Great Trekking in Tien Shan: from Talas Valley to the “Toktogul Sea”, 14 days

The path runs through mountain passes, the high-mountain valley of Suusamyr, the Talas valley to the birthplace of Manas in the city of Talas. Preparation for the trek. Dinner. Accommodation at the hotel.

The beginning of the route. So, the start of the walking tour is in the birthplace of Manas in the city of Talas. Here is the national memorial complex "Manas Ordo". Talas. If you ask any Kyrgyz about, say, three to five most important things, concepts or symbols, from his point of view, that personify both the nation itself and the statehood of the Kyrgyz, then with almost 100% probability you can guarantee that the name of the national hero Manas will be among them. In Talas, an excursion to the national complex "Manas Ordo".

The journey begins along the valley of the Urum-Aral River. Here you can still use any transport to get to the starting point. The mouth of the Urum-Aral River is located near the village of Kyzyl-Dzhar. In the vicinity of the camp, an excursion to the valley of the Kumushtag River. In the Middle Ages, silver was mined here, as evidenced by the ancient workings in the rocky walls of the gorge. During the walk up the gorge, you will see ancient mazars. We go up, along the bed of the Urum-Aral River. Landscapes created by local elements - without excesses and special exoticism. On the way you will see a mine working resembling an ovring. There are also several man-made caves. Experienced travelers called the rock "Wrinkled Mountain". At the northern base of the "Wrinkled Mountain" you can clearly see the stonework for a safe transition to the beginning of the gallery. A row of windows leading to the surface approaches the gallery. Surprisingly, despite the numerous windows, there is no air movement in the gallery.
After 14 kilometers is the confluence of the Urum-Aral and Chiyim-Tash rivers. This is a good place to spend the night in tents and meet local nomads. campsite 1.

This foothill zone is especially nice in the spring. In April-May, tulips bloom on the grassy slopes of the mountains. Next comes a difficult climb up the Chiyim-Tash gorge along the river of the same name. The soft hilly relief forms have changed to a monumental rocky landscape. In the river valley there is a floodplain forest, represented by poplars, bushes and birches. Few tourists know about these places. Tourists are rare guests here. Rare beauty is hidden in these places. The wild nature of the Talas Range and the Western Tien Shan begins here. After 15 kilometers you will reach the left tributary of the Kuyanda. Having gone a little higher, in the floodplain of the Chiyim-Tash River at the confluence of the rivers, you can set up field campsite 2. It is convenient to put up tents in the shade of the floodplain forest of birches, poplars and spreading bushes. The water from the clean streams, originating from perennial snowfields and flowing into the Chiyim-Tash, can be used for drinking.

The route leads to the pass of the same name, about 3,500 m high. We will have to ford the river several times and climb the steep slopes of the gorge. Along the way, on the tanned stone blocks, you will come across ancient petroglyphs - hunting scenes, individual drawings of animals. The further route runs from the petroglyphs to the campsite  3. The distance from the second campsite to the third is about 6-7 kilometers. In the vicinity of the campsite No. 3 there are three beautiful high-mountain lakes, which owe their existence to the retreating glaciers. High-mountain landscape, clean air, completely transparent lakes - all this is the classic high-mountain landscapes of the Talas Range.
On this or the next day, we recommend taking an excursion to one of the lakes with floating icebergs. This small lake is located at the edge of a glacial tongue, from which chunks of ice periodically break off and slide along the surface of the lake - this is an amazing sight. Small waterfalls fall from one of the rocky ledges of the slope, which at such an altitude (more than 3500 m) seems unreal.

1 kilometer from the campsite 3, the trail takes you to the Chiyim-Tash pass. From the pass, a fantastic view of the Chatkal ridge opens up, as well as a view of the Chiyim-Tash river valley. We stop for a rest at the pass and continue down the northern valley of a stream under the same name Chiyim-Tash. A three-kilometer descent along the river brings you to the confluence of the Chiyim-Tash and Kara-Kuldzha rivers. The confluence of the two rivers forms the source of the Chatkal River - one of the most beautiful rivers in Kyrgyzstan. The further route takes us up the valley of the Kara-Kuldzha River. After 6-7 km we reach a convenient clearing and set up campsite 4 here. There is an alpine landscape here, in a wide, high-mountain and calm valley there is no tree vegetation yet. This is the only place where the river acquires a calm flow. Here you can also meet local shepherds who climb here every May in search of fresh and abundant grass for their herd. They descend to the inhabited valleys only in September.

We leave camp #4. Today's route continues up the valley of the Kara-Kuldzha River and will take you to the pass of the same name at an altitude of 3161 m. The trail goes along the picturesque slopes overgrown with spruce forest of the northern slope of the Chatkal Range. Almost imperceptibly, the trail passes from the Talas to the Chatkal Range. A kilometer after the campsite #4, several clean water tributaries flow into the river from the right slope, which originate from small lakes. From here, leaving your backpacks, you can take a fascinating excursion to the lakes. From the Kara-Kuldzha pass, magnificent alpine panoramas open up to you. From here, a view opens up of the spruce forests of the valley and the Chatkal ridge. To your right, you can see the At-Oynok ridge, to your left, the Talas ridge. The picturesque pass is an excellent place for a rest stop and for avid photographers who can enjoy the landscapes and panoramas. Further down the Kara-Kuldzha valley. Periodically, the trail crosses from one bank of the river to the other. Here, in such river valleys, the concept of a permanent trail does not exist. It changes depending on the past floods. In some places, the trail again crosses onto green forest slopes. Having reached the confluence of the Kashka-Su and Kara-Kuldzha rivers, it is necessary to choose a place for campsite 5. Here, in the floodplain of the Kara-Kuldzha River, there is a rather convenient place for a field camp.

Today there will be a long transition to the Alatay Nature Park. You will need to walk about 18 km along a picturesque gorge. In Alatay, the long-awaited campsite 6. In the national park, you can find snow leopard, brown bear, lynx, golden eagle, bearded vulture, brown vulture, kumai, etc. About 10% of the plant species growing in the area are endemic. Today, 450 species of plants grow here, 199 species of reptiles and animals, 111 species of birds live here. Having walked along the path just a small part of the park territory, you will see how clean and untouched the nature of the young park is. Clean mountain air and beautiful mountain panoramas, a huge number of wild flowers. It is no coincidence that beekeepers conduct their trade here. You will encounter the warm hospitality of old-timers here.

Along the way, you will visit the wilds of the gorge. Here there is a feeling of a complete absence of civilization, wild places and fantastic landscapes of the valley. At each new turn there are new discoveries and impressions. Having reached the tributary, you need to find a convenient place for campsite 7. It is convenient to put up a tent in the shade of trees.

The trail runs along a steep slope among creeping juniper and barberry and hawthorn bushes.
The valleys of the Uzung-Akmat and Kara-Kuldzha rivers are far from traditional tourist routes. And in their interfluve there are many interesting and attractive places to study. Here you can see not only various geomorphological formations, but also various representatives of the fauna. The pearl of the Kara-Kuldzha River valley is Lake Köl, which can be classified as a hard-to-reach tourist site due to the lack of any access roads to it. The ascent to the lake along a winding path leads between green hills up to a height of about 2205 m above sea level, where the water's edge in the lake is located. It is important not to get lost in these places. In order to get to the lake, you need to make your way through the thickets in the valley of the Kara-Kuldzha River flowing out of the lake of the same name. When approaching the lake, something opens up to your eyes between the green waves of juniper forest! A closed and elongated basin along the ridge, and in it, shimmering with dark turquoise, spilling out in delightful silence - Lake Köl, the embodiment of the beauty of nature, one of the most idyllic places in the south of Kyrgyzstan. At Lake Köl, we set up campsite 8.

Today you will have to go through a long 20-kilometer trek to the confluence with the Uzun-Akmat River. The journey along the Kara-Kuldzha River valley will remain an unforgettable journey. Kara-Kuldzha has many faces. Sometimes the river disappears into narrow canyons, and sometimes it forms a wide floodplain with excellent green meadows for rest. Finally, the long-awaited Uzun-Akmat and campsite 9. After an exhausting trek, you can swim in the river here. It is convenient to set up a field camp in the shade of trees.

The main sculptors of nature, exogenous processes, have worked here on the rocks composed of conglomerates and sandstones, creating bizarre stone shapes. Here are wild, untouched and practically unvisited by tourists places, leaving in memory the bright colors of the local nature. Uzun-Akmat is a place that will not leave you indifferent. Here you will see waterfalls, canyons, bizarre rock shapes and old beekeepers' huts, like scenery for medieval films and a marble castle covered by clouds. After 16-17 km the trail will lead you to the northern shore of the Toktogul reservoir, to a small elevation of Choduk-Too, where you can organize camp 10 on the shore of the reservoir. But we suggest moving to the southern shore of the Toktogul reservoir for a full rest in a hotel room.

Return to Bishkek with feelings of euphoria and asocial satisfaction.
On the way the famous Chychkan gorge, alpine meadows of the Suusamyr valley. Accommodation at the hotel. Dinner at an ethno restaurant.

Transfer to the airport