tour packages
aC-MUZTAGH-ATA PROGRAM

Muztag Ata is an isolated massif rising from the western end
of the Takla Makan Desert in the Sinkiang Province of China.
It lays in the hub of the great mountain ranges of Asia,
with the Karakoram to the south, the Pamir to the west and
the Kun Lun and Tien Shan to the north.
The summit has gentle slopes of 25-30 degrees stepness.
Muztag Ata may be a technically easy mountain, but it is a
full-scale Himalayan climb on a major 7,000m peak and you
need to be able to cope with load carrying and setting up
camps high on the mountain. At 7,546m. Muztag Ata is perhaps
the highest ski-able mountain in the world. Of course, its
early pioneers did not have skis and deep snow thwarted
early attempts on it. It was eventually climbed in 1956 by a
large Sino-Russian expedition, which placed a total of 31
climbers on the summit. Three years later even this success
was topped when 33 members of a Chinese expedition climbed
it, 8 of who were women. The first ski ascent of Muztag Ata
was made in 1980 by an American expedition led by Ned
Gillette.
Route description
We use three camps above base camp. The first camp is likely
to be close to the snow line. In this case we will use pack
animals to transport all expedition supplies to Camp 1.
Above this point all team members will need to participate
in load carrying between camps. In addition to putting the
necessary supplies in place, this also provides essential
acclimatisation and fitness for the summit attempt.
Camp 1 is at about 5,350 m: a steep, stony ascent from BC
and right on the edge of the glaciers that blanket the upper
2,000 m of the mountain. It is a wonderful eyrie of a place
with extensive views over pastures, hills, desert, the
'jewel' of lake Karakol and the white ramparts of Kongur.
From camp 1, the route is a steady ascent up a snowy and
sometimes icy slope, through an area of crevasses and then
negotiating a small 'valley' in the glacier; this is the
steepest part of the whole route. The ice scenery is awesome
and a striking contrast with the brown land beyond. Above
the 'valley', a long and unrelenting ascent leads up to the
site of camp 2, a small shelf in the glacier at about 6,100
m. There will probably be 2 or 3 ascents to camp 2, carrying
loads for this camp and the one above. This is great for
acclimatisation and great for the skiers as there is an 800
m run back to camp 1 with an empty sac!
It is possible to fix a camp virtually anywhere on the upper
part of the mountain. Teams may use a camp 3 at 6,450 m or
6,800 m. Issues such as: acclimatisation, load carrying,
snow conditions, sleeping comfort and average group speed
will be taken into consideration when deciding what approach
to use.
The route to the summit is straightforward; from 6,800
m-7,400 m a long, gradual slope slowly eases becoming
gentler and gentler. Finally, with the ground appearing
almost level, the small rise to the summit rocks appears.
Beyond is the huge abyss of the east side of the mountain
and all around is the vast emptiness of Central Asia,
interrupted only by the high, white ridges of Kongur and the
snowy peaks of the Pamirs. In clear conditions, the high
peaks of the Karakoram range can be seen to the south.
climnbing program for 2008:
DAY1
Entry to Beijing . Arrive at Beijing and transfer to hotel.
DAY2 Beijing sightseeing Full day sightseeing tour in Beijing visit
Forbidden city, Temple of Heaven , Tian`anmen Square.
DAY3 Beijing/Urumqi/Kashgar. Fly to Urumqi in the afternoon
flight then fly to Kashgar with a night flight.
DAY4 Kashgar. Free day at Kashgar ,visit the Grand Mosque,the
Fragrant tomb,the Sunday Bazar.
DAY5 Kashgar/Karakul Lake The drive to Lake Karakol takes 5-6 hours ,have
lunch there,We will spend the night in yurts by the lake.
DAY6 Trek to Base Camp. Drive to Subash Village where we meet
our camels and start walking to the base camp with the camels carrying the
team's equipment,
DAY7-8 Preparation at B.C Base camp is at an altitude of approximately 4,350m (
14,500ft ) so time is needed for adaptation to the altitude.
DAY 9-22 Ascent to Muztagh Ata.
DAY 23 Base Camp/Karakul Lake/Kashgar. Return to Base camp and
back to Kashgar.
Day 24Kashgar - Urumqi . Kashgar rest ,then take afternoon
flight back to Urumqi .
Day25 Urumqi - Beijing . Fly to beijing by morning flight , on
arrival transfer to hotel. rest of the day at free at laisure.
Day26 Departure Departure from Beijing .