EST. 2010
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40 Tribes was founded in 2010 with an interest in discovering the next far out, exotic, untouched destination for backcountry skiing and splitboarding. The little known and hugely misunderstood Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan—once developed by the Soviets for skiing—grabbed our attention right away as the new frontier. During two seasons scouting the endless Kyrgyzstani backcountry, we realized the potential to utilize entirely native resources—yurts, mountains, snow, and motivated locals—to help foster a more innovative and adventurous edge to the country's emerging winter tourism industry. The result: Kyrgyzstan's first fully-winterized yurt camp, set in a remote corner of the Terskey Ala-Too Mountains, run in partnership with local families who live in the villages at the base of the very peaks we ride in. A wickedly comfortable basecamp, authentic local flavor that still caters to Western tastes, and world-class terrain right out the back door. A place and an experience that's so wildly different from anything you've imagined before, it's sure to be one you'll never forget.
Kyrgyzstan will always be at the heart of 40 Tribes, but it’s clearly in our blood to pioneer the next next-level adventure.
In April 2015 we spearheaded the first basecamp expedition of its kind at 78° North on the arctic archipelago of Svalbard. In February 2016 we introduced a village-based expedition in the Caucasus mountains in Georgia's Upper Svaneti region. In April 2017 we ran our first expedition to the Russian Far East—Kamchatka—where we basecamped amongst the perfect birch forest of the Ganalsky Range and rode from the summits of active volcanoes. In August 2018 we launched a summer shredventure in an exclusive zone deep in the Chilean Andes (which has since evolved into multiple itineraries) and then boarded the shred train in Western Siberia just a few months later for an early season pow smashing mission of epic proportions. In 2020 we unveiled the first in our series of Mystery Trips, where the only information disclosed ahead of time was where to meet and when (not the final destination). That trip—which took place in Ptor’s Backyard above La Grave, France—was just too rad not to be added to our list of regular offerings and inspired our new series of Backyard Expeditions, promising adventures unlike any you’d ever find on solo trips to the special spots our guides call home. In February 2022, clients on our second Mystery Trip joined us (unknowingly at first) in exploring a new zone in Georgia, Racha, where our partners have created one of the most luxurious basecamp scenarios we’ve ever experienced. Later that year we realized a long-held dream of ours and ran two mindblowing sessions based from a traditional hunting village on an island off the east coast of Greenland, using snowmobiles to tow across the ice and boats to push across open fjords to access our lines. The dream destination theme has continued ever since, using the Mystery Trip as a means of unveiling our newest operating areas: the Spanish Pyrenees (unveiled February 2023) and the Lofoten Archipelago in Northern Norway (unveiled April 2024). For 2025 you better believe we’ve got another amazing mystery destination lined up. If you've got a taste for unthinkable, one-of-a-kind backcountry adventures, take your pick!