The second part of our route up is all bare rock, scrambling up the steep route with our boards on our backs. The effort is big, but the satisfaction up top is gigantic: we are treated to a majestic 360° view of the highest mountain peaks in both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Proud of our vertical metres, we enjoy a well-deserved picnic at 3650m, charging up for the ride down. The mountains all around us provoke mind lines and shred fantasies without a track in sight.

“The snow is really good considering the last snowfall was seven days ago – strong and fast at the top, more playful and slushy lower down.”

Strap in, ready. Let’s do this. There are glorious powder turns to start with, sinking in and slashing through. Soft. Fast. Great. The snow is really good considering the last snowfall was seven days ago – strong and fast at the top, more playful and slushy lower down. We’re all fully absorbed in the moment, enjoying the flow of the ride – it’s definitely one for the books.

We arrive back at the yurt, the fragrance of a hearty stew prickling our nostrils. The evening routine is as follows: bubbling up happiness in the hot water of the woodstove jacuzzi; a sweat session in the sauna; rolling in the snow; repeat. The mountains, sunset and stars reassure us we are in the right place at the right time as we reflect on a perfect day.

“Do you know how most men in Kyrgyztan seduce their women?’”

Akay asks us ‘And do you know how most men in Kyrgyzstan seduce their women? Forget flowers and dinners – Kyrgyztan girls are very shy. So it’s our tradition to just ride up (horse or car), and kidnap the girl back to our home. Back home she can agree or refuse upon marriage.’ The way he puts it makes it sound like a rather light-hearted, consenting ritual, but a later read reveals a lot of these kidnappings are rather violent and more often than not without the approval of the women. Comparatively, Tinder isn’t all that bad.

We organized this trip with Ryce Travel. As well as the epic riding, there’s heaps of extracurricular activities: today is snowmobiling. The low cost and spirit of adventure make this all very different to a typical holiday in the Alps. Afterwards, in the mountain village of Karakol, the local evening scene calls to us. Tasty shasliks and yak stew with a bottle of red – the waiter steps behind a set of turntables and the party starts. The Kyrgyz are entertaining dance buddies, and it’s definitely false to say the the local girls are ‘too shy’. Blending in nicely, we get out our best moves out to keep up with their energetic styles, taking turns in the middle of the dance circle.

Next day, with legs tired from dancing and riding, we relax on the slowest chairlift I have ever been on. With no powder around, there’s no need to hurry, just beautiful surroundings to take in. We throw twenty Euros in for a paragliding adventure. There’s a near miss with the lines and a chairlift, and we see another girl land on top of a tree, but by the end somehow everyone is fine and smiling. There’s a ‘no rules, no safety’ mentality here, but it only adds to the sense of freedom we’re experiencing.