Ala-Too Resort at Jyrgalan, a new ski resort without prices yet

For the first weeks of December, plan to stay in Karakol and visit Jyrgalan as a day trip. The resort hasn't said which lifts will be running on 1 December, and the road from Karakol is still being built. Ala-Too Resort is going up in Ak-Suu district of Issyk-Kul region, 60–65 km from Karakol, next to the village of Jyrgalan (Zhyrgalan). It is a state project run by Ala-Too Resort OJSC and used to be called Three Peaks. On 30 October 2026 President Sadyr Japarov announced that the first phase would open on 1 December 2026, with six Doppelmayr lifts and more than 47 km of runs.

What we know about the lifts and runs

The Austrian company Doppelmayr is building the lifts. On 2 July 2026 two lines were technically launched, B-1 at 1,727 m long and B-2 at 2,296 m, and foundations were laid for four more stations. According to the Ministry of Economy, the first phase includes six lifts, runs, a rental shop and parking. The plan is for about 120 km of runs in the Jyrgalan zone and about 250 km across the whole cluster, which also takes in Ak-Bulak and Boz-Uchuk. Construction is phased until 2038 at a total cost of around €1.2 billion.

The skiresort.com catalogue lists two combined lifts with six-seat chairs and ten-seat cabins and 10 km of runs. That is probably out of date, but no official list of what will open on day one has been published either.

How much is a lift pass

As of 3 November 2026 the resort had not published prices for lift passes or rental, or its opening hours. Don't trust figures circulating on social media until the resort confirms them on alatooresort.kg. As a rough guide, a day pass at the nearby Karakol ski base costs 1,500–2,000 som.

How to get to Ala-Too Resort

1. Get to Karakol. It's about 400 km from Bishkek, 6–7 hours in winter; all the options are on our Bishkek to Karakol page. From Almaty, Asman Airlines flies to Karakol on Fridays and Sundays.
2. Karakol to Jyrgalan. Another 60–65 km east. The 65-km Karakol–Jyrgalan road is under construction, with 14.5 km of new asphalt on the Boz-Uchuk–Jyrgalan section. In winter, hire a driver who knows the road and set off early.
3. Resort transfers. The resort hasn't announced a shuttle of its own yet.

The nearest airport is Karakol, 60–65 km away. Its runway was extended to 3,750 m in 2026 and the operator talks about direct flights from the UAE, Russia and the CIS, but as of 3 November 2026 none are on sale. What flies now is in our Karakol airport guide.

Where to stay

The resort hasn't announced any hotels of its own, which leaves two options. You can stay in Karakol, which has the widest choice of lodging, and drive in each day, though that's 60–65 km each way on a road that is still being finished. Or you can stay in Jyrgalan village itself, at about 2,250 m, where the freeriders base themselves; our Jyrgalan page covers the village and where to sleep. Book early for New Year, because plenty of people will want to see the new resort in its first season.

Who it suits

In its first season, Ala-Too Resort makes most sense for people already skiing in Karakol who want to add a day or two on new runs. We wouldn't build a whole December 2026 trip around it until prices and a list of working lifts appear. Freeriders will find the most here: around Jyrgalan people ski with a guide between 2,250 and 3,500 m, with descents of up to 1,250 m, from November to April. There's more on our freeride and cat-skiing page, and every base in the country is compared in our guide to Kyrgyzstan's ski resorts.

Avalanches and safety

There's nothing public about an avalanche service or ski patrol at the resort. In October 2026 a tender was announced that includes three snowmobiles with rescue sledges and stretchers, to be delivered by 20 November. Take the slopes around Jyrgalan seriously: the Nomadsland freeride directory says the avalanche risk here is not negligible because of weak, cold lower snow layers, and strongly recommends a local guide. In February 2024, according to a private tour operator's blog, a French skier who had gone out alone died in an avalanche near Jyrgalan. Before you drop off the new runs into untracked snow, read our avalanche safety guide. The emergency number is 112.

If you'd like to go for the opening and need help with a car and lodging, send us a request.