Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek

Lenin Peak is a mountain peak that is 7,134 meters (23,406 feet) high located in the Pamir Mountains on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is regarded as one of the easiest 7000-meter peaks to climb, making it a popular peak for mountain climbers and mountaineers from around the world to the summit.

The Lenin Peak Base Camp (Camp One) is located at the foot of Lenin Peak at an elevation of 4,400 meters/14,435 feet. It is where mountaineers acclimatize for a few days before beginning their journey towards the summit. For this Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek, we not only hike up to Camp One, but we spend two nights there in its tents.

The best time to trek or hike up to Lenin Peak Base Camp is during the summer months between July and early September. The temperatures at this time are warm and range from -5 to +5 degrees Celsius at night to 20-25 degrees during the daytime. The weather is relatively stable, but as this is a high mountain area it can change at any time so it is important to be prepared for this. This is also the time when the hiking trail is most safe from snow and ice.

Hiking up to Lenin Peak Base Camp is considered a difficult or challenging trek due to its steep ascents and descents, high altitudes and mountain passes, and difficult terrain with scree, snow, and rocks. Trekkers should be physically fit with experience with treks at altitude with steep climbs and challenging trails.

Our Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek is 8 days long, starting first with Jiptick (4,185 m) and Sary Mogul (4,306 m) mountain passes and building up to Base Camp One (4,400 meters / 14,435 feet) and Yuhina Peak (5,130 meters / 16,830 feet). It’s important to have a good level of fitness for this trek and take time to acclimatize properly. If you have trouble with altitude and steep ascents at the beginning, we can assist you with horses over the first couple of passes. However, the trek to Peak Lenin Base Camp and Yuhina Peak will be without luggage and horses to support.

Hiking to Lenin Peak Base Camp (as opposed to climbing to the top of Lenin Peak) requires no specialized mountaineering equipment. Trekkers should have sturdy hiking boots, warm clothing layers (it gets especially cold at night), water and wind-proof jackets, a sleeping bag, and a day backpack to carry essentials like snacks, water and sunscreen.

You can find a specific packing list and gear recommendations for our Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek above under “Trip Details.”

The accommodation at Lenin Peak Base Camp One (4,400 meters / 14,435 feet) are comfortable, especially considering the high and remote location. It consists of individual (2-person) alpine tents that come with a sleeping mat (you need to have your own sleeping bag) and shared bathrooms (divided by gender). Hot meals are provided to everyone in a big group dining tent. All supplies are brought in by the trekking companies, and the camp usually begins in July and ends in early September.

Our 8-day Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek has a combination of different accommodations, including family guest houses, yurt stays and tents. With the guest houses and yurt stays, expect to share a room with 3-6 people with shared toilets (usually outside, so be sure to have a headlamp to navigate). You will be provided with a bed or mat, and warm blankets. Hot showers are available on days 1, 3(during lunch), and 5. You can see more information in “Trip Details” above.

These are not luxury accommodations, but they are all clean and offer a personalized touch. We work directly with local families who are the hosts to make sure these are an authentic experience. In fact, sleeping in yurts in the mountains is often one of the highlights for travelers on our treks.

The Pamir-Alay Mountains in Kyrgyzstan are very safe and you don’t need to worry about personal attacks or theft. However, Lenin Peak Base Camp is at a high altitude of 4,400 meters / 14,435 feet so there is a risk of altitude sickness and extreme cold as the temperatures drop considerably at night and the wind can be fierce.

In order to prevent altitude sickness, trekkers should acclimatize properly before attempting to hike to Lenin Peak Base Camp and Yuhina Peak (see more information on this below). In addition, pack warm and wind/waterproof layers to stay warm in changing mountain weather.

When you book a guided Lenin Peak Base Camp Trek with us, our experienced guides will provide you with advice and support to manage altitude sickness and other possible illnesses.

Yes, trekkers need a special permit from the Kyrgyzstan government to hike to Lenin Peak Base Camp and it costs around $15 for the regular application time (1-3 weeks) and $30-$50 for expedited services (e.g., 1-3 days). It is important to obtain the permit before embarking on the trek to Base Camp One. The permit can be obtained through a local tour company.

Note: Visit Alay includes the application process and cost of the permit (for regular speed applications) for Lenin Peak Base Camp as part of the tour price.

The Pamir-Alay Mountains have some high-altitude mountain passes (over 4,000-5,000 meters) and trails, so it’s important to take precautions against altitude sickness, especially if you don’t have prior experience trekking or hiking at altitude.

This Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek has four mountain passes over 4,000 meters / 13,120 feet and one peak summit at 5,130 meters / 16,830 feet, meaning that acclimatizing to altitude will be very important for its successful completion. We recommend the following steps and precautions to avoid altitude sickness for a more enjoyable experience. These recommendations apply to the Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek and any of our high-altitude trekking tours.

Recommendations to Avoid Altitude Sickness

• Rest for at least one night in Osh after your international flight: This is important if you are traveling a long distance and have jet lag. Starting the trek rested will help your body adjust to altitude in the next days.
• Acclimatize with a lower elevation hike or trek first: We highly recommend you take a trek at 2000-2500 meters around Kyrgyzstan before this trek. We have other horse treks or treks by foot at lower altitudes if you plan to take them.  
• Drink lots and lots of water: One of the best ways to combat altitude sickness is by drinking lots and lots of water. Try and start and end your day by drinking a liter of water. Your body will be thankful for it. 
• Eat, even if you might lose your appetite at altitude: It’s common to not be very hungry at high elevations, but it’s still important to try and keep eating so that your body has energy to use when climbing ascents and going up. Take nuts or dried fruits (the Osh Bazaar is a great place to pick these up) as healthy snacks along the hiking trail.
• Move slowly when trekking or hiking at altitude:  A slow and steady pace walking up hills and when climbing up to high mountain passes is the best way to not tire yourself out and also allow your body to adapt to the higher elevations. This is much better for your body than racing up a hill and then resting for long periods of time.
  

Note: Some of our clients come directly without doing any high altitude adaptation. They just start the trek one day after they arrive in the country. It affects their sleep and causes headaches during the trek. However, all of our customers manage to do the trek even though they get high altitude issues thanks to the support of our expert trekking guides. On this Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek, it is possible to use horses for support over Jiptick and Sary Mogul Passes, but not on the hike to Base Camp or Yuhina Peak. These high altitude segments of the trail need to be done on foot.

Yes, all of our trekking and hiking tours in Kyrgyzstan are fully guided and supported tours and that includes this guided Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek (8 days). This means you will always have a mountain guide during the trek to guide and support you along the trail.

Our experienced guides have at least three year’s guiding experience and will provide you with all the necessary information you need for the trek and guide you along the hiking trails. They will be with you at all times to make sure everything is OK, safe and provide support if you need additional help. All the guides speak a good English and little bit of Russian.

The Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek includes an experienced mountain guide, horsemen, horses to carry luggage/gear (until Tulpar Kol Lake), and transport transfers. This means that all you need to do each day is enjoy the stunning scenery and experience without worrying about getting lost, where to eat and sleep, and carrying heavy gear. All of that will be taken care of you by us.

Please see above for a full list of services included in this trekking tour.

There are clean mountain springs throughout the Pamir-Alay Mountains and specifically during the first few days of the Peak Lenin Base Camp Trek. We can refill water bottles from these springs. To be on the safe side, bring purification drops or powder to clean river or spring waters. Yurt stays will provide boiled water, if needed. Homestays have bottled waters brought from cities where you can refill your bottle or you can ask for boiled water.

For the second part of this trek from Tulpar Kol Lake to Peak Lenin Base Camp to Yuhina Peak, there will be fewer mountain springs so drinking water will be provided by the yurt camp and Base Camp.

We advise visitors to drink as much water as possible to avoid dehydration and avoid altitude sickness.