Soaring mountains, some with summits that have never been climbed. The best rock faces outside Patagonia. The whitest white water in the world and, above all, some of the best hiking. But absolutely no glitz. That's both the reward and the drawback to adventure travel in Central Asia, where former republics of the Soviet Union have developed the beginnings of a tourist industry. The infrastructure is still sketchy—poor roads, few good restaurants, hotels and guest houses that are more utilitarian than comfortable. The concept of service barely exists, a relic of the surly Soviet past. But travelers who can stand up to the rigors of tall mountains or untamed rivers find the discomforts a small price to pay for a look at some of the world's most spectacular unspoiled scenery.
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