Tian Shan Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan is waiting! We are flying to Bishkek; you can fly from Kyiv or Lviv; our team will get there from Lviv with a stopover in Istanbul. We arrive in Bishkek and go to the hotel to rest. In the evening, we will go to a local Chaykhana (teahouse) to try national dishes - laghman, kuurdak, manti, shish kebab, and tea! We will get to know each other better during dinner and start our traveling game. The next morning, we will move to the city of Karakol, which will be the starting point for the Tian Shan Mountains. First, we will go to the local zoo and take a break from the road. In Karakol we will also stay in a hotel, the town is quite small but very colorful, we know one cafe there where they serve delicious lagman. While the guides complete all the preparatory work, all participants will have a free program, during which they can go to the market and walk the city streets.

Today, our hiking route begins, but first, we will move to the village of Jeti-Ögüz. On the way, we will pass red rocks, near which we will stop to get a good look at them. And there will be a lot to see: from the roadside, the rock looks like a broken heart, and on the other side, there are seven red pieces of the village, nicknamed 7 Bulls. The hiking route will start from the vantage point of these rocks, so we can say that they will accompany us on the road. Today is a pretty simple day. We will go to the clearing in front of the Maiden Spits waterfall. The waterfall is very beautiful, but we do not recommend anyone climb it because there have already been quite a few unpleasant situations with tourists because of such attempts.

We will spend the night in a national Kyrgyz yurt. You can be sure that you will enjoy it and feel like a real nomad.

At sunrise, we wake up and prepare breakfast. Today, we are going to the Telety Pass. The scenery here is fabulous because Kyrgyzstan is not for nothing but is called Asian Switzerland. All day long we will walk and enjoy the wildlife, the route will run along the river, where you can meet many wild animals: hares, ducks, marmots, foxes, and others. We will stop for the night just before the Telety Pass, at an altitude of 3000 meters. On the river bank, we set up our camp and rested because tomorrow we will face our first serious test, as we need to cross the pass and climb to an altitude of 3800 meters.

The Tian Shan is a vast mountain system in 4 countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China. It is tough to appreciate the full scale of this beauty, but today, when we climb the 3800-meter-high Telety Pass, we can see how high and beautiful these mountains are. Next to us, as if in the palm of our hand, will be Mount Ayutor 4320 meters, Talman Peak 4345 meters, Blücher Peak 4720 meters, and Karakol 5216 meters. Oh, how picturesque they are, you have to see it with your own eyes.

After the pass, we head to the alpine camp of Mount Karakol, where climbers begin to climb high mountains. We will admire the sharp, snowy peaks east of 4-5 thousand meters from the camp. We will stay for the night in this steep place.

Today, we are going to reach a mountain paradise: the high mountain lake Ala-Köl, located at an altitude of 3500 meters. The lake is incredibly beautiful—it can't be compared to anything else. The water is sky blue and very clean. We will take a group photo here and have a snack. For lunch, we will have our signature Ukrainian borsch. Just imagine sitting by one of the most beautiful lakes in the world and tasting red borsch.

The lake is gorgeous, but it's time for us to move on because there are new places ahead that are also worth seeing. Today, we have to cross the Ala Kul pass (3900 meters) and go down to the Keldeke River. We are going to spend the night at one of the campsites.

The most difficult part of the route is over, and now the road will only lead us down. Today will be very pleasant, and we will probably be woken up by marmots because there are many of them in the Tian Shan Mountains. Walking along the route, you see dozens of burrows, so you know that marmots made all this. They run quite fast, and we did not manage to photograph them closely, but maybe you will be lucky.

When we go down to the valley of Altyn Arashan, we will see sheep, horses, and cows grazing around us. Huge herds can be seen around us, and you will feel like you are in a fairy tale, although the fairy tale is still waiting for you. When we get down to the valley, we will stay in a yurt to feel the full flavor of Kyrgyzstan and go swimming in the thermal waters. During the expedition, we found a gorgeous place on the river bank where you can bathe in hot water, so we have to go there and relax a little.

Mountains are a place of power, and over the past 5 days, we have felt it well, but it's time to finish the walking part of the trip. Today, we are going down to the village of Ak-Suu. The road will only go downhill, surrounded by mountains and wildlife, which is very pleasing because it is nice to know that life has been preserved at least somewhere else. You can even find snow leopards in the Tian Shan Mountains, but they are very secretive animals that live high in the mountains and do not show themselves to people. What else can be said about the Tian Shan? It is very beautiful there, and no description or photo will convey this, so you must appreciate it.

After the village of Ak-Suu, we will go to Karakol, where we will spend the night in a hotel. The next day, we will go to Lake Issyk-Kul.

The active part of the trip is over, and it's time for relaxation. We are going to one of the quiet towns located on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul, the largest lake in Kyrgyzstan. It is also one of the ten deepest lakes in the world and has about 80 rivers flowing into it, but none of them originate from it. Many legends about the lake say that under the water are treasures of ancient civilizations, flooded medieval cities, and temples.

We will have a free program all day. You can swim, boat, sunbathe, and just enjoy life.

We have a surprise for you today. A Fairy Tale awaits us, that's the name of the canyon we will visit today. This canyon is located 2 km from Lake Issyk-Kul. It will probably be hard to believe, but the rocks there are colored, reminding you of mountains in Peru or China. There is a rock massif in the form of the Great Wall of China, and it was hard for us to believe that it was made by nature because its resemblance to the Chinese Wall is striking.

According to legend, a huge dragon fell asleep in the canyon, and this is not a rock but its spine, which stretches for several kilometers. The scenery there is beautiful; you can see mountains and a lake. All this chains you to yourself so much that you don't even want to leave. And when the sun goes down, the colors become brighter, and it's impossible to take your eyes off it. Probably you should visit Kyrgyzstan just for this canyon because it is a fairy tale.

It's sad to say, but our vacation is ending. Today, we are returning to the capital of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek. Upon arrival at the hotel, we will have a free program. We will be able to walk around the city and buy some souvenirs. In the evening, we will all meet in a national cuisine restaurant and say a warm farewell. After all, on this trip, we will become like a family, and it will be quite challenging to say goodbye. That's why we will agree on our next adventure together before flying home.

We pack everything early, have breakfast, and go to the airport. Today, we are returning home. We are flying the route Bishkek - Istanbul - Ukraine (Lviv, Kyiv). After returning home, you will be warmed by the emotions you experienced in the mountains for a long time, and if you dream about GRA, you need to get ready to go!