faq

VISAS

1. Do I need visa support letter for obtaining Kazakh visa?
2. How can I get the Kazakh Visa?
3. Do I need visa support letter for obtaining Kyrgyz visa?
4. How can I get Kyrgyz Visa?
5. How can I get Uzbekistan Visa?
6. How can I pay for Visa support letter?
7. What should I do if I exceed the time limit of my visa?
8. What should I do if I changed dates of my staying before my arrival?
9. What should I do if I wish to extend a visa?
10. What should I do if I had book visa support into one country
but then I had changed country of my arriving?
11. What should I do if I had booked visa support but hadn't come?
12. What should I do if I had changed country of getting visa?

PERMITS, INSURANCE

13. What kind or insurance we need for the possible rescue helicopter flight?
14. What are: "Boarder permit (north side)" and "Royalty of climbing only south side"??? I don't understand these terms!

HOTELS

15. Is there a place to stay in Almaty that you recommend?
FOOD

17. What about 'fixing ropes'? Does the price concern 1 rope of 50 m or whole place, which needs ''rope protection''? Imagine that some parts of climbing may require even 400-600 m of fixed ropes! What about costs then???
18. What do you mean with 'fixing ropes on the route of ascent'? Did you fix new ropes for our group, or you mean the old rope for the former expedition?

ROUTE

19. For the Khan - Tengri the safest route is from North side (by report other groups), with right side spur. What is your opinion?
20. How much time we need from south base camp to the fit of Peak Pobeda (about 15 km) and are there any problems with that part of glacier Zvezdochka?
21. Is it possible to make acclimatization in some other peaks around base camp North Inylchek?
22. What is safest rout for the Peak Pobeda (we have some danger's part in classical ''D.Medzmarishvili'' rout), and how save is the other route in central part 'V.Smirnov' and 'V. Abalakov' rout?
23. How long is the west ridge from V.Pshavela to Main peak and what conditions are in a ridge?
24. How many days we need for ascent to Khan-Tengri or to Pobeda Peak (in normal weather conditions)?

VISAS

1. Do I need visa support letter for obtaining Kazakh visa?

For obtaining Kazakh visa you should have visa support or letter of invitation from Travel Agency or any person. But the citizens of the following countries, wishing to visit Kazakhstan for the purpose of tourism, diplomatic, business or private visit, will not need visa support and invitation letter, if they apply for single visa only: Australian Union, Austria, Kingdom of Belgium, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greek Republic, Kingdom of Denmark, Irish Republic, Republic of Iceland, Kingdom of Spain, Italy, Canada, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Kingdom of Netherlands, New Zealand, Kingdom of Norway, Portugal, Singapore, United States of America, Finland, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Swiss Confederation, Kingdom of Sweden, Japan. In this case you have to apply to Kazakh Embassy and obtain your visa there. But if you would like to have multiply visa, you should have letter of invitation. Due to start visa support process please fill in the visa application form.

2. How can I get the Kazakh Visa?

The visa process will take up to 3 days. After we had sent the visa invitation letter to you by fax or e-mail you should visit Kazakh consulate with this invitation letter and got the visa there.

3. Do I need visa support letter for obtaining Kyrgyz visa?

If in you country there is Consulate of Kyrgyz Republic you don't need to have visa support letter. You need to have the letter of invitation only if there is not Kyrgyz Consulate in you country.

4. How can I get Kyrgyz Visa?

Visa for Kyrgyzstan you can obtain in the Embassies of Kyrgyz Republic or in the Embassy of Kazakhstan in your country. Visa making process will take up to 3 days. After the time we had sent the visa invitation letter to you by fax or e-mail you need to visit Kazakh consulate and got the visa there.

5. How can I get Uzbekistan Visa?

Visa making process will take 3-15 days. To start visa process you should send us a filled in visa application form and copy of your passport (jpg). This form you can get from us by e-mail or fill it on our web. Then after 3-15 days we'll send you an invitation letter. This letter will permit you to get a visa at the Uzbekistan Consulate in your country. The price will depend on kind of visa support.

6. How can I pay for Visa support letter?

Methods of payment: you can pay us as by cash upon arrival to Almaty, so as bank wire process according to the invoice. In case of payment through the bank you should pay bank fees to the sum, indicated in invoice. This is bank commission. We do not accept payment via Visa Card or American Express Travel checks. Also you can use Western Union Money Transfer (please, contact us for more details)

7. What should I do if I exceed the time limit of my visa?

If you exceed the time limit of your visa you would be departed from country and pay a penalty.

8. What should I do if I changed dates of my staying before my arrival?

If you changed dates of your staying before your arrival, you should obtain new letter of visa invitation for obtaining new kind of visa.

9. What should I do if I wish to extend a visa?

In accordance with the rules of Ministry of Foreign Affairs tourist visa is not extend and business visas extend only after consideration each case in Counsel Department on Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Kazakhstan.

10. What should I do if I had book visa support into one country
but then I had changed country of my arriving?

In this case you should obtain new letter of visa invitation for obtaining new visa.

11. What should I do if I had booked visa support but hadn't come?

In this case you'll pay us just for the letter of invitation.

12. What should I do if I had changed country of getting visa?

In this case you'll pay just for the letter of visa invitation. Then you'll send us by fax or e-mail name of another country where you wish to obtain your visa and we're starting a new one.

PERMITS, INSURANCE

13. What kind or insurance we need for the possible rescue helicopter flight?

You must insure you health and life in case of accident. The sum of you insurance has to be enough to cover expenses for rescue work; most expensive part is helicopter flights. We recommend you to be insured for the sum not less then 15 000 USD. The insurance should be arranged in your country.

14. What are: "Boarder permit (north side)" and "Royalty of climbing only south side"??? I don't understand these terms!

Boarder permit it is permission of visit boarder zone close to China, as you know China\Kazakh board is going over Khan Tengri, Marble Wall, so it needs special permit for anybody to visit this area, as from Kazakh side, so from Kyrgyz. Royalty it is climbing\trekking permit for climbing in this areas, only Kyrgyz side of trekking and climbing you have pay for that. Kazakh side for visiting or trekking and climbing is free.

HOTELS

15. Is there a place to stay in Almaty that you recommend?

There are many hotels in Almaty, where you can stay. Prices are verifying from $35 to $500 per day. It will depend on your wish and financial abilities.

FOOD

16. Would it be possible to send some food and equipment to you before our arrival, because if we will take it with us, there will be overweight in airport and we will have to pay for it? Or do you have another idea?

We do not recommend you to send the food, because there will be a lot of problems during custom clearance of your cargo. We suggest to you to buy food in supermarkets of Almaty, Bishkek or Tashkent, of course there are no special foods for high climbing, but most of kinds of international foods at present time you able to find here. Last year all our climbers bought food here and we had not heard any complains for that. You can send by cargo equipment, but we do not suggest this way as it will take about 50% of custom tax from cost of equipment and transfer and long procedure of paper work.

FIX ROPE

17. What about 'fixing ropes'? Does the price concern 1 rope of 50 m or whole place, which needs ''rope protection''? Imagine that some parts of climbing may require even 400-600 m of fixed ropes! What about costs then???

The price of fixing rope mean all rope that fixed on the road, it concern only climbing Khan Tengri and included in the cost of program.

18. What do you mean with 'fixing ropes on the route of ascent'? Did you fix new ropes for our group, or you mean the old rope for the former expedition?

Every year we are changing some old fixed ropes for new one and keeping old which is good condition for using.

ROUTE

19. For the Khan - Tengri the safest route is from North side (by report other groups), with right side spur. What is your opinion?

Yes, north side is safer then south, because in climbing from South side you have to pass close to slope of Chapaev peak, which one is snow avalanche danger as in sunny time, so in snowfall days, too. Ascending from North side you have go over Chapaev Peak that means climbers walk up additional 200 m, then decent to Camp III (5900 m). In case of climbing both peak Khan Tengri and Pobeda better to locate from South side, because of less expense for helicopter flights. If to be right time of crossing dangerous part of slopes Chapaev Peak at 5-8 AM, climbing from South side is easier then from North Side.

20. How much time we need from south base camp to the fit of Peak Pobeda (about 15 km) and are there any problems with that part of glacier Zvezdochka?

It is 4 hours walk over South Inylchek to foothills of Pobeda with ascending only 300 m up. This part of route is easy, usually climbers walk there alone.

21. Is it possible to make acclimatization in some other peaks around base camp North Inylchek?

Yes, there are several peaks possible climb for acclimatization, as Karlutay, Marble Wall, Pogrebezskogo, but we recommend getting acclimatization on the way of Khan Tengri that you plan to climb, as it is give more chances for summit top.

22. What is safest rout for the Peak Pobeda (we have some danger's part in classical ''D.Medzmarishvili'' rout), and how save is the other route in central part 'V.Smirnov' and 'V. Abalakov' rout?

Most difficult mountain from seven thousands peaks of former USSR is peak Pobeda. Difficulties not as technical, but as high altitude and long reach before summit. Safest road for climbing is normal road over Vazha Pshavela, there is also part road is fixing rope. V. Smirnoff road is most difficult road for Pobeda. Abalakov road is snow avalanche danger road.

23. How long is the west ridge from V.Pshavela to Main peak and what conditions are in a ridge?

It is 4 km and most difficult part of climbing because of usually there is strong wind, condition of ridge easy, no any technical, avalanche danger, only high altitude and wind difficulty.

24. How many days we need for ascent to Khan-Tengri or to Pobeda Peak (in normal weather conditions)?

Khan Tengri or Pobeda program is including days for acclimatization, two extra days for bad weather, usually it needs about 15 days to climb it. Of course everything depends on condition of team.