For the adventurous, Kyrgyzstan promises a one-of-a-kind snowboarding trip. “Unlike traditional ski destinations, visitors to places like Arslanbob won’t find western-style hotels, groomed pistes, or even chairlifts. Here, the sense of adventure that comes with exploring hardly charted terrain holds as much allure as the sport itself. [...] We’d spend hours backcountry skiing—that is, hiking up to then make turns in light, untracked powder far above the village and forests below. We’d stop only for homemade lunches, usually traditional pasta and rice dishes, served on a table and benches carved into the snow by our guides. Each day was marked by hoots and hollers of joy echoing deep into the mountains, as we became lost in clouds of dry powder snow.” ⛷️ At the link in bio, writer @joshlaskin regails us of backcountry skiing among ancient walnut trees in this overlooked destination (plus how you can plan your own skiing or snowboarding trip to Kyrgyzstan). 📷: @joshlaskin