Description
WE'VE NEVER BEEN.
NEITHER HAS ANYONE YOU KNOW.
Exploration Trip 2027 · Almaty, Kazakhstan
Every winter, Adventure Division goes somewhere nobody puts on a ski trip shortlist. Last year it was Georgia. We had no idea what we were walking into. It was one of the best things we've ever done.
This year we're going further east. Across the Caspian. Into the Tian Shan mountains. We're going to Kazakhstan.
HOW AN EXPLORATION TRIP WORKS
Every winter, Swallow Don’t Spit Wine runs one trip to somewhere we’ve genuinely never been before. Not “we went for a weekend to check it out” never been. We mean never set foot in the country never been.
We go because we believe some of the most interesting skiing in the world is in places most ski travellers will never consider. We’ve been proved right before.
Last year we went to Georgia. We had our research and a lot of questions. It sold out in 36 hours. That trip is now a permanent part of the SDSW roster. That’s what happens when you go somewhere genuinely new with the right crew.
This year, we’re going further. Across the Caspian, past the steppe, up into the Tian Shan mountains. We have our research, a rough itinerary, and the same feeling we had the night before Georgia. That feeling turned out to be excitement, not fear. We think this one will too.
SHYMBULAK
Central Asia’s largest ski resort. 30 minutes from a city of two million people. If you told most European skiers that, they wouldn’t believe you.
The highest night skiing slope in the world, illuminated at 3,200 metres above sea level. You ski under stars with the lights of Almaty glittering two vertical kilometres below you.
The terrain covers all levels — groomed blues, steeper blacks, and genuine off-piste in the bowls above the treeline. At the very top, Talgar Pass marks the border with Kyrgyzstan. On a clear day you can see into China.
The resort also has a yurt. At 3,200 metres. You have coffee in a yurt at the summit of a Guinness World Record ski slope and then ski down 943 vertical metres back to civilisation. We’ll be doing that.
We’ll ski Shymbulak for four days. We may also visit Ak Bulak, a second mountain close to the city. We haven’t locked the exact split yet — see: this is an Exploration Trip — but we will have good skiing. That much we’re confident about.
ALMATY
Most ski trips take you to a village with three restaurants and a lift pass office. Almaty is a city of two million people. There’s a metro. There are rooftop bars open until 4am. CNN Travel named it one of the top 25 destinations in the world for 2025.
The City
There’s Kok Tobe — a hill at the city’s edge with a cable car that runs until late evening, where you sit and watch the entire Tian Shan range turn amber at sunset with a drink in your hand.
There’s Zhibek Zholy, the pedestrian street lined with cafes and musicians. There’s Dostyk Avenue — Almaty’s main nightlife artery, lined with rooftop bars, craft beer spots and underground clubs that apparently don’t close until 4am on weekends.
And there is the Green Bazaar: a covered market with more varieties of dried fruit than you knew existed, a whole section dedicated to horse meat, and enough fermented dairy to fuel a minor nomadic army. It is extraordinary.
Food & Culture
Beshbarmak is the national dish — boiled meat and pasta served on a communal plate and eaten with your hands. The name means “five fingers.” We will eat this.
Almaty’s food scene blends Kazakh nomadic tradition with Korean, Dungan (Chinese-Muslim), and Russian influence in combinations that exist nowhere else in the world. The city is described by serious Central Asia travellers as having the most interesting food scene in the region.
There is also a strong baursaks (fried dough) culture. We will find out exactly what that means on arrival.
The Wine. And The Other Thing.
Yes, Kazakhstan has wine. It’s not French wine and it’s not Georgian wine, but it exists and it’s growing fast. Arba Winery — one of the country’s main producers — makes wines from grapes grown in the Almaty region, including a Saperavi that picks up medals at international competitions. In 2025, Vinitaly — the world’s biggest wine trade event — ran its Kazakhstan Roadshow in Almaty for the second consecutive year, with 78 Italian producers and 475 professionals turning up to taste and trade. Wine is happening here.
We’ll taste it. We’ll form opinions. We’ll tell you what we found.
We will also drink kumiss. This is fermented mare’s milk. It is slightly fizzy. It is mildly alcoholic. It is the national drink of the nomadic Kazakh people and it tastes like nothing else in the world. You will either love it or violently not love it. The only way to find out is to try it.
This is, as far as we’re concerned, exactly what travel should feel like.
DON’T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
The last time we went somewhere we’d never been before, here’s what people said.
HOW THIS WORKS
This trip is not available to book. You apply. Here’s the process:
Short form, below. We want to know who you are, what draws you to this specific trip, and — honestly — whether you understand what an Exploration Trip actually means.
Gravy personally reads every application. Yes, all of them.
Successful applicants get early access to book before anyone else. We’ll contact you directly.
Last time: 36 hours. Plan accordingly.
- People who are genuinely curious about somewhere most people will never go
- Genuine flexibility — plans will change, something better will come up, roll with it
- Good company when things don’t go exactly to plan
- An understanding that this is an adventure, not a package holiday
- Not expert skiers (though they’re welcome) — just people who want to ski and explore
Kazakhstan is not going to go entirely to plan. That’s the point.
Deposit available — ask via WhatsApp Apply Now →
FILL IN THE FORM BELOW
Takes about five minutes. Gravy reads every one personally. Accepted applicants hear back within a few days.
WHAT’S IN
Not included: Flights · Lunches on the mountain · Ski & boot rental · Personal spending · Anything you buy at the Green Bazaar (you will buy things at the Green Bazaar)
THINGS PEOPLE ASK
No. Shymbulak has terrain for all levels — gentle blues, steeper blacks and off-piste bowls. If you can comfortably ski or snowboard blue runs, you’re fine. We’ll figure out what works for the group once we know who’s coming.
Almaty is classified as low threat. The US State Department has no specific warnings for Almaty beyond standard travel advisories. Crime has been falling consistently — down around 13% in 2025. Over 1.3 million surveillance cameras cover public spaces. The city is considered safe for tourists, including solo travellers.
We’ve done our due diligence. If anything makes us change our minds, we’ll tell you immediately and before you’ve spent any money.
Most EU and UK passport holders can enter Kazakhstan visa-free for up to 30 days. Same for most other Western passports. Check your specific country — we’ll send full guidance to all accepted applicants before anything needs to be booked.
We’re still scouting. What we know: it’ll be a hotel in Almaty, in the city. Not a 5-star resort, not a hostel dorm. Somewhere comfortable and central that lets us use the city properly. When we know more, we’ll tell accepted applicants before they commit to booking.
Because an Exploration Trip only works with the right crew. We need people who understand that plans might change, that something unexpected is often better than what was planned, and that rolling with it is part of the deal. The application helps us find those people.
It also means everyone on the trip has the same mentality, which makes for a much better week for everyone.
Yes. WhatsApp Gravy to talk through payment options. We can usually work something out — a small deposit to hold your spot and the rest paid off before the trip.
READY?
Last time we ran Exploration Trip applications, hundreds came in. We let through the ones who got it. It sold out in 36 hours.
Applications for Kazakhstan 2027 are open now