Assy Plateau: Electric Enduro Across the Zhailau
The Assy Plateau is a huge high-altitude summer pasture above 2,600 meters: kilometers of rolling green hills, yurts, herds of horses, and red clay rocks at the far end. Every summer weekend, convoys of 4x4s crawl up here. Sitting in a bumpy SUV for four hours is one thing. Pinning the throttle across these steppes on an enduro is another.
How to get there
The road to Assy usually starts from the Turgen Gorge. The asphalt ends at the Batan settlement; after that it's rough gravel and rain-washed dirt. Along the way stands the Assy-Turgen Observatory with its big white dome - with almost no light pollution, it's the best stargazing in Kazakhstan. At the far end of the plateau the green abruptly turns to red clay and boulders.
Electric bikes at altitude
Gas enduros have a problem at 2,600 m: the engine starves for oxygen. Carbureted ones lose 20-30% of their power, and even fuel injection feels the altitude. An electric bike (our Arctic Leopard EX 800) doesn't need oxygen - its 800 Nm is the same down low as it is on a glacier.
So we load you and the bikes onto a 4x4 and drive straight up to the plateau, no two hours of beating yourself up on gravel. Up top, while the SUVs crawl along one rutted track, we ride the open grass and hills, where the grip is insane. And you can roll right up to a herd of horses without spooking them.
Want a full-day expedition with long wide-open sections? This is it. We provide helmet, body armor and knee pads, and guide you along trails that aren't on any GPS.
