Three Peaks challenges in Kyrgyzstan

The landscapes of Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is a deeply mountainous country, with the Tien Shan and adjoining ranges divided by valleys and enclosed basins. High ground is not limited to one corner: it shapes the country's regional geography and the connections between its settlements.

Issyk-Kul occupies a large basin between mountain ranges in the northeast. Farther west, the Fergana Valley approaches another set of highland margins, while central valleys divide the Tian Shan interior. These enclosed basins and intervening ranges give Kyrgyzstan several distinct mountain regions, despite high ground dominating the country as a whole.