Tian Shan

The Tian Shan rises here between the Ili valley to the north and the Tekes valley to the south. This section, known as the Wusun or Ketmen range, has broad summits and steep northern slopes cut by deep gorges. Steppe gives way to spruce forest on the mountainsides, while the southern slopes are gentler and more open. Passes across the ridge have long linked the Ili country with the high valleys beyond it.