In the recent video “Jalpak Tash: A Kyrgyzstan Epic,” North Face athletes Leah Evans, Izzy Lynch, and Mike Hopkins travel to Kyrgyzstan (not Kazakhstan) to check out a tiny skiing outpost set up by American Ryan Koupal, who is trying to boost westerners’ travel to a country whose tourism industry was crippled by the collapse of the Soviet Union. The group braves -20-degree weather, scores a couple of first descents, and learns that skiing in Kyrgyzstan means skiing in big mountains. They look to enjoy themselves thoroughly with every activity they take up (except perhaps trying yak milk), and hopefully the video will help fulfill Koupal’s mission. “Ryan has done something greater than himself, and I don’t think he realizes it,” said one of the skiers in the video. Click here to watch the full video on Powder magazine, or click play below.