Songkol Lake Pastures

After an early breakfast, we board a minibus or cars that will take us to the Shamshy Gorge. On the way, we’ll stop to visit the Burana Tower, which has guarded the Silk Road since the 10th century. We’ll reach the Shamshy Gorge around midday, where we’ll meet our horses and guides. After lunch, the guides will assign horses, and the group will set off toward the Shamshy Pass. The ride will take about three hours, with the highest point of the day reaching 2,850 meters. In the late afternoon we’ll set up our first camp, enjoy dinner together, and spend the night in tents.

After breakfast, we set out to climb the Shamsy Pass (3,570 meters) toward the vast mountain pastures. On the other side a beautiful view will open up over the Sarala-Saz meadow, with the Kara Moinok and Sandyk mountains visible to the south. We’ll stop there for a lunch break. Rested we will continue our ride — this part offers a chance to pick up the pace. We head toward the village of Iri-Suu, where we’ll set up our second camp. The day’s distance is between 23 and 26 kilometers, depending on the chosen route. After dinner, it’s worth taking a walk along the Kashka-Suu River valley, tasting wild rhubarb, and watching the mountain glow at sunset. We spend the night in tents.

Today’s trail leads through complete wilderness, covering a distance of about 25 kilometers. First we will cross the western edge of the dry Kochkor Valley, then ford the Karakol River and climb nearly 1,000 meters up to the Buchuk Pass (3,380 m a.s.l.). On the other side of the mountain range we’ll enter a fairytale landscape — the Sook Valley. Its slopes are covered with wildflowers and mountain onions, eagles soar overhead, and marmots whistle from their burrows. We’ll ford the Sook River and, by evening, reach the valley where we’ll set up camp beside a picturesque mountain stream. We spend the night tenting.

After breakfast, we set off deeper into the Sook Valley before taking on the challenge of Kum Bel Pass (3,600 metres). We will follow the mountain ridge to the east. From the summit, there is a magnificent view of the whole area. In the second half of the day, the terrain gradually descends. Afterwards, we will dismount and walk down rocky debris, leading our horses. We will stop for lunch in a rock gully. We will then descend into the valley and reach civilization, a road that leads to Kyzart. After about 23 kilometres we will arrive at our today’s destination. Here we will leave the horses for the night and travel by car to Kochkor. There we will settle in a family-ran guest house. After a few days in the wilderness everybody will enjoy a hot shower, we will also be able to charge our devices. In the evening we will sit down to a home-cooked dinner together.

In the morning we will return to our horses. We set off towards the Kyzart Pass to soon leave for Kyzyl-Kiya, a vast plain resembling a… sea of grass. We will cross the Chaar-Archa pass and descend into the valley for lunch, right by the rushing river and with a view to the sacred Baba-Ata mountain. Rested we will cross the river and ride again into the vast, green pastures of Kilemche, which means “like a carpet” in the Kyrgyz language, as the area actually gives the impression of being covered with a green carpet. After crossing the spectacular Jalgyz Karagai Pass (3,400m), Song-Kol Lake will appear on the horizon. As we approach, the surface of the lake will get bigger and bigger until we reach Jaman Echki, where we will meet a local shepherd family. We will stay at a yurt camp for the night, where simple showers will also be available.

On this day we will spend slightly less time in the saddle, about 4 hours. We will set off along the shores of Songkol Lake. The route is relatively easy and pleasant, with quite some views all around us. The surroundings are flat, so we can speed up and ride faster along the lakeshore. In the afternoonwe will arrive at the yurt camp at Tulpar Tash, where a local family will welcome us. We will sit down to dinner in the guest seats of honour and have our last dinner on the horse trail. In the evening we will enjoy a delightful view of the lake and the stars reflecting in its surface. We will stay for the night in a yurt.

After breakfast at Tulpar Tash, we set off towards Uzbek Pass (3370m), which offers a spectacular view of the entire Songkol Valley. We will descend into the Jumgal Valley and head to the village of Kyzart, where lunch awaits us. After the meal, we will bid farewell to our horses and head by car to Bishkek. On the way we will meet eagle hunters who will tell us about their traditional art of hunting, passed from generation to generation. They will also show us a bit of practice. In the evening we will arrive in Bishkek, make ourselves comfortable at the hotel and then head to a restaurant with traditional Kyrgyz cuisine to have our final, farewell dinner in Kyrgyzstan.

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