ISM - Central Borkoldoy Expedition (2005) Itinerary & Details

Western Kokshaal-Too Expedition (2008) - Itinerary & Details

GROUND ARRANGEMENTS

As in previous years these will be co-ordinated by ITMC Tien Shan, Kyrgyzstan’s leading expedition company. The director, Vladimir Komissarov, was one of the leading mountaineers of the former Soviet Union and is now President of the Association of Mountain Guides of Kyrgyzstan. Vladimir, his camp staff, and porters (some of whom are strong mountaineers in their own right) will be working with us throughout the expedition. Through them we can share some of the 'Russian traditions' which have given Central Asia a unique mountaineering history. Nowhere else is base-camp life so enjoyable!

EXPEDITION ITINERARY

The expedition will run over three weeks from Saturday August 30th to Saturday September 20th (22 days).

Day	Activity	Overnight
1	(Aug 30) Afternoon flight from Heathrow to Almaty.	plane/hotel
2	Arrive Almaty, transfer by coach to Bishkek hotel (3 hrs). Get a few hours sleep then after lunch sort equipment etc. at ITMC base. Bishkek city tour (with guide + transport) evening restaurant.	hotel
3	Load personal equipment into 6wd vehicle. Drive eastwards then south to Naryn which lies at approx 2400m and will start our acclimatising. Overnight at 'English Guest House'.	hotel
4	Drive southwards to W Kokshaal-Too range. For sensible acclimatising we plan to camp at approx 3500m, leaving a couple of hour's off-road driving in the morning up to Base Camp at 3900m	camp
5-18	Mountaineering in the Kokshaal range. We will start with an acclimatisation hike on the glacier decide on our first objectives and the sites for our first Advanced Base Camp(s). We will climb peaks from here and then have a night at BC to re-organise before establishing ABC2 higher up and further in to the range. We will have approximately one week to climb from here before returning to Base Camp. Porters will keep us supplied with food at ABC2.	camp
19	Strike Base Camp and drive to Naryn.	hotel
20	Travel to Bishkek, stopping for lunch at Kyrgyz handicraft centre in Kochkor en route.	hotel
21	Free day in Bishkek, shopping/relaxing, 'farewell dinner' in evening. This day is 'in-hand' if mountaineering programme overruns.	hotel
22	(September 20) Early transfer to Almaty, morning flight to Heathrow, arriving around 3pm.	home

SAFETY AND RESCUE

ISM will provide the main medical kit, individual members need only bring a small personal first aid kit. We will have a radio station or Sat phone at base camp to give us weather reports and to enable us to summon a rescue helicopter in the unlikely event that it is needed. Vaccinations are not obligatory for the area, however some may be recommended by your GP.

As always we pay careful attention to ACCLIMATISATION and rarely, if ever, have any serious problems. Some people may choose to use Diamox on the trip - if so please consult your GP for advice.

INSURANCE

All expedition members must have mountaineering insurance to cover medical and rescue expenses. For UK residents, suitable cover can be arranged through the following organisations/companies:

Snowcard Tel: 01327 262805 Web: www.snowcard.co.uk
BMC Tel: 0161 445 4747 Web: www.thebmc.co.uk

Austrian Alpine Club Tel: 01707 324835 Web: www.aacuk.demon.co.uk (more limited cover)

Non-UK residents. If full insurance cover such as provided by Snowcard and the BMC is not available in your home country, non-UK residents can obtain reasonable cover for medical and mountain rescue by joining the Austrian Alpine Club. However it may be necessary to take out further travel insurance to cover aspects such as cancellation.

EQUIPMENT

ISM will provide all climbing hardware, ropes, cooking equipment, lightweight tents for the mountain and the main first aid kit. Individual members must bring:

Sleeping bag (expedition or ‘5 season’ quality)
Closed-cell foam sleeping mat and/or Thermarest
Rigid mountaineering boots (plastic double boots strongly recommended)
Rock climbing shoes (comfortable and large enough to take a thickish sock)
Thermal underwear, fleece shirt or similar, fleece jacket & pants
Extra fleece top or duvet, Goretex jacket and salopettes (or pants)
Mountain mitts/gloves, hat or balaclava, gaiters
Ice axe, ice hammer, crampons (with anti-ball plate)
Helmet, harness, 3 locking carabiners, belay plate
Long sling (120cm), 3 prussik loops, headtorch with spare batteries,
Climbing rucksack (55-70 litre), second sac or kitbag,
Trekking poles (collapsible for carrying whilst climbing)
Glacier glasses, sun protection cream and lipsalve, water bottle,
Mug, bowl, spoon, shorts, sunhat, lightweight 'trekking' boots or approach shoes
Personal ‘travellers’ first-aid kit (headaches, diahorrea, minor cuts, blisters etc).

In addition if you can bring a lightweight tent (2 or 3-man) this is helpful in giving everyone some privacy at base camp and room to spread out their gear etc. Please let us know on the Booking Form.

VISAS

Kyrgystan Visas: A Tourist Visa should be obtained from Consular Section of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic, London, Tel: 0207 935 1462, email: email@kyrgyz-embassy.org.uk. This is a simple procedure and EU residents do not require a letter of invitation. ISM will provide letters of invitation for non-EU residents.

Kazakhstan Transit Visas: We require two transit visas for our Almaty-Bishkek transfers. These cost £13 each and are arranged via the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

COST

The ALL-INCLUSIVE price for the expedition is £3190. An in-country price is available for people wishing to join the expedition in Bishkek, and a price excluding guiding is possible for experienced climbers wishing to join the expedition then climb independently. Single rooms are available for all hotel nights by paying a supplement of £100.

BOOKING

To apply for a place on the expedition, please download and complete the Expedition Booking Form then post it together with the deposit (which must be in the form of a cheque or bank draft for £600 payable to 'ISM Expedition’) to the UK office. We will confirm your place as soon as possible.
N.B. The ISM booking form for Alpine courses must not be used as different information is needed.

PAYMENT SCHEDULE

After your place has been secured by the deposit, we require a second payment of £600 by the end of March and the balance payment by the end of June. In case of cancellation, the following charges will apply: up to 4 months before departure - deposit only; 4 to 2 months before departure - deposit plus second payment; within 2 months of departure - full fee. If arranging your own insurance, please check that it covers cancellation.

We look forward to welcoming you to this next ISM adventure!

Please phone or mail with any further questions.
Tel: + 44 (0)1766 890441 Email: patlittlejohn@alpin-ism.com or ism@alpin-ism.com

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