Ski Kazakstan

Kazakhstan is home to the legendary Tien Shan or ‘Heavenly’ mountains that are a global draw for ski mountaineers.

There are also home to the sole Kazakhstan ski resort of Chimbulak, sometimes known as Shymbulak, which was created in the 1940s and 50s when Kazakhstan was part of the Soviet Union.

It has had a chequered history in terms of operations as the resort has gone in and out of favour through the decades but most recently the signs of further development have looked good since the area hosted the 2011 Asian Winter Games.

The resort, located close to the Talgar Pass, re-opened with new lifts after Kazakhstan gained independence. There’s nearly 1000m of lift-served vertical with the upper lift at nearly 3200m.

The resorts pistes on the northern slopes of the mountain include several popularly regarded as among the world's toughest. The Chimbulak Plateau is three kilometres (nearly two miles) long with an average slope angle of 45 degrees.

The Kazakhstan Olympic team uses Chimbulak for training. Night skiing reportedly occurs 'spontaneously' when the slopes are moonlit although there is reported to be some floodlighting on the 'Professor' hill.