Foundation Stone Laid at Central Asia’s Largest Ski Resort in Kyrgyzstan – Glamping Passion

The foundation stone for central Asia’s largest ski resort, Ala-Too, was laid this August 8, 2025. Slated to become the first modern ski resort in the history of Kyrgyzstan, the ambitious project consists of three ski resorts: Jyrgalan, Ak-Bulak, and Boz-Uchuk—that will be interconnected upon completion to boast a total of 250 kilometers (155 miles) of groomed runs. While the ski season at Ala-Too is planned to last for a staggering seven months thanks to snow retention systems, the resort will be open year-round and is hoping to attract 850,000 visitor annually and create around 5,000 jobs for the region.

The Ala-Too project was formerly known as Three Peaks Project or Kyrgyz Courchevel, as French company Société des Trois Vallées (S3V), one of the first operators of the world-famous Courchevel resort, planned to undertake the implementation of the project. However, in April this year the government announced it had decided to take on the project itself with the help of outside investors.

Situated in the Tian Shan range near Lake Issyk-Kul, the project will be completed in three stages and will ultimately span nearly 4,000 hectares (9,884 acres) of alpine terrain. Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Zhaparov joined Michael Doppelmayr, chairman of Doppelmayr, to mark the start of construction earlier this month. Doppelmayr, the world’s leading ski lift manufacturer, is not only providing the resort’s (and country’s) first two gondolas, but is also involved in planning the resort layout through its subsidiary Input Projektentwicklungs GmbH.

The first stage sees the construction of Jyrlagan Resort, which will be the largest resort with 120 kilometers (75 miles) of ski slopes. The resort will also feature three-, four- and five-star hotels, cottages, glamping, a spa complex, a cultural heritage village, as well as conference centers. In the second stage, Ak-Bulak will be built with approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) of ski runs. In addition to hotels and apartments, Ak-Bulak will also feature a stadium, a freeride center, and summer activities like a zipline. In the third stage, Boz-Uchuk, will be built with 50 kilometers (31 mile) of ski slopes as well as a large children’s playgrounds, an equestrian center, restaurants and shops. In addition, 4,000 parking spaces and new roads will be constructed for which the government has set approximately $ 11 million aside.

Zhaparov, who has championed the project as central to Kyrgyzstan’s economic diversification, emphasized the resort’s potential to attract international visitors while setting high standards for sustainability. “Tourism development is a national priority,” he told the assembled crowd at the groundbreaking. For Doppelmayr, which has installed lifts on five continents, Ala-Too marks a milestone. “This project is not only a milestone for the region, but also a symbol of progress, collaboration, and confidence in the future,” Michael Doppelmayr said at the ceremony.

During this first stage, Doppelmayr will construct two D-Line combined lifts in Jyrgalan. The D-Line systems will combine a six-seater chairs with 10-passenger gondola cabins—also known as ‘chondola’—spanning a total of four kilometers (2.5 miles). The two chondolas will operate year-round access for skiers in winter and hikers in summer. Turnkey handover is expected by spring 2026, so hopefully skiers and snowboarders might get a first taste of winter at Ala-Too at the tail-end of the 2025-26 season. In addition, road construction also began in August the press service of the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan reported. Several road sections will be completely reconstructed while other roads will be widened from two-lane to four-lane.

The Kyrgyzstan government is hoping to transform the area which has long been inhabited by Nomadic tribes. The government is hoping to diversify away from its reliance on the Kumtor Gold Mine, which has been the main driver of economic growth in the region near Lake Issyk-Kul.