Adventure Advisor:

Difficult access. Unpredictable weather. Little or no infrastructure. These are some of the smaller challenges of Central Asia's Tien Shan mountain range. Still, in the last few years, Tien Shan's popularity has grown significantly among peak-baggers. The reason is simple: If you're tired of tripping over other climbers' oxygen canisters in Nepal, Tien Shan is a much-less-traveled alternative.

Several guide services lead trips to Tien Shan peaks from Bishkek or Karakol in Kyrgyzstan, from Almaty in Kazakstan, and from Tashkent in Uzbekistan. Travel in these countries is not easy, especially when the ever-present religious tensions manifest themselves as random violence. Check with the State Department before you go (http://travel.state.gov/) and don't wander far without a guide.

Two central Tien Shan peaks top the 7,000-meter mark: Khan-Tengri (7010 m) and Pobedy (7439 m), both of which boast a beauty quotient that would leave you breathless even in thicker air. Asia Travel (http://www.asia-travel.uz) offers a 28-day excursion to these peaks, including helicopter transfers from lower Kyrgyzstan to the base camp at Inilchek glacier.

But keep in mind that getting vertical doesn't have to be your ultimate goal here. You could trek for weeks in the glacial valleys that separate dozens of smaller peaks in Tien Shan and lack nothing for the experience.

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