“Guiding and running my own adventure travel company, I was so impressed how you have dialed this remote location. Every aspect has been well thought-out and I cannot say enough about the attention to detail each step of the way. It was so well done! Great job on building an incredible experience over such a long run! I will certainly be back.”

“Whoa!! What a week. I can say without a shadow of doubt the stoke has never been higher - even if we are all a bit too fatigued to put it into words. From summits to new lines to Yahtzee in the dining yurt, the memories will last for a lifetime.”

“One of the best trips I’ve done. The cultural experience, the skiing, and the way the whole trip is set up is unbelievable. I would totally recommend to others.”

“Without question, one of the best trips I’ve ever done. An amazing life experience all round.”

“Great snowboarding, with an adventure attached. Truly an epic once-in-a-lifetime trip made extra special by the new friends made.”

“I could go on and on. I loved it! All of it.”

“A week of non-stop snow and endless pow, delicious food, and a beautiful cultural experience.”

“Thank god there are people like you in the world designing trips like this to keep the stoke alive! Thanks for everything. It was a trip that I will never forget.”

“Best honeymoon ever! Great week of pow, food, games and adventure!”

“Had a great week with you guys. Beautiful alpine landscape, huge amounts of snow, and great people, drinks and food. Thank you for some great memories.”

“Thanks for a great week adventuring in the Kyrgyz mountains. Beautiful scenery and people. First ski trip with too much snow :) Hope to be back for more exploration.”

“Once in a lifetime...”

“Fresh powder, epic runs, unreal views, new friends, great stories, lessons learned, new skills unlocked, envelopes pushed, fears faced, sketchy moments managed, life memories made. Fun had by all. Thank you for a week I won’t soon forget.”

“A huge thank you for the amazing time in the mountains this week. The patience, wisdom and insights will be carried with me for a lifetime. I intend to be back so this isn’t goodbye it’s see you soon!”

“To all of the 40 Tribes crew: Thank you so much! I feel very privileged to have experienced Kyrgyz life. Amazing people, views, snow, food and a lot of laughs and great memories that I can take away with me.”

“Pow, sun, beer, YAHTZEE! A fun week beneath the stars. Thank you 40 Tribes.”

“Wow! I’m fortunate to have traveled a fair amount and had the benefit of worldly experiences but this will be remembered as one of the finest and most moving. The hosts have been fantastic at making us comfortable and well-fed. The guides were exceptional, competent, professional, and fun to be around. I learnt a great deal from Ptor’s guidance and wisdom and it’s a pleasure to be led by someone with so much passion and enthusiasm. A massive heartfelt thanks to all that are a part of 40 Tribes.”

“Merci, merci, merci for the amazing week in the mountains. Everyone’s been so welcoming - Nurbek with the awesome food, Ptor with his legendary mountain flair, Kas and Connor’s great vibes. Best trip, beyond my expectations!”

“Thank you for being expert vibe facilitators and taking us on an epic journey into the wild Kyrgyz mountains. The 3 modest yurts are deceivingly luxurious. The thick mattresses, cozy fire and red wood structure accents made for a beautiful home for the week. Waking up to a spectacular mountain view through the yurt window was my favorite. The hospitality, laughs and games played during the week simply added to the whole trip.”

“I hate writing sentimental shit, but the guides threatened me with a good time...and boy did they fucking deliver! Vibe facilitators on point, top tier chat, dank food, killer yurts, and the skiing was pretty cool too. 40 Tribes for the win.”

“Hands down the best trip I’ve had. Amazing location, great food (noodle dynamics) and above all, great people. Thanks a lot for sharing this amazing place with us!”

“Breathtaking location, beautiful people, amazing guides, thoughtful staff, incredible food... P.S. Condiment game on point!”

“With some dreaming and anticipation of what this trip would be like, we honestly don’t think we could’ve asked for a more profound, adventurous and epic trip. 40 Tribes and their partners delivered. Thank you so much for sharing this place with us, it’s truly a privilege.”

“Unreal mountains, unreal lines, unreal guides, and an unreal crew. 40 Tribes made this crazy trip seamless, all I had to do was focus on the shreds. Couldn’t have asked for a better week. This is a must for any adventure-seeking skier. Thanks to everyone who made this once-in-a-lifetime trip possible.”

“Before Kyrgyzstan/after Kyrgyzstan. That’s how my splitboarding will be noted. Thanks to the whole team for an incredible experience. Much dedication goes into crafting this type of adventure and much commitment is required in advance from all - guides, chef, skiers who dedicated years of their lives to become proficient enough to pull this off. This isn’t a vacation; it’s a lifestyle, transported overseas. And it’s fucking awesome.”

“What a trip! Absolutely flawless in every way - incredible lines, amazing camp management & food plus phenomenal guiding.”

“Thanks for a memorable floaty week! Great food, good company, knowledgeable and easy-going guides, and yurt ambiance. Thanks also for the great pre-trip communication so we were well prepared. Except you didn’t mention to bring marshmallows for the bonfire :)”

“Merci pour cette merveilleuse expedition au bout du monde! I appreciated the professionalism of the guide team, their pragmatic way of handling security, and moreover their kindness. The scenery was exceptional. The food excellent. I had never experienced such a deep and high quality snow, it was awesome!! Hope to have the opportunity to have another experience like that with 40 Tribes!”

“Very special place with awesome people. Guides have been great, navigating complex terrain safely and educating us along the way. Their skills and careful approach created a level of confidence that really let us feel comfortable ripping it.”

“Epic skiing with an awesome crew to support and guide the way. Will definitely be talking about this trip for the rest of my life.”

“The art of the turn is real here. Have never felt more in touch with the mountains while learning so much from epic guides. True culture, food and mountain experience that cannot be repeated elsewhere. Only thing to ask for next time...get the village techno guy to DJ the last night bonfire. Guy is a legend.”

“Thank you all for a wonderful time in the hills. I’m going home a very happy kid.”

“What an incredible treat to spend a week in Kyrgyzstan with such gracious and talented hosts. Every part of our journey was carefully considered and very well executed. My deepest gratitude to the guide team for sharing your expertise with us, keeping us safe and taking us out for some great skiing!”

“To the whole 40 Tribes team: This has been a special, unforgettable and very authentic experience down to the final bonfire. Will be signing up to the next one in no time.”

“I honestly had the most amazing week. I reckon we did 11 runs, and 3 or 4 of them are right up there with my favorite ever lines! The camp is awesome, the snow is awesome, and the whole crew is awesome as well. I guess see you in Svalbard...”

“40 Tribes gang: This was a wonderful trip. Thanks for making it possible to use splitboarding as a means for seeing the world and other cultures. The skiing was amazing. Some of the best snow I’ve ever seen and very aesthetic and beautiful mountains. See you on another trip sometime!”

“40 Tribes team: Thank you for an AMAZING week. Loved your spirits, high energy & positivity. Thank you for getting us into some of that epic kyrpow. The food was dee-lish!! Our bellies were smiling 24/7. We will absolutely be back for another 40 Tribes ski adventure in the future :)”

“Thank you so much for everything. For the early morning fires, the delicious meals, Sam’s jokes and upbeat attitude, Jess’ optimism and mountain knowledge, Pierce for sitting in the freezing cold to take photos, and to Ryan for putting it all together. Everything was excellent quality. Thoroughly enjoyed myself and highly recommended.”

“This trip was absolutely bomb. The pre-trip setup was as pro as it gets, Kyrgyzstan is a mind altering experience on all fronts (culture, history, geography, snowpack, culinary wizardry), Akim and Nurbek are saints, and the snow still has me reeling. Thank you!”

“A few days here are not enough! What a privilege to have access to our own zone, a foot of fresh pow, and meals prepared the Kyrgyz way by Nurbek the great. Akim’s 7am arrival to light a fire in the woodstove is perhaps the greatest way to wake up pre shred. A thousand thank yous for an insanely memorable trip!”

“The work you all have put in to open this special part of the world to us is truly amazing. This range is something else and I am grateful to have been able to shralp it with friends. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

“Ryan: I’ve completed a few ‘organized trips’ and your product is by far the best thus far. You pay attention to detail and that makes a big difference from start to finish. I love that you are living your dream and sharing it with others. Thank you for one of my favorite vacations thus far!!! Epic!”

“The views, the far-out adventure feeling, skiing massive uninterrupted alpine lines. The whole Kyrgyzstan experience was memorable.”

“Best guides I’ve ever had.”

“By far the most interesting and amazing place I have been on a snowboard. There wasn’t just one thing that made it great, it was the trip overall - the place, food, people, snow. Any trip I do in the future will be compared to this one and I’m not sure if they could be any better!”

“Con’t imagine a more authentic backcountry ski trip. Between the traditional yurts, the stellar ski terrain, Nurbek’s tasty cooking, and a last night with a bonfire and accordion music under a night sky plastered with stars. Right on, 40 Tribes!”

“Awesome. We rode bluebird powder for the whole trip, and what we couldn’t ski one day we could ski the next. It didn’t quite occur to me until the last day or two how truly special it all was. I was expecting more “novelty” skiing in the sense of not so great skiing in a novel place, so I was really happy that the skiing was so good!”

“I can’t imagine a better guided ski experience. Everything was beyond my expectations. Great guides, conditions, food and culture. Thanks so much for this never-to-be-forgotten experience!”

“Awesome experience going to such a remote part of the world and having everything so taken care of.”

“Thank you so much for your super guiding and hospitality! I enjoyed each day from the morning fire to the cozy sleep. A trip of a lifetime.”

“Words can’t describe such an epic experience! Thanks for all the epic pow, food and views! Hopefully more 40 Tribes trips to come.”

“Thank you for an amazing week of sweet awakenings, smoothly paved skintracks and lots of pow. It’s been a great experience.”

“It has been so cool to finally visit the 40 Tribes yurt camp after hearing about it 9 years ago when I was in Kashmir. Jules, Xav and Brandon were an epic guide team and Akim and Nurbek had camp ops running super smoothly. Couldn’t have asked for a better week! Thank you Ryan + 40 Tribes team. You guys rock!”

“Epic week in an incredible country. The terrain that is accessible from the yurts is second to none. Ryan has done an incredible job of capturing the Kyrgyz culture into one week in the mountains. Hope to make it back again in the future.”

“Thank you for making such a magical week possible! I’ll keep following you guys around and thank you for always taking such good care of your clients in every small detail.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! The week was absolutely amazing! The riding was all time, fantastic guides and a great local culture throughout. Already planning my next 40 Tribes adventure.”

“Amazing time here - great touring, riding and company. Hard work by everyone at 40 Tribes has made it all a fairly luxurious experience. My son called while I was here and is anxious to come next year. I sure hope to make that happen!”

“Snow, snow and more snow. Keep it coming up at Jalpak Tash. Amazing alpine lines and tantalizing trees. See you here in the near future.”

“Nine years later, I’m back up at Jalpak Tash and seeing/experiencing a vision that I’ve been hearing about for years. So fun to finally see this operation in action and explore these mountains with old and new friends. A lifetime memory here - thank you!”

“The greatest week of skiing with the best crew! Thanks for the phenomenal memories!”

“Thank you guys for an amazing week! Unreal views, skiing, food... Yurt life is sweet! Looking forward to more adventures.”

“Incredible week of skiing kyrpow with these guys. Great food, friends and hospitality. I would come back in a heartbeat. No one knows these mountains better than Ryan and the guides. I would recommend to anyone.”

“Epic trip and experience of a lifetime. Thanks to everyone who comes together every year to make these dreams come true.”

“What a magical place you have set up. Thank you for all of the work to make our week great.”

“Ptor is everything you want in a ski guide.”

“Kyrg Family: Thank you a million times over for the fantastic week, filled with an excess of snow, cognac, laughter and backcountry learning. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but everything surpassed my greatest expectations. Here’s to our next adventure together.”

“Dear 40 Tribes Jalpak Tash Yurt Family: Thank you for the most magical week ever. Too much goodness and love to express here. Grand all the way around - skiing, food, people. Love the love.”

“What an amazing week! Thanks for an outstanding experience. The guiding was top-notch, the terrain excpetional, and the food delicious. I’ll never forget the Kyrgyz hospitality and my yurt family. Sorry we drank through the whole bar :D”

“I may not be as well traveled as many of the people who come through, but I can’t think of a better place to start my travels. This place is incredible and I won’t soon forget the experience. Thanks for the awesome lines, the great food, and good company.”

“Wow. Just wow. I try to travel though life with low expectations, but they were high for this trip, and were far exceeded. This whole experience is amazing, from the local culture to the epic lines and the companionship, from the airport to the yurts. This is a trip I’ll never forget.”

“40 Tribes blew my mind. We constantly searched for adventure on this trip and it exceeded anything I dreamed of. Thanks Ryan and Ty for all of the backcountry and splitboarding knowledge. I have come out with so much new knowledge and I feel like the trip has really set me up for splitting in the backcountry. Keep Givin It Guts!!!”

“Dear 40 Tribes + Splitfest crew: It sure was an amazing week. I seriously fucking love you all. Hope you do hugs because I’m bringing it in for the real thing when it’s time to say goodbye”

“Many thanks for this awesome experience we had. It was insane! Probably one of my best weeks ever. I will never forget dropping in on Yurtzee!!! Fuck yeah! Such an awesome big line! Love,”

“Squad: The definition of adventure!!! Thank you so much for the big lines, great food, and amazing company. I’m at a loss for words to describe how I feel about this experience. Blessed, mind expanding, modern day explorers, blower!!!”

“Holy Schnitzel! The last week was filled with pow, climbing, feasting (thanks King Nurbek), Yahtzeeing, and just smashing some lines. The perfect combo! Thanks guys for shredding with us!”

“Ptor, now I know why you keep coming back :) Love this place and its people. Thank you!!!”

“We couldn’t have wished for more. The whole week was epic, from the food to the yurts, the weather, the team, the lines, and the unbelievable powder. Very much also enjoyed the Yahtzee games as well as the bonfire. Always never not don’t stop never not shredding pow!”

“What an amazing time with you guys! Such a perfect setup in a totally incredible place, it is so much more than just powder skiing. This experience has been an incredible one in all its forms, not so much more to say!”

“INSANE IN THE MEMBRANE! Best powder skiing of the year.”

“Best week of ski touring ever. Thank you so much, 40 Tribes, from the POGO Team. Such a cool setup. Yeehaw!”

“Awesome week, top conditions, great group. Trip I will remember for a long time. You have a great little secret here...keep it!”

“So rad to see this operation in full swing. What an amazing experience, from pow slashing to Nurb’s cooking to the cultural learning. Loved it end to end.”

“Thank you so much for a ripper week #alwaysnevernotshreddingpow. We’re happy to have helped name 3 runs: ‘Dog on Dog,’ ‘Spreadable Cheese,’ and ‘Mustache Ride.’ We’re also going down as the most spreadable group, crushing 3 tubs of cheese alone. And the most burnable poo tickets. We can’t wait to return. Vodka shots all around!”

“Thanks for the awesome trip. This is one of the sickest zones on the planet that you’ve found and shared with us. YEEEWWW! Thanks for the epic lines and powder, and keeping us safe and enjoying the good vibrations.”

“Big thanks to the whole 40 Tribes team for making Splitfest 2017 unbeatable. Way beyond anything I could have imagined. The whole experience was incredible. Things will never be the same again!”

“This was easily the best snowboarding trip I’ve been on thanks to a combination of the location, the solitude, the crew and the setup. 40 Tribes has got something very special going on and in such a unique part of the world. I’m thankful to have had the chance to experience it.”

“This trip was much more for me than the skiing alone. It’s hard for me to explain but I will forever be different and I mean that in a good way. I’m 59 years old and I still learned some things about myself. Amazing country!”

“Incredible, incredible, incredible. The only three words that can describe this place, the snow and the guides.”

“The best way to provide my overall impression is to tell you that I was choked up when saying my goodbyes and prior to shredding down into valley. Truth be told, I have never had a more spiritual experience then what you and 40 Tribes were able to provide. 40 Tribes reignited my love for snowboarding. Thank you.”

“What can I say...F’ing Awesome Time! You guys put together an amazing trip with the perfect blend of culture and shredding. Thanks for the good vibes and laughs. Happy shredding!”

“Guiding was the best I’ve ever had. Perfect mix of feeling totally safe and you guys taking the situation seriously, but also super fun. ”

“Thank you for an epic journey. I couldn’t have asked for a more amazing introduction to Kyrgyzstan. Your professionalism in the mountains and the atmosphere and friendship is something I won’t forget. I hope that this is the start of many new adventures with 40 Tribes.”

“Just amazing. Makes me proud to work in tourism when I see that kind of setup.”

“Maybe the best ski trip I have ever had.”

“Guys I had an incredible time here. Great vibes, meals, and overall, people! Keep doing the good job.”

“Thanks for the awesome camp, good food, and GREAT skiing. Good stuff.”

“You guys rock. Snowboarding and pow shots are good, but what makes a place amazing are the people you meet and memories you make. Ryan, you hit the nail on the head. Thank you for showing me a place so simple yet so magical. My heart will hold a space for these mountains and people!”

“Thanks for two amazing weeks at Jalpak Tash! Super stoked I got to do all of the lines we did (that I could only look at last year). I had to come back! This spot and zone is one of my favorite places in the world!”

“The 40 Tribes splitfest was the perfect adventure for me. A remote, exotic destination, stunning scenery, great crew, fascinating culture and many new friends. All perfectly packaged by Ryan and the others at 40 Tribes.”

“Hey hey from the Green Mountains of Vermont. You all have created something exceptionally special here. The terrain, the guiding style, the pace, the food, music, Yahtzee!, and overall commitment to a safe, fun time. Being here this week has been a great privilege. Thank you!”

“BIG THANK YOU! For….. everything! Atmosphere, food (oh yes! we eat like kings), wonderful mountains, safe and amazing guiding. Remember! YOU MUST SKI! YOU MUST DRINK!”

“An awesome adventure in a remote and beautiful part of the world. Waist deep powder, face shots, food to lick your plate for, and a fantastic team of people who love to shred. Epic trip!”

“Felt at home, chilled out vibe, comfortable, amazing food, fantastic setup. Not only had a great time but learned a ton from you guys, both as a skier and a person. Thanks!”

“Amazing! Most importantly you were all a good bunch of guys to share some laughs and spend a week with. I think my friends are getting sick of me talking about Kyrgyzstan.”

“Kyrgyzstan was a definite highlight for 2015. Great country, fantastic people, excellent food and some huge potential for phenomenal skiing.”

“We had an amazing time skiing the amazing Kyrgyz mountains with you guys. We could not have wished for a better skiing trip. Waking up with the crackling fire…enjoying coffee in our sleeping bags…walking through the trees…bootpacking to the tops and shredding down…having beers and one of Nurbek’s great local dishes. We loved it.”

“The total experience was just phenomenal, from both a cultural and skiing/skinning side. Great how you set up the trip with this focus on the culture and authentic approach.”

“Beautiful mountains and only for us. Really an experience.”

“Ryan runs a tight ship in the middle of the wilderness. Not even 1 airplane flew overhead in our week here. Just the stars and the snow, great food, good folk, and top guiding with Ptor. An out of the box experience.”

“Ptor, Ryan, Wayne, Kas and Nurbek provide everything you could possibly need for an amazing (the most amazing) ski touring experience. Thanks for an incredible time.”

“Thanks for an absolutely awesome and unique week up in the Kyrgyz Mountains. Sau Geil! We are totally stoked in general and particularly for naming two first descents. Fantastic place, great mountains, silence, pure nature, and great skiing! Thanks again you guys, you’re a great team!”

“Such an amazing, wild and remote place. Exploring it on skis made it one of my top mountain experiences ever. Your concept is the perfect combination for psyched backcountry skiers who love vast landscapes, wild mountain scenery, silence, intact nature, basic life and fantastic skiing!”

“Dear 40 Tribes team, What an adventure! Great to spend it with you guys! We are converts now: the fatter the better!! Cheers to downbooties, straightlines, excellent food, bottomless snow, and breathtaking views!”

“The guiding was an absolute highlight. The guides put a lot of thought into varying the tours, scenery, level of difficulty, etc. Well done!”

“Fantastic cooks! Not easy to get the logistics of mountain cooking so well done!”

“I’m honestly still hyped every time I think back to the trip 2 months on. Comfortable yurts, great hosts, every detail was thought through. Such an incredible place. Haven’t had many guides in the past but can’t imagine feeling more at ease with one than Ptor.”

“A fabulous week – a real privilege to ski with you guys and get to know these mountains. Food very good, yurts comfortable and warm.”

“My experience was so damn good! I have mentioned 40 Tribes to everyone that will listen. Even those that won’t. I’d love to ride with Greg again. To pick his brain a bit. He was a great guide: humble, thoughtful, and professional.”

“Thanks 40 Tribes. You’re a bunch of awesome dudes, I love what you’re doing here. I had an awesome adventure and will miss it dearly.”

“Never had an arranged driver before so I felt like royalty man! Hop off the plane, grab yer bags, wink at the husky Kyrgyz customs lady in the fur lined hood, high five yer 40 Tribes driver, and yer off to slay some Tien Shan pow!”

“Definitely one of the coolest trips I’ve been on.”

“It was really the trip of a lifetime. I’ve traveled with guides in the mountains on a number of trips (both climbing and boarding) and I really felt that Greg was a cut above. He gave me great confidence in his technical ability, and I found him to be endlessly patient and polite. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him and would happily ride with him again.”

“Thanks guys for a rad week, great lines, great tours, OK jokes. See you all again.”

“Ptor is a machine. Well selected lines up and down.”

“We were there during a week of very challenging and rapidly changing conditions. So what blew my mind is that every day the guides were able to come up with amazing new places for us to ski. It’s a testament to the variety of terrain accessible, and also to the quality of the guiding.”

“We sampled a lot of the terrain around the yurt. It was so rad how we rode something almost every day that no one had skied before. Amazing how close to the yurt those lines ‘Jupiter’ and ‘Asteroid’ are!”

“Felt honored to be guided and entertained by the likes of Ptor and thoroughly enjoyed both his and Greg’s company, advice, and conversation, both on and off the mountain.”

“Really enjoyed my time, big respect for what you have put together and long may it last. I had a great week, some great turns, learned a lot, and will now carry 5 dice in my touring pack!”

“The terrain around the yurt is awesome. Great variety and lots of options. Terrain is no limiter here!”

“The best skiing experience of my life. Period.”

“Great 6 days of fine weather. Snow was wind affected in the alpine but enough to keep us all busy…and then there were the trees! By night we excelled at Yahtzee and moderate imbibing of local beverages. Thanks Ryan, Ptor, Kas and Azamat for the guiding, cooking, and being genuinely nice blokes. A wonderful stay!”

“Excellent. A memorable experience and part of one of the best ski trips I have ever had.”

“Thanks guys for these epic days that seemed way too short, and for the many chilled-out nights in the yurt with such awesome dinners! We had a blast.”

“After a couple of days in Bishkek and Karakol we made our way up the mountains to the yurt. The weather was perfect and the views stunning – it was more than we expected! Greg the avalanche instructor has turned our world upside down when it comes to avalanche awareness. We have definitely learned a lot this week and it’s something we will bring back home to use when we play around in the mountains. This trip would not have taken place were it not for Ryan and his epic setup! We will most definitely come back. Best regards from Team Norway!”

“We could not have asked for a better 4 days to learn about avalanches, take in the stunning scenery, and enjoy some sweet yurt livin’. Great instruction, great company, amazing food…and some nice turns to wrap it all up! You’ve really put something special together here, Ryan. Thanks for sharing.”

“The Swedes without much expectations showed up in this beautiful country and what a success so far! Despite some inexperience of ski touring we have had some great ascents, a few PERFECT runs, avalanche awareness and snowy clouds for four days. We hope we’ve brought lots of snow to be settled for stellar February conditions.

When it comes to the organization and accommodation in the yurt we just want to say thank you – a perfect blend of comfort and coziness, great service, and super great people.”

“Fully stoked! We have all been amazed by this whole thing. We don’t have terrain like this back in NZ so couldn’t get enough of the views and the aura amongst these hills. This is the first real, legit deep pow we have come across on our journey so we were just freaking out the whole time! Awesome hosts! Ryan, much respect! You are on to a good thing here. Thanks so much for all of your help in making this happen for us.”

“DA YURT is so awesome, mountains so nice, powerful, amazing! We just spend an awesome trip like will never hope to have it. It was just perfect for the ski, for the vibes, just a mega THANKS!!”

“Ryan, you had a very great idea coming here and doing this! Congratulation! Now I will always drink my vodka thinking about Kyrgyzstan, Kasidin – the fire master, Anarbek – the real chef, and all of the great and amazing virgin powder line we ski this week…PERFECT!”

“We were making as amazing dreams in the day than in the night! I’ll never forget a so awesome experience. In the yurt with really good meal and powerful fire. In the mountain with incredible snow. Ryan…thank you for the weather :)”

“I’m seriously impressed. It’s a long, long way from Colorado and it takes a hell of a mixture of courage and intelligence to set up an operation like this, all before the age of 30. I wish you the very best of luck, and leave wondering what you will have achieved and what you will be doing by 40!”

“Thanks for putting in all the effort and making 40 Tribes possible. The days I spent here were everything I expected and more. The tours were stunning, on the up as well as the down, and I felt like you were letting us in on a personal secret. It felt really special.”

“My memories: The stunning scenery whilst skinning up, the views across the plains, the moonlight and campfires, great mountain food, the local people’s hospitality, the white horse on the skin to the yurt. Thank you for setting this up, Ryan, it has been incredible.”

“At 2,600m and -15C you have managed to create a boutique backcountry yurt of exception. What an experience, I have loved every moment of it. Thanks and hope to see you all again.”

“Had we bigger, fatter skis we might have kept our reputation as reasonable skiers. All that fades into insignificance to this whole fantastic amazing experience: 10 guys in a yurt for a week, comfortable & well-fed, bonfires and Yahtzee all night. Thoroughly enjoyed it all. Thanks.”

“A wonderful experience: the location, living in a yurt, the skiing, and the people and their culture; all have given us an opportunity to learn and grow. So far from our everyday lives – fantastic, thank you.”

“So many amazing memories to take away – the stunning scenery, the starry nights, the awesome terrain…but most of all the warmth and the welcome of the yurt.”

“Your project is a great one…I hope many people discover this country, this specific place, and this way of living.”

“Vodka shots at Nurbek’s, lake views, the bright mountains out the door, stars galore, fireworks, gorgeous tours, and a super sweet cozy yurt. An incredible start to 2011, couldn’t have asked for better.”

“This is a special place above Ichke Jergez, the result of months of hard work and years of experience with the local culture. A ski yurt, about as far off the grid as you can get, that’s as good for us as for the Kyrgyz villagers who allowed it to be here.”