Kazakhstan is one of the last places in Asia where you can ski for a week without sharing a slope. The season starts early in the Western Altai, when Ridder’s larch forests are already deep. It finishes late above Almaty, on glaciers and couloirs that stay in condition into May.

SnowMonkeys runs three guided trips here. All are small-group, all-inclusive, and built around IFMGA guiding rather than resort infrastructure. You bring your touring setup and avalanche kit. We handle the rest: transfers, beds, food, and the daily call on where to ski.

This is not a circuit of three resorts. It is two mountain ranges and two very different winters.
Why Ski Tour in Kazakhstan
  • Untracked terrain

    Ridder’s Western Altai still skis like a frontier. Tree runs, bowls and ridgelines that see almost no tracks outside a handful of guided groups.
  • A long, split season

    November to March for cold Altai powder. March to May for glacier snow above Almaty. You can pick the winter that matches how you like to ski.
  • Serious mountains, workable logistics
    Almaty is a real city with an international airport. Ridder is a short transfer from Oskemen (UKK). The wilderness starts at the edge of town, not after three days of approach.
  • Guided properly

    Every SnowMonkeys trip in Kazakhstan is led by IFMGA-certified mountain and ski guides, with avalanche training built into the first days and ratios no larger than 1:5.

When to Ski Tour in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is not one season. Choose the window that matches the trip

  • Western Altai, Ridder

    Months | November - March

    What the skiing is | Cold smoke, larch and pine, low-to-mid altitude. No acclimatisation needed. Best for deep days and tree skiing.

  • Tuyuk-Su & Shymbulak, above Almaty

    Months | March – May

    What the skiing is | Spring snow, glaciers, couloirs and long alpine descents. Higher, sunnier, more committing.
Early season favours Ridder. Late season favours the Almaty mountains. We do not run a single “Kazakhstan sampler” that tries to do both — the snow and the travel do not line up that way.
Our Kazakhstan Expeditions
Ski Touring in Western Altai, Kazakhstan – Ridder Expedition
Early-season powder in the UNESCO-listed Golden Mountains.

  • Season: November – March
  • Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
  • Ratio: Max 1:5
  • From: NZD $3,390
  • Airport: Oskemen / Ust-Kamenogorsk (UKK)
Based in the historic mining town of Ridder, this is expedition-style touring in a vast, quiet range: complex ridgelines, deep bowls and silent tree runs. Avalanche training sits at the start of the week. Wilderness begins at the edge of town.
View the Ridder expedition
Ski Touring in Tuyuk-Su, Kazakhstan – Glacier & Couloir Expedition
Hut-based high-alpine touring above Almaty.

  • Season: March – May
  • Duration: 9 days / 8 nights
  • Ratio: Max 1:4
  • From: NZD $3,890
  • Airport: Almaty (ALA)
A short drive from the city, then a hut in the Trans-Ili Alatau with glaciated terrain and peaks above 4,300 m. The week builds from nearby tours into remote glacier lines, with acclimatisation and crevasse rescue in the programme.
View the Tuyuk-Su expedition
Ski Touring Shymbulak Valley, Kazakhstan – Glacier & Yurt Camp
Spring touring from a 3,150 m yurt camp.

  • Season: March – May
  • Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
  • Ratio: Max 1:4
  • From: NZD $2,990
  • Airport: Almaty (ALA)
Gondola access from Shymbulak, then days on the Bogdanovich Glacier and around the old Cosmostation. Nights in a high yurt camp on the Talgar Pass. The most approachable of the three trips, without turning it into a resort week.
View the Shymbulak expedition

Which Kazakhstan trip is right for you

  • Choose Ridder if you want deep winter, trees, and a week that feels remote from day one. Fitness matters more than altitude. Strong intermediate to advanced tourers who are happy in cold, forested terrain.

  • Choose Tuyuk-Su if you want a serious alpine week: glaciers, couloirs, a mountain hut, and time to acclimatise. Best for confident tourers who are ready to use a harness, ice axe and crampons.

  • Choose Shymbulak if you want spring snow, big views, and a slightly easier logistical shape — yurt camp, gondola access, and glacier days without the full hut-and-couloir commitment of Tuyuk-Su.

Not sure? Email hello@snowmonkeys.co.nz with how you usually ski and which month you can travel. We will tell you plainly which trip fits.

Getting there from New Zealand

Kazakhstan is a long flight and a straightforward arrival

  • Airports

    Ridder trips meet at Oskemen / Ust-Kamenogorsk (UKK), about two hours from town. Tuyuk-Su and Shymbulak trips meet in Almaty (ALA). We include ground transfers from the meeting airport.

  • Flights

    From Auckland or Christchurch the usual pattern is a connection through Istanbul, Dubai, Seoul or similar, then a domestic or regional flight onward to UKK if you are going to Ridder. We send a flight-window once you book so you are not buying the wrong day.

  • Entry

    New Zealand passport holders can usually enter Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. Rules change. We confirm the current requirement with you at booking and you remain responsible for a passport valid for the trip.

  • What is included

    On every Kazakhstan trip: guiding, listed accommodation, meals at the destination, and ground transfers. International flights and travel insurance are not included. Bring your own touring skis or splitboard, boots, skins and avalanche kit — hire can be arranged on request. Full lists live on the equipment guide.
Who these trips are for
These are not first-week-on-skins holidays.

You should already be comfortable skiing off-piste in variable snow, touring for a full day with a pack, and using a transceiver, shovel and probe. Ridder is the most welcoming on altitude. Tuyuk-Su is the most demanding on alpine skill. Shymbulak sits between the two.

Groups stay small. Safety is the first decision of the day, not an add-on. If the snow or the weather is wrong, we change the plan.
Frequently Asked Questions

Looking Further

Kazakhstan sits in a wider SnowMonkeys season.
Plan Your Kazakhstan Trip
Have a month in mind, or want help choosing between Ridder and Almaty? Write to us.