As my guide and porter prepared lunch I sat and watched the sunlight dance and sparkle across the surface of the brilliant turquoise that is Lake Ala-Kol. It made me think of an extraordinary turquoise gem. The colour was stunning and the lake itself was huge with massive mountains surrounding it. At the far end a glacier sprawled down the sides of a mountain.
My four day trek to Lake Ala-Kol was the highlight of all my travels in Kyrgyzstan. Trekking doesn’t come naturally to me but despite this I love it. I love the sense of achievement I get after finishing a trek. More importantly I love how trekking takes you to some of the most beautiful places on earth.
Trekking to Ala-Kol took me through forests, past rushing streams and wild horses, over rocks and boulders and up to a high pass of 3,860m. The trek was challenging and stunning, and left me with a huge sense of achievement.
Join me on a photo journey to Ala-Kol, Kyrgyzstan.
The trek begins!
Following the river we climbed higher and higher
Until we reached a wide open valley with horses grazing by the river. Absolutely magical.
Reaching this beautiful place was one of my all-time favourite moments in my travels in Kyrgyzstan.
After crossing the river we continued to climb
Our first night we camped beside this gorgeous stream
Day two! Looking back towards camp (roughly in the middle of the photo)
Looking towards the climb ahead
Looking back at how far we’ve come so far, and it’s not even lunchtime!
Finally! The stunning Lake Ala-Kol
Me and Ala-Kol
Ala-Kol
Yep, that’s the path ahead of us!
…..and this is how far we’ve come
First glimpse of the glacier above Ala-Kol
A lot more climbing ahead
Ala-Kol – so beautiful
Another look back at our progress over the rocks and scree
The climbing just doesn’t stop!
But these views are absolutely worth it
And I couldn’t have wished for better weathder
On top of the world at 3,860m
The way down!
The way down is a near vertical drop which means it’s easiest to slide through the rock and dirt. A bit like skiing!
Looking back at the path we’ve just come down. Can you spot other trekkers making their way down?
After walking through barren rocks and dirt we finally reach some grass
Way down there is camp for night two
My tent on morning # 3
Morning number three we descended through grassy slopes
Down through forests until we caught our first sight of the mountain, Pik Lenin
After a long walk down we finally spot the village of Altyn Arashan where hot springs and our camp spot for the night await
Altyn Arashan
Altyn Arashan and Pik Lenin
Day four – trekking out
Practical Information
The small town of Karakol near Lake Issy-Kol is the perfect base to plan your trek to Ala-Kol.
CBT (Community Based Tourism) in Karakol are an excellent source of information and can also assist with hiring guides, porters, sleeping bags, tents, etc for your trek. CBT Karakol can be found at Abdrakhmanov St 123/20, telephone: +996 (3922) 55000, email: cbtkarakol@rambler.ru
CBT can also help organise home stays in Karakol. I stayed at Gulnara’s B&B which I highly recommend (for more info see my post ‘Homestays and Hospitality on the Shores of Lake Issyk-Kol’).
When organising your trek keep in mind it is high-altitude and the highest pass is 3,860m. Some people may suffer from altitude sickness and you should ensure you’re fully informed on how to identify the symptoms of altitude sickness and what you should do if you suffer from altitude sickness while trekking.
The high-altitude also means it’s very cold at night, even in summer, so be prepared with sufficiently warm clothes and sleeping bag, etc.
Travel to Karakol by minibus or shared taxi.
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