Tien Shan 2026

This exploratory expedition aimed to make first ascents on previously unclimbed peaks in the Ak-shyyrak region of Kyrgyzstan. The team consisted of four experienced women mountaineers (all members of the Pinnacle Club) and three young, early-career mountaineers. Base camp was set at an altitude of 3,690m on a wide, flat river plain with no opportunity for descent to less than 3,000m for well over 80km. As a result, the team spent their first week in country in the Ala-Archa national park south of the capital city Bishkek where they made an ascent of Uchitel Peak (4535m) for acclimatisation purposes. Access to their planned base camp was made difficult by high river levels and it was eventually located 5km from the planned site and on the west rather than the east side of the river. This meant that the team's four principal objectives could not be attempted. Nevertheless, they climbed a total of 21 peaks between 4,057m and 4,739m of which they believe 15 to be first ascents.