"Travelers passing the Khan-tengri from either side," wrote the well-known Russian geologist Mushketov, "are struck by its tremendous size, plentitude of snow, etc., but all of them seem to be content with viewing this colossus from a distance and do not risk approaching it."

A quarter of a century after Gotfried Merzbacher's 1902 attempt to reach the Lord of the Spirits, a small reconnaissance group--organized by the Ukrainian Association of Orientalists, the People's Commissariat of Education and the Supreme Council of Physical Culture of the then young Soviet Republic, reached the foot of the Khan-tengri.

In those days the Tien Shan Mountains were dangerous not only because of their avalanches and rock cascades, but also because of the Basmatch bands of counter-revolutionary bandits.

That, however, did not deter M. Pogrebetsky and his companions who, after several recces and attempts, scaled the marble peak on Sep 11, 1931. Since then, numerous routes have been added to the peak, some extremely difficult. Many people have died attempting Khan Tengri, including the famed Russian climber Valerie Khrischaty [sic] from an icefall.