Mountain biking in Kyrgyzstan

Altitude: Bishkek – 900m asl; Ala Archa – 2200m asl Elevation difference: +1300 m asl, -1300 m asl. Biking: up to 60 km, unpaved road and partially asphalt Lunch: picnic in the park Dinner: in a local café in Bishkek Overnight: in a hotel in Bishkek Upon arrival to the international airport Manas you will be met by the local guide. Transfer to the hotel and rest. Breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast we have excursion to Ala-Archa gorge (40 km). This road is not so interesting for biking, because of the constant traffic and it’s much better to use a bus to reach Ala Archa. Ala Archa National Natural Park located in a picturesque gorge of Ala Archa 40 km off from Bishkek. It is a popular place for hiking, skiing and mountaineering including trips to more than 20 glaciers. It covers an area of 200 km2 mostly forested valleys, waterfalls and rivers rich in trout. The altitude of ranges varies from 1500m to the highest point 4895m. Several rare species of fauna and especially traditionally revered juniper trees are under protection in the Natural Park. It has very diverse fauna: mountain meadows are the habitat for wild goats, deer and marmots. Ala Archa National Park is one of the few places of the habitat of the rare snow leopard. At the territory of the park you can trek up the Ala Archa gorge along the mountain river to enjoy views of magnificent peaks of Kyrgyz Alatau Ridge (Tien Shan Mountains) Lunch picnic in the gorge – 1,5 hours. Meeting with another bus, which packed with bikes. Repack bikes and prepare them for biking and ride about 25-35 km (distance depends on your wishes) by foothills of Kyrgyz Ala-Too mountains (there are few unpaved roads which lead to the city). Cycling back to the Bishkek city. Dinner in a local restaurant/café. Overnight in the hotel. B L D Hotel

Altitude: Bishkek – 900 m asl; Issyk Kul – 1600 m asl Elevation difference: +700 m Biking: 80 km asphalt (old type of road). Lunch: in a local café en route Dinner: in yurt camp Overnight: in yurt camp Early breakfast in the hotel. Departure from the city at 8:00 am directly to Issyk Kul Lake. Lunch en route. After lunch continue our drive to Bokonbaev village and accommodation in the yurt camp nearby. Optionally: Upon arrival to Bokonbaevo village you can stay in yurt camp and have a rest or cycle to Kadji Sai village and swim in the lake. 80 km both ways. Issyk Kul Lake is the second largest alpine lake in the world after Lake Titicaca in South America. Measuring 182 km long by 58 km wide, the lake appeared as a result of volcanic activity. It is heated from below by thermal activity and never freezes even in the depths of winter. In the summer the water temperature reaches 25-28 degrees centigrade (warmer than the air) and you can swim in the lake enclosed on all sides by the snowy peaks of the Tien Shan Mountains. Extremely deep and nicely warm over the centuries the lake has been something of an oasis in this inhospitable mountain environment. With diverse flora and fauna Issyk-Kul Lake and the surrounding environments are rightly considered to be one of Central Asia most remarkable locations. Dinner and overnight in yurts. B L D Yurt camp

Altitude: Issyk Kul Lake – 1600m asl; Korgomdu Bulak Pass – 2540m asl; Tent camp – 2900m asl Elevation difference: +940 m; +360 m. Cycling: 35 km + (20 km optionally) Lunch: tent camp Dinner: tent camp Overnight: tent camp Over Korgomdu Bulak Pass (2540 a.s.l.) and sleep in tents at the altitude 2900 a.s.l. Our bus will leave us at the camp-site (Tosor Pass sometimes is not available even for 4WD truck) and drive around via Kochkor and Sary Bulak villages. We meet our bus at the camp side. One of the great mountain systems of Central Asia, the Tien Shan is the most distant, unknown and captivating, a boundless expanse of peaks, many of which have never been explored. It straddles the border between China and Kyrgyzstan and also extends into Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The immense fertile and virtually unknown valleys are populated by flocks of sheep, herds of horses, yaks, cow and nomadic shepherds living in the traditional dwelling - yurt. Most of the valleys have no tourist facilities or even villages, and in some cases there are no roads. Arrival to the camp and lunch. After that you are free to stay here and relax or continue cycling around. It all depends on your physical skills. Optionally: we will be able to descend to the Lake and swim. Then visit Skazka canyon and get back to tent camp by our bicycles along the unpaved road and narrow mountain path (20 km both ways). Dinner and overnight in tent camp at the altitude 2900 m asl. B L D Tent camp

Altitude: Tosor pass – 3893m asl; Tent Camp – 3000m asl Elevation difference: +993 m, -893 m. Biking: 58 km, unpaved road and mountain path Lunch: lunch box Dinner: tent camp Overnight: tent camp Ride 23 km up to Tosor Pass (3893 a.s.l.) and then down 35 km until Jely-Suu springs. Night in tents (about 3000 a.s.l.). This night and next two nights are supposed to spend in tents because no Yurt Camps are. You must be ready that it will be the most difficult day and if you don’t sure in your physical power, it will be better for you to go by bus. B L D Tent camp

Altitude: Teshik Kul Lake – 3720m asl; Elevation difference: +720 m asl, -720 m asl. Hiking: 10 km, unpaved road and mountain path Lunch: lunch box Dinner: tent camp Overnight: tent camp This day we hike up to the Teshik Kul Lake (3720 m) (10 km both ways). It’s possible to try catch some fish. Here we can find very good trout and “Marinka”. If you like to fish, please, don’t forget to take your spinners and hooks. There are about two thousand mountain lakes in Kyrgyzstan, most of which are located at altitudes between 2500 and 4000 meters above sea level. The lakes in their majority were formed as a result of glaciation. In Kyrgyz the word “kul”, as in Issyk Kul, Son Kul or Chatyr Kul (the three biggest lakes in the country) means “lake”. The word “Teshik” stands in Kyrgyz for “a hole” or “a pit”. It is a beautiful place with many different views depending on the season. The way back to the tent camp. Dinner and overnight. B L D Tent camp

Altitude: Tent Camp – 2500m asl. Elevation difference: -500 m asl Biking: 68 km, unpaved road and mountain path (the last 30 km will run in forest) Lunch: lunch box Dinner: tent camp Overnight: tent camp 68 km ride to Eki Narin Gorge, mostly down as our camp this night will be at the altitude 2500 a.s.l. Our way goes through amazing landscapes with celestial mountains and vast valleys, fascinating views of snow-capped mountain rangers and awesome gorges with fast mountain rivers, alpine lakes and nomads living in yurts, shepherds driving their flocks of sheep and herds of horses and cows up to the mountains in spring and bring them down to the valleys in autumn… The bus will escort all the day long. Dinner and overnight in tent camp. B L D Tent camp

Altitude: Moldo Ashuu – 3346 m asl; Son Kul Lake – 3016 m asl Elevation difference: +846 m asl, -330 m asl. Biking: no biking this day. Lunch: lunch box Dinner: yurt camp Overnight: yurt camp After breakfast we start drive to Son Kul Lake via Moldo Ashuu Pass. All the day in the bus with several photo and toilet stops, including lunch picnic. Son Kul is a mountain lake located in the Tien Shan Mountain Range at an altitude of 3016m. Son Kul is used by the shepherds from the Kochkor, Naryn and At-Bashi regions as a jailoo – a pasture during the summer months. It is considered the pearl of Kyrgyz djailoos. The route to Son Kul winds through mountainous terrain until it seems to disappear into the very sky itself. This is probably why Son Kul is translated from Kyrgyz as “the last lake”. Arrival to Son Kul Lake and accommodation in yurt camp. Dinner and overnight. B L D Yurt camp

Altitude: Son Kul Lake – 3016m asl; “33 Parrots” Pass – 3133m asl; Naryn town – 2000m asl. Elevation difference: +117 m asl, -1133 m asl. Biking: 70 km, unpaved road and mountain path (wide unpaved road) Lunch: lunch box Dinner: guest house in Naryn Overnight: guest house in Naryn Ride from the Lake to the main road about 70 km over mountain pass (3133m above sea level), serpentine road till the asphalt part, where we finish our cycling and move further to Naryn town by bus. Naryn is a town with a long, thin shape which straddles the fast flowing Naryn River and is set between high, steep cliffs. The modern town of Naryn was founded in 1868 as a Russian garrison town, and much of the current town is post-war (Soviet architecture). Early settlements have been found in caves near the town of Naryn, however, and there are stories that suggest that the name itself is quite old. There are several versions explaining the meaning of the word Naryn. One says that it is also the name for a sort of soup with finely cut meat. Another source suggests that the name comes from the Mongolian word for sunny. Arrival to Naryn town and accommodation in a hotel. Dinner and overnight. B L D Guest house

Altitude: Naryn – 2200m asl; Tash Rabat – 3200 m asl. Elevation difference: +1200 m asl. Biking: 22 km unpaved road. Lunch: yurt camp Dinner: yurt camp Overnight: yurt camp After breakfast we start drive to Tash Rabat caravanserai – 100 km. At the end of asphalt road we start cycling until the yurt camp (8 km). Accommodation in yurt camp. Optionally: Upon arrival to the yurt camp you can cycle to Tash Rabat Caravanserai (14 km both ways). In one of the gorges of the At Bashi ridge is hidden Tash Rabat, a Silk Road times caravan serai. Tash Rabat is a carefully restored stone building that once housed an inn on the Great Silk Road. Its date of origin is a complete mystery; however, there is archaeological evidence to suggest that the site was occupied in the 10th century. There is evidence that it was a place of both rest and worship and would have served to protect caravans traveling to and from China from both the ravages of the weather and of bandits; even before the time of both Tamerlane and Genghis Khan. Dinner and overnight in the yurt camp. B L D Yurt camp

Altitude: Tash Rabat – 3200 m asl, Naryn town – 2000 m asl, Bishkek – 900 m asl. Elevation difference: -2300 m Biking: no biking this day. Lunch: Kochkor village local family Dinner: café/restaurant in Bishkek Overnight: hotel in Bishkek Today we leave Tash Rabat Caravanserai and drive to Bishkek via Naryn town and Kochkor village. Lunch in Kochkor village in local family, where possible to visit souvenir shop-museum and buy some stuff. Evening arrival to Bishkek city. If it won’t be too late, we will be able to visit Osh oriental market or central square Ala Too. Dinner in a local café. Optionally: Dinner in a local restaurant with folklore performance. During dinner we take the unique opportunity to listen to the Manaschi (a singer performing the national Kyrgyz epos, Manas) and see Kyrgyz folk-show. The musicians in traditional Kyrgyz costumes present you a wide range of national musical instruments – starting from Komuz (a thre- stringed wooden musical instrument) to Chopo Choi (wind instrument made of mountain reed ). You hear the fascinating singing of young Kyrgyz ladies and men. Overnight in a hotel. B L D Hotel

In the morning you will be transferred to the international airport “Manas” to catch your flight back home. B - - - - -