Silk Road Sessions: Kazakhstan & Kyrgyzstan Powder Trip

Straight off the plane and straight into Kazakhstan's biggest city. Almaty sits at the foot of the Tien Shan, where wide Soviet-era boulevards run into tree-lined streets and the mountains loom at the end of nearly every road. A guided pass through the city's main sights, the perfect way to shake off the flight, meet the crew and get your bearings before the snow starts.

Opening day at Central Asia's best-known resort, high above the city. Settle the legs, get a feel for the local snow and let the guide team read the conditions and set the group's pace. Terrain is picked on the day.

New mountain. A second guided resort day from Almaty featuring fresh terrain and a change of scenery without the pack-up.

The third resort in three days, then the trip moves house. After the morning on snow, the group rolls out of the city and up into the mountains for the first night at Karkara Base Camp.

This is why you booked. No lift lines, no crowds, just a snowcat, your crew and a mountain of untouched snow. The cat hauls you uphill, the guides pick the descents off the day's conditions, and every run is yours. Two full days of it, straight from base camp.

Country number two. The day mixes the border crossing into Kyrgyzstan with a guided resort day at Ala Too, a brand-new range of terrain to open the second half of the trip.

The night you'll still be talking about. After skiing, the group pushes on to the Jyrgalan Valley and sleeps the traditional Kyrgyz way, six to eight to a yurt under woven felt, with dinner cooked local style and stories running long into the night.

Cat-ski day three, this time on Kyrgyz terrain. A full day in the backcountry with the guide team, finishing somewhere even better than the start.

The correct end to a cat-ski day. Steaming outdoor thermal pools just outside Karakol, snow on the peaks you spent the day riding, muscles officially on holiday.

Your day, your call. Take the horse-riding option and see the valleys the way locals have for generations, head up to Karakol ski resort for relaxed laps, take a city tour, or leave the boots in the corner and do nothing at all. All optional activities are an additional cost.

Use the free day in Karakol for a locally arranged horse-riding excursion. The route, duration, riding requirements and transport depend on the excursion booked.

Add another resort day instead of taking the day off. This is separate from the four included resort days: the lift pass, any additional guiding, equipment rental and activity transport are not promised by the base package.

Spend the free day exploring Karakol with an optional city tour. The tour is self-funded, with its stops, duration, transport and any entry fees to be confirmed when booking.

The snow's done, but the trip saves one more showstopper. On the drive back to Almaty the group stops at Charyn Canyon, a slot canyon of orange and crimson rock carved over millions of years, often compared to the American Southwest but with barely a crowd in sight. Time for a hike through the canyon before the final stretch to the city.

You can rent free ride skis and bindings with poles. Snowboard hire includes snowboard and snowboard bindings. We strongly recommend you hire or buy boots at home before coming on this trip as the quality is not great over there.

This includes a beacon, probe and shovel. You can also hire an avalanche bag at an additional cost, which can be sourced locally when you get there.