The Khan-Tengri Peak

Khan-Tengri peak belongs to the Tengri-Tag ridge of the Tien Shan, which lies between the borders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China. This peak has been known since ancient times, ancient Chinese authors and travelers wrote about it. In the mythology of the ancient peoples, this peak was called the habitat of one of the deities - the goddess of human fate Tengri. The name of the peak is translated from Turkic as "Lord of the Sky". Sometimes, at sunset, the marble on the top of the mountain in the light of the sun's rays gives off and shimmers red - for this, the local people called the mountain "Kantau" or "Kan-too" - a bloody mountain. It's funny that the height of the mountain itself does not reach only 5 meters to bear the proud name of the seven-thousander (6995 meters), but if you take into account the glacier located at the very peak, then its height is determined at 7010 meters. Khan-Tengri is not the only dominant peak in the area, the famous Pobeda Peak, Shatyor Peak, or rather two peaks (western and eastern), as well as many other noteworthy peaks are located nearby. The first conquest of Khan Tengri Peak was made in 1931 by an expedition from the USSR led by Mikhail Pogrebetsky. Interestingly, the danger then was represented not only by an unknown height and an unknown route, but also by the Basmachi, who hunted in local gorges. Khan-Tengri Peak is included in the list of peaks, having conquered which, the climber receives the honorary badge "Snow Leopard", awarded to the conquerors of seven-thousander peaks located in the expanses of the former USSR. Anyone who climbs to the top of the mountain can find a capsule there, in which the names of all who have visited it are inscribed. Because of the low pressure, you have to write with a pencil, and then the capsule with the names is buried back. The difficulty of climbing to the top of Khan Tengri is estimated at 5A-5B-6A. In total, there are about 25 different routes, but experienced guides know almost every slope here and can help you climb. From the south and from the north there are climbing camps. Khan Tengri is one of the few peaks honored to show off on national banknotes: its image is placed on a bill of 100 Kyrgyz soms of 2002.