Khan Tengri, Marble summit in Tian Shan range, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
Khan Tengri is a marble peak standing at 7010 meters (23,000 feet) where the borders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China meet in the Tian Shan range. Its shape forms a nearly perfect pyramid with steep slopes dropping toward the surrounding glaciers.
Mikhail Pogrebetsky and his team reached the summit for the first time in 1931, opening the southern route. Later expeditions added more ascents, though conditions remained demanding throughout the decades.
The name comes from Tengri, the sky deity of Tengrism, in which he apportions lifespans and grants supreme power; the peak was considered his dwelling place. Kazakhs and Kyrgyz call the marble mountain Kantaū or Kan-Too, "blood mountain", for its red glow at sunset. The peak appears on the 100 Kyrgyz som banknote.
Climbers usually plan their ascent between mid-July and August, when weather conditions become somewhat milder. Access to the base camp requires permits, and helicopter flights typically depart from Karkara.
The marble composition gives the summit a reddish glow at sunset, which has earned it the local nickname Blood Mountain. This color shift becomes especially noticeable in the late afternoon hours when the light falls flat across the slopes.
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