Ascent of Big Chimgan (большой чимгаn)

Last Sunday I made it to the top of Big Chimgan (3,309 meters / 10,856 feet). It was a brutal ascent, 7 kilometers basically straight up, climbing from 1,600 meters from the road. My Strava app recorded 5 hours and 30 minutes of walking time, an elevation gain of 1,675 meters (5,495 feet), and a total round trip of 14.19 kilometers. I am pleased that my 56 year old body can still do physical feats like this. I was dead exhausted at the end and kind of melted into the seat of my car. For the next few days, I could feel the lactic acid buildup in my thighs as I walked down any sets of stairs. A week later, I am fully recovered and look forward to some more mountain adventures.

We left Tashkent at 5:00 AM and drove to the village of Chimgan, about a 90 minute-drive from the city. We started walking from an old ski resort, just outside of the village of Chimgan. The first 5 kilometers of the hike is steep but pretty straight forward. It was mostly a dirt path winding through over-grazed grasses, with the occasional bush or small tree. The views of the Charvak Reservoir and the village of Chimgan, nestled in the valley were spectacular. It was a hard slog, I would take 20 steps or so, and then stop to breathe and take in the scenery. Uzbeks don’t really have proper switchbacks and a formal trail system like in North America. It is mostly walking along paths used by shepherds. Livestock is moved around mountain valleys up and down depending on the season. There are many paths worn down by generations of livestock minders. We saw a couple heards of sheep and horses and lots of droppings.

The last two kilometers is where it got rocky and interesting. Looking up at the peak, I couldn’t an easy route to the top. The guides led us on a windy route around huge outcroppings. We didn’t have to use ropes or crampons, but there were some technical sections that required using hands and feet to scramble over boulders. One section had a thick wire to assist climbers over a particularly steep cliff. I made it through without using the wire. I thank my yoga practice for my improved balance and flexibility.

It felt so good to finally make it to the top and ring the bell! Yes, some masochist did carry up an iron kettle bell you can seein the photo above. It makes for a great photo opportunity, holding the weight, while at the peak. We had a second lunch at the top and admired the incredible views of the mountains. You could see the snow-capped peaks of Krygstan in the distance. It is a huge, undeveloped area of mountains stretching for miles and it would be fun to keep going and explore the canyons and peaks.

Going back down for me was the hardest part. Because of the steepness of the trail and loose rock and gravel, it was very easy to slip and fall. Several of our party hit the ground. It was slow going for me as I didn’t want to incur and injury and slowly, we made it out of the rocky area and back to the tree line.

I would like to thank Katie for organizing the trip and my companions in the group who encouraged me to finish. We had a lot of laughs during our suffering and it made it more enjoyable. Would I do it again? Not anytime soon, but it would be good to try it in the spring or summer when it is a bit greener. It was a once in a lifetime experience and it was one of my big goals while I am living in Uzbekistan. Another of my goals is to circumnavigate the Charvak Reservoir by bicycle.