Hiking in Tian Shan: Experience the Wondrous Alakul Trail in Kyrgyzstan

We arrive at Bishkek's Manas Airport, from which we take a taxi to our accommodation (hostel/bed and breakfast). Introduction & gear check. Lunch/Dinner in the city, visiting the Ala Too square. Depending on the arrival time, we might have time to visit the Osh Bazaar as well. Overnight in a hostel/B&B.

After having breakfast in our Bishkek accommodation, we take a 6 hour minibus drive to Karakol, passing Lake Issyk Kul along the way. We arrive at a yurt camp next to Karakol. We take a 2 hour-long horse trip around the area. Dinner with a local family.

After breakfast in the camp (1950m above sea level), we set off around noon with our bags deep into Karakol Valley. Walking by the powerful river stream, we come across bands of horses, cows, sheep and nomad families tending them. After a relatively easy 4-5 hour hike, the torrential river expands, forming a mesmerizing meadow landscape with more horses around. After another hour, we arrive at a yurt camp for dinner and overnight stay at 2500m above sea level.

We start with an early breakfast, no later than 6:30am, and make our way through the woods to a more challenging part of the trek. Navigating a steep pass and some rocky ground we climb our way by the stream to a small path by the stream that leads to the lake. After arriving at Ala Kul (elevation 3600m), we waste little time due to the strong winds and continue climbing towards the Alakul Pass. These 2-3 hours are the hardest - the lack of oxygen starts kicking in and our steps become slower. After reaching the pass (3900m), we make a sharp descent, after which it is a relatively smooth hike towards the Altyn Arashan valley. After arriving at our yurtstay, we jump into the hot springs. Believe me - nothing beats a hot bath after a long trek!

After breakfast in Altyn Arashan, we take a Soviet vehicle to take us back on a bumpy ride to Karakol. Everyone's tired after the long hike, so we stay in the city itself. We visit the Dungan Mosque and the Holy Trinity Church. Dinner & overnight in Karakol.

We set off from Karakol back to Kaji Say, a small village on the south shore of Issyk Kul - the second highest mountain lake in the world. The lake's name means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz - meaning this body of water never freezes. A romantic swim in a lake with mountains in the background is a perfect way to end our adventure. Overnight in a hotel.

Breakfast at Kaji Say. We catch a marshrutka (a soviet minibus) for our travel to Bishkek. At Bishkek, we say our goodbyes and perhaps exchange gifts of just words of appreciation. We hop on our flight back home.