According to data of "Uzbektourism" the active forms of eco-tourism like
rafting,
hiking,
trekking,
rock climbing, speleology,
horseback riding, and
mountaineering come to 60 percent of all tourism in the Tashkent province. Locals, and also tourists from many other countries prefer mentioned activities in
Uzbekistan Mountains near to
Tashkent. Historical-cognitive tourism amounts about ten percent. Inactive forms of eco-tourism attract less than 30 per cent of tourists.
Reference:
Mountain rafting and steppe hiking
Mountaineering in Uzbekistan
Mountaineering is the sport, hobby or profession of
walking,
hiking,
trekking and
climbing up mountains. It is also sometimes known as
alpinism, particularly in Europe. While it began as an all-out attempt to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains, it has branched into specializations addressing different aspects of mountains and may now be said to consist of three aspects:
rock-craft,
snow-craft and
skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require great athletic and technical ability, and experience is also very important.
Uzbekistan mountains
The mountains of
Uzbekistan enter in structure of Tyan-Shan and Alay mountain systems. On territory turn the western spurs of
Tyan-Shan and Gissar-Alay mountain system.
To south and west they gradually lower and turn to plains.
Internal (tectonic) power of Earth formed folds grown the powerful ranges of mountains.
The mountains and foothills with brook relief, located in east and south-east part of Uzbekistan, where they unite with powerful mountain deep brook massive on territory of Kirgizya and Tadjikistan. Mainly this
Ugam, Pskem, Chatkal, Kuramin ranges and their western and south-western spurs, concerning to
Western Tyan-Shan system and Turkestan, Zerafshan and Gissar ranges with their continuous on south-western -
Babatag and Kugintangtau ranges, concerning to Gissar-Alay system.
Entering on territory of Uzbekistan its spurs formed radiating bundle of mountain chains, constantly less in north-western and south-western directions. The character example is
Karjantau,
Maygashkan and Surenata ranges in western Tyan-Shan system and Nuratau,
Aktau and Kuratau ranges and Karatepa and Ziadin-Zirabulak mountains, being the last of
Pamir-Alay.
Entering in Western Tyan-Shan system the mountain ranges (Karjantau, Ugam, Pskem, Chatkal, Kuramin) began from Talass Alatau (on border with Kirgizstan), further as fan radiate from here and continuos to north-east to south-west.
The more high point of Talass Alatau is mountain Manas (4482m).
The high point of Chatkal range on territory of Uzbekistan -
Greater Chimgan peak (3309 m).
Between Chatkal and Kuramin ranges located Akhangaran valley.
The apexes of Western Tyan-Shan covered with snow and glaciers.
The Chatkal and Kuramin ranges border on north with Fergana valley. From east she borders with
Fergana range, from south with Alay and Turkestan ranges.
To north-west from Turkestan range raises the Malguzar range, to south-west
Chumkartau range. Only the north slopes of Chumkartau entering on territory of Uzbekistan. The valley of
Sanzar river separate the Malguzar mountains from Nuratau mountains. The weak point in this valley named
Tamerlan gates.
The Nuratau mountains stretch on 180 km. Their north slope is steep, the south slope is gently sloping. The high point of North part of Nuratau mountains is
Khayatbashi apex (2165 m). The south part of Nuratau mountains consists from separate apexes (Aktau, Karatau, Karagatau, Gabduntau).
On the south and as parallel to Turkestan range located Zarafshan range. With self eastern part he entering on territory of Tadjikistan. On south from Zarafshan range located
Gissar range and his south-western spurs (Yakkobag, Surkhantau, Kugikantau, Baysuntau, Chakgar and other). Here located the
highest point of Uzbekistan - the Khazret Sultan (4643 m).
In western part of Gissar range are two glaciers - Batirbay and Severcev. On south of Uzbekistan along of border with Tadjikistan located
Babatag range. The high point - Zarkasa (2292 m).
The main features of orography of Uzbekistan connected with features of geological structure of above-mentioned the mountain systems.
This bond found expression in these, that between mountain ranges located spacious foothill and intermountain depressions, the large from which is
Tashkent-Golodnosteppe, Fergana Zarafshan, Kashkadarya and
Surkhandarya.
Uzbekistan Mountains near to Tashkent
Chimgan Mountains
The
Chimgan Mountains are invariably attractive
for mountaineers. The wide variety of Chimgan and its surroundings allows the
activity in all kinds of mountaineering and landscape tourism. Mountains
(Small and Greater Chimgan Peaks - 3,309 m) of Chatkal range, plateaus, the
Black Waterfall (40 m) at the lower part of
Greater Chimgan Peak,
Gulkam and
Novotasha waterfalls, attract a lot of tourists from Uzbekistan and abroad.
Ugam & Karjantau ridges
Another attractive place for mountaineering
is situated on Ugam ridge and on the southern; slopes of the
Karjantau ridge of
the Western Tyan-Shan system.
There are following natural sites, which
are of interest of mountaineers in area of Ugam & Karjantau ridges:
•
Peak Mingbulak (2,628 m) - the highest peak of the Karjantau ridge.
•
Qizilsuv waterfalls - the
pictorial cascades that flow at the sinuous river gorges of
Qizilsuv Mountain River.
• Loquacious cave is located on
plateau Ghiza, 20 km from
village Humsan, in a funnel-shaped hollow. On the
bottom of the hollow, in the exposure of grey limestone, there is a 1x1 m
rectangular aperture transforming to a 1.5 m high sloping tunnel. Its floor is covered with lumps, ceiling being arcaded. This tunnel is 20 m long and leads to the inner larger part of the cave. A ladder is needed in order to proceed into
the cave as there is a 6 m high prominence. Then the floor levels out, height
reaching 20-30 m. The cave is so named due to a streamlet flowing through it.
• Arkutsay – exposure of loess
stratum. The site is 3 km west of Humsan, on the right bank of the Ugam River. Section of the formation represents the wall of a small landslide breakaway and
is a stratum of interstratifying loess-like loams of Quaternary and fossil
soils horizons. The section is unique as it exposes more than 80 m thick deposition of rocks.
• Kyrk-Kokyl waterfall (in Uzbek “Kyrk-Kokyl”
means 40 plaits) – pictorial waterfall at Pustonlyk – confluent of Ugam River, 9 km from Humsan village.
Forms of Mountaineering applicable in Uzbekistan Mountains
Hiking is an outdoor activity which
consists of walking in natural environments, often on hiking trails. Hiking is
one of the fundamental mountaineering activities on which many others are
based. Many beautiful places in
Uzbekistan Mountains can only be reached by hiking,
and enthusiasts regard hiking as the best way to see nature. It is seen as
better than a tour in a vehicle of any kind (or on an
animal) because the hiker's senses are not intruded upon by distractions such
as windows, engine noise, airborne dust and fellow passengers. Hiking over long
distances or over difficult terrain does require some degree of physical
ability and knowledge.
Trekking combines
hiking and
camping
in a single trip. A backpacker hikes into the backcountry to spend one or more
nights there, and carries supplies and equipment to satisfy sleeping and eating
needs.
A backpacking trip includes at least one
overnight stay in the wilderness (otherwise it is a day hike). But
long-distance expeditions may last weeks or months, sometimes aided by planned
food and supply drops.
People are drawn to backpacking primarily
for recreation, to explore places that they consider beautiful and fascinating,
many of which cannot be accessed in any other way. A backpacker can travel
deeper into remote areas, away from people and their effects, than a day-hiker
can.
Trekking options in Uzbekistan Mountains
Winter backpacking. Ski touring and
snowshoeing are alternative forms of hiking (overnight or otherwise) that can
be engaged in when the ground is buried deeply in snow.
In animal packing ("horse
packing", "donkey packing", etc.), the hikers use pack animals
(usually horses or donkeys) to carry their equipment, and sometimes they will
even ride the animals. Porters are sometimes hired for the same purpose.
Adventure tourism is travel in a region or
environment that is, for one reason or another, highly unpredictable or
hazardous.
Thru-hiking is traversing a long-distance
trail in a single, continuous journey by starting at one end of the trail with
a backpack and hiking essentially unaided to the other end.
Ultralight backpacking is a form of
backpacking focused on minimizing the weight of the gear carried. It is often
employed by long distance hikers.
Mountain climbing -
Ascending mountains for sport or recreation. It often involves rock and/or ice
climbing.
Rock climbing: Ascending rock formations, often using climbing shoes and a chalk
bag. Equipment such as ropes, bolts, nuts, hexes and camming devices are
normally employed, either as a safeguard or for artificial aid.
Rock climbing is a sport in which
participants climb up or across natural rock formations with the goal of
reaching the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route. Rock
climbing is similar to
scrambling (another activity involving the scaling of
hills and similar formations), but climbing is generally differentiated by its
need for the use of the climber's hands to hold his or her own weight and not
just provide balance.
Rock climbing is a physically and mentally
demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility,
and balance along with his or her mental control. It can be a dangerous sport
and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing
equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.
Bouldering
is climbing on short, low routes without the use of the safety rope that is typical
of most other styles. Protection, if used at all, typically consists of a
cushioned bouldering pad below the route and/or a spotter, a person that
watches from below and directs the fall of the climber away from hazardous
areas.
Free climbing is climbing without the use of pre-set belays. One person (the
leader) will start the climb carrying one end of the rope and will gradually
attach it to additional anchors as he or she climbs, thereby establishing a
belay system that progresses with the climb. Subtypes of free climbing are trad
climbing and sport climbing.
Top roping
is climbing with the protection of a rope that's already suspended through an
anchor at the top of a route. A belayer controls the rope, keeping it taut, and
prevents long falls.
Ice climbing:
Ascending ice or hard snow formations using special equipment designed for the
purpose, usually ice axes and crampons. Protective equipment is similar to rock
climbing, although protective devices are different (ice screws, snow wedges).
Mixed climbing a combination of ice and rock climbing. Often involving specialized
ice climbing slippers and specialized ice tools.
Scrambling (“non-technical”
rock climbing also known as alpine scrambling) is a method of ascending rocky
faces and ridges. It is a term that lies somewhere between hillwalking and rock
climbing.
Canyoning (known as canyoneering in the U.S.) is
traveling in canyons using a variety of techniques that may include
walking,
scrambling,
climbing, jumping, abseiling, and/or swimming.
Although hiking down a canyon that is non-technical (canyon hiking) is often referred to as
canyoneering, the terms canyoning and canyoneering are more often associated with technical descents — those that require rappels (abseils) and ropework, technical climbing or down-climbing, technical jumps, and/or technical swims.
Canyoning is frequently done in remote and rugged settings and often requires navigational, route-finding and other wilderness travel skills.
Waterfalling – waterfall hunting and waterfall
hiking is hiking with the purpose of finding and enjoying waterfalls.
Other active forms of sport and recreation in Uzbekistan Mountains
Chimgan-Beldersay is the main skiing area in
Uzbekistan, which is located in the mountains of Western Tien-Shan (90 km far
from Tashkent). Chimgan in the best way approaches for family leisure with
children, Beldersay is more appropriate for skilled skiers and snowboarders.
There are two double-chair ski lifts and some hoop lifts in Chimgan and
Beldersay (5 km from Chimgan).
Length of the chair lift road in Chimgan - 800 m. Overfall of heights - 385 m.
Length of the rope-tow - 570 m. Overfall of heights - 250 m.
Ski-tracks of Chimgan. Skiing resort Chimgan has several routes and type
of complexities, a ski-track for beginning skiers, extended up to 1500 m has a
rope-tow lift, considered as "blue" tracks long, flat, and easy. The ski-track
for slalom is extended up to 900 m and equipped with chair lift and classified
as a "red" track of mid level difficulty.
The highest point of Beldersay ski-track is located at the height of 2880 m. The
snow here lays little bit longer, than in Chimgan: from December till May.
Ski-tracks of Beldersay basically are intended for skilled mountain skiers, but
there are also good conditions for beginners. Sharp-continental climate of area
creates extreme temperatures and plentiful snowfalls which promote a
high-quality snow cover. Descents are carried out from mountain Kumbel, which
slopes in area of skiing have smoothed relief (steepness up to 30 degrees)
without deep gorges and canyons. Archa and the deciduous woods grow on slopes
alternating with open glades. Going up to the top of Kumbel mountain is carried
out by chair lift road (length 2250 m) and further proceeds on rope-tow lift
(length 700m). Ski-tracks for mass riding are laid out along the rope-tow and
chair lifts. Free descents begin from the west side of Kumbel mountain directly
from a crest of a ridge and come to an end in a vein of stream of Beldersay.
Width of slopes for free descents up to 1 km, length of descents up to 5 km.
Beldersay (Mountain Kumbel). Highest point - 2880 m. Length of the ski-track -
3017 m. Overfall of heights - 765 m. Average bias of the ski-track - 27. Maximal
bias - 52.1. Extension of the chair-lift - 2250 m. Overfall of heights - 565m.
Extension of the rope-tow - 700m. Overfall of heights - 200m.
Heli-skiing
Uzbekistan has the advantage over the other regions of
Heli-skiing on the territory of the former USSR (Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
Caucasus, Altay, and Camchatka) because of sunny, warm and fine stable weather.
Heli-skiers make descends from summits of Ugam, Pskem and Chatkal mountain
ranges (on the altitude 3000-4000 m.). The amplitude of descends 1,3 – 2 km; the
length of the descending 5-10 km. Usually heli-skiers make 4-6 descends per day.
The flight time from the hotel to the landing place 5-30 min. Tourists are
accompanied with 2 guides. Each tourist must have his own special equipment
(ski, beacons, first-aid medical set). Helicopter grounds are located near the
hotel. The best time for skiing – late January – March.
The rivers in the mountains of Uzbekistan have the level six of complexity. Rafting along the rapid
Chatkal River is the favorite activity of extreme
travelers. As contrasted with the routes down the Chatkal River, which involve parts, located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, all routes of
Oyga'ing, Pskem, Ugham and Ahangaran rivers are entirely located on the Uzbek territory.
The length of rafting route along the Ugham is 11 kilometers. The route starts from "Kristall" boarding house and finishes in the creek of
the river where it flows into the Hojent water reservoir. On this section
raft-men usually make a double trip down the river. The number of obstacles
makes your experience really impressive: in some spots the stream will press
you against the rocks, in others you'll need to raft sideways; and all the way
down there are above-water rocks and submerged stones. All this is aggravated
by the rapid current. However, in case of emergency situation, prompt mooring
and urgent landing can be made at any length of the route.
Popular horseback routes in Uzbekistan Mountains near to Tashkent
• One day riding along Pustonlyksay to the
pass on plateau Ghiza (15 km, radial);
• A several days riding along the Ugam
ridge and down to the Nauvalisay river canyon and on to Sidjak (Pskem river
valley, Charvak water reservoir);
• A several days riding along the Ugam
river to village Kiziltal (Kazakhstan).
• One day riding to the head water of the Arkutsay Mountain River. View to the valley of the Chirchik River.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaineering
http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761568485_3/Mountain_Climbing.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_climbing
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trekking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrambling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_climbing
http://www.parus87.com/Articles/Mountain_and_hiking.htm
http://www.parus87.com/Chimgan.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canyoning
http://www.parus87.com/mountain_climbers.htm
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