Direct flights and crowd-free resorts – skiing in the ‘Stans’ is easier than you might think

The Legend of Chimgan isn’t a mythical monster but a man: the diminutive, wind-weathered Grigori Trebisovsky. Now comfortably into his 70s and still skiing every day of the season, Trebisovsky pioneered free-riding and heli-skiing in Uzbekistan half a century ago, and is revered as the country’s grandfather of adventure sports.

But whilst his passions were once considered eccentric, winter sports is now one of Central Asia’s fastest-growing tourism sectors. There are already more than 20 ski resorts spread across Uzbekistan and the neighbouring republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan; and investors have committed $1 billion to upgrading facilities and opening new resorts in the next five years. With guaranteed snow, direct flights from Heathrow and no visas for British or EU passport holders, visitor numbers are soaring.

The largest and most exciting development on the horizon is the international Beldersay-Chimgan-Nanai all-season resort, Uzbekistan’s answer to the French Les Trois Vallées, which is expected to open in winter 2025/26. French company Montagne et Neige Développement (MND) won the construction bid last year, and the majority of the $485 million investment committed so far is from French investors – it’s expected to feel just like the Alps in Asia. The plans are for 60km of pisted runs, three cable car stations, and lifts up to 3,309m, the highest point in any Central Asian ski resort.

‘The best snow in the world’

It was the quality of the snow in Central Asia that convinced Thomas Thor Jensen to leave his job as Courchevel’s director of operations and head east to manage Amirsoy Mountain Resort in Uzbekistan when it opened in winter 2019/20.

“Uzbekistan has the best snow of anywhere in the world,” he told me adamantly when we met in one of Amirosy’s pop-up igloos. “The snow here is better than Japan.” Although the altitude isn’t that high, the powder is light and the air is unusually dry. Little melts, even on a sunny day, though in the larger resorts snow cannons can provide back-up.

Affordable and affable resorts

“The resorts in Kazakhstan have come a long way from the former-Soviet ski fields of the 1990s,“ says Tristan Kennedy, a British national who grew up in Kazakhstan and is now the editor of Snow magazine. “Shymbulak, just outside Almaty, would have hosted the downhill events had the city’s bid for the [2022] Winter Olympics been successful. It has modern, European-made lifts, well-groomed pistes, and a range of international standard restaurants.”

Jonas Astrup, a Danish expat who works for the UN in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, takes his three children skiing at Amirsoy most weekends. “Compared to Europe, skiing with a family in Uzbekistan is affordable. Ski passes and instructors are reasonably priced and it takes the pressure off the holiday,” he says.

Although the resort is smaller than those in the Alps, Jonas sees this as an advantage. “The size of the resort is perfect for families. There are slopes for beginners at the bottom, and some steeper and longer slopes up the mountain. But you will never get lost, so it’s possible to let older children ski on their own.”

World-class backcountry

Two kinds of skiers take to the slopes in Central Asia. Runs within the resorts are generally best suited to beginners, and as ski schools are cheap, there are plenty of families learning the basics before committing to a budget-busting trip to the Alps.

It’s what lies outside the resorts which is most exciting, however. “The real draw of skiing is the backcountry,” explains Kennedy. “Head north to the Altai in Kazakhstan and you’ll find snow that rivals Japan’s with a fraction of the crowds. In the Tian Shan, there are 7,000m peaks with incredible alpine descents.” Roman Valiev, an Uzbekistani IT specialist living in Tashkent, raves about the Tian Shan, too, highlighting the varied terrain of Chimgan and the volume of snow at Kumbel, near Beldersay ski resort.

In the Alps it’s hard to access remote wilderness by lift, but this is where Central Asia comes into its own. You can cat ski from Karakol in Kyrgyzstan using PistenBully groomers, which opens up a vast mountain range with jaw-dropping views of Issyk Kul, the seventh-deepest lake in the world; and there are conveniently-located heli-pads for heli-skiing across Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.

The Mi8 helicopters may look like flying whales but they accommodate up to 18 passengers, are surprisingly affordably at around £100 per person per drop, and enable you to reach untouched locations like Ikhnach, 3,800m above sea level in Uzbekistan.

A charming culture

Don’t come to Central Asia expecting to find La Folie Douce though. Booze is cheap and readily available, but all-night parties haven’t yet spread beyond the region’s capitals. The local alternative is utterly charming.

At the likes of Safed Dara in Tajikistan and Karakol in Kyrgyzstan, most visitors are daytrippers who come to enjoy the mountain air, drink beers, and scoff shashlik, meat skewers cooked on an outdoor grill. As a foreign guest, you will need a good reason to turn down their effusive hospitality. The vodka will flow, and you’ll struggle to keep up with the toasts, but you’ll soon feel like one of the family.

Other cultural experiences are never far away, and several operators sell combined skiing and sightseeing tours. In a week you can “Ski the Silk Road” with Travel the Unknown, skiing at Amirsoy then taking a high-speed train trip to visit the Unesco World Heritage Sites of Samarkand and Bukhara; and with Paramount Journey, you can ski tour between the villages of Tajikistan’s Gissar Ridge, staying in local, family-run guesthouses for a taste of rural life.

Essentials

How to get there

In winter, Uzbekistan Airways (020 7034 2090) flies direct from London Heathrow and Gatwick to Tashkent three times a week from £540 return, and has onward connections to Almaty, Bishkek, and Dushanbe. You can also fly via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines.

British and EU passport holders can visit Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan visa-free for 30 days. EU nationals are also eligible for visa-free entry to Tajikistan; Britons can get an e-visa for $30 from Evisa.

What to book

Travel the Unknown (020 7183 6371) offers a seven-night Ski the Silk Road itinerary in Uzbekistan from £1,695 per person.

Paramount Journey (00 992 927173422) offers a 10-night ski touring programme in Tajikistan from £1,520 per person.

Asia Adventures (00998 78 150 6280) organises heliskiing in both Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from $1,000 per person per day.