 winter in Kyrgyzstan is quite poor for snow. Karakol ski resort has a worst new year holidays in the past 10+ years. A lot of tourists came from around the globe and got nothing except a tiny amount of groomed snow on the runs which turned into a mixture of mud and ice in after a couple days. The same story on all offpiste slopes and areas around Karakol. We could not even run a snowmobile backcountry in the Karakol gorge as we usually do during this time.
Most areas towards the East has almost similar story. But wait, what about Jyrgalan? Seems like it is a special place hidden in the mountains at the edge of the Issik-Kul valley. It gets a true lake-effect which really works compared to other places around the huge Issik-Kul valley. Last week we had 30+ hours of snowing in a row at Jyrgalan backcountry skiing yurt lodge!

Continue reading Jyrgalan Yurt Lodge skitouring snow status update