Song-Kol Lake Pastures

After early breakfast a minibus or cars will take us to Shamshy Gorge. We will see the Burana tower that has been guarding the Silk Road since the 10th century. We will arrive at our destination around midday. After lunch the guides will assign horses and we will embark on our journey. First we head to the Shamshy pass (3570 meters elevation). On the other side, a beautiful view of the Sarala-Saz pasture spreads out and in the South we will see Kara Moinok and Sandyk mountains. A local shepherd will welcome us with tea. We will spend the evening together and sleep this night in tents.

After breakfast we saddle up and ride out into the wild. We will traverse huge pastures and canter on the way. Surrounded by the beauty of wild nature we will enjoy our ride deeper into the mountains. We will reach the Iri-Suu village in the evening. After dinner we can take a walk along the Kashka-Suu river, taste wild rhubarb and see the mountain glow. We spend the night tenting.

The trail that day takes us through complete wilderness. First we cross the Western end of the dry Kochkor valley, then we have to cross the Karakol River and climb almost 1,000 meters to the Buchuk Pass (3,400 m above sea level). On the other side of the mountain range we will enter the fairy-tale Sook Valley. The slopes are covered with flowers and wild onions, eagles sail overhead, and marmots wail in their hiding places. We will cross the Sook River on a ford and reach the Kichi Saryk valley in the evening. We stay in tents for the night.

After breakfast the group takes on the challenge of the Kum Bel Pass (3,600 m above sea level) and then heads East along the mountain ridge. From the peak, at an altitude of 3,656 m above sea level, wonderful view spreads across the entire area. In the second half of the day the terrain gradually lowers. Then we will cover part of the route, down the rocky rubble, on foot, leading our horses. We will stop for lunch in a sheltered rock gully. After a break we will descend to the Kolduu Suu valley and reach a local camp. Here we leave our horses for the night and go to Kochkor by car. We will spend the night in a local hotel, in beds, with access to hot water and electricity. After three days in the wild everybody will enjoy a hot shower.

In the morning we will return to our horses in Kolduu Suu. We set off towards the Kyzart Pass and soon reach Kyzyl-Kiya, a huge plain resembling… a sea of grass. We will cross the Chaar-Archa pass and ride down to the valley for lunch, right next to the rushing river with a view to the sacred mountain Baba-Ata. Sated we will cross the river and ride again through the green pastures of Kilemche, which in the Kyrgyz language means ”like a carpet” as the area actually gives the impression of being covered with a green carpet. After crossing the spectacular Jalgyz Karagai pass (3,400 m above sea level), Song-Kol Lake will appear on the horizon. As we approach, the surface of the lake will become larger and larger until we reach Jaman Echki, where we will meet a local shepherd family. We will stay overnight in the yurt camp, where we will also be able to take a shower.

That day we will spend a little less time in the saddle, about 4 hours. After breakfast, we will go to… a game. We will watch the famous Kyrgyz national sport – Kok-Boru. Later, we will set off on horseback along the shore of Song-Kol lake. The route is easy, pleasant and delights the eye with views. In the afternoon, the group will arrive at a yurt in Tulpar Tash, where we will be welcomed by a local family. We will sit down for dinner on the guests’ seats of honor and have our last dinner on the trail. We spend the night in the yurt.

After breakfast in Tulpar Tash we set off towards the Uzbek Pass (3,400 m above sea level). A beautiful view of the entire Song-Kol valley awaits us there. We will descend into the Jumgal Valley and head to the village of Kyzart. It’s time to thank our horses and say goodbyes. We will have lunch and head by cars to meet local hunters and their eagles. They will tell us a bit about their traditional hunting ways and show us some practical aspects of it. Then it’s time to drive back to Bishkek. In the evening we will go to a restaurant with traditional Kyrgyz cuisine to have a nice farewell dinner together.

This is the day we go home. All riders will be taken to the airport and leave Kyrgyzstan.