Day 4 - Karakol Gorge to Ala Kul Lake

Today we woke up to cloudy skies and chased the mist and rain for the first 4 hours. On the up side, the cloud cover made for a warmer night’s sleep last evening. The rain caught up to us at km 8 and turned into sleet and then snow as we battled on for the last 2km which were the steepest until we reached our camp at 3600m altitude. Our reward was two lovely waterfalls and a beautiful turquoise lake nestled in between the mountain tops. Our climb was all uphill today and we trekked through forest, alongside the streams from the high lake, skree slopes and boulder fields. We all took care of one another and miraculously no one suffered any injuries. We are camping beside the lake and have all been given a bottle of hot water in put inside our sleeping bags to help stay warm. The conditions of the camp are very poor. It is an absolute mud bath and tents are pitched at all angles on the sloping hillside. The one toxic out house, shared by all because the second one fell off the edge is precariously perched on the edge of the cliff. I enjoyed the challenge of today and seeing what my mind and body are capable of, but wouldn’t want two days in a row like this. Tomorrow will be its own challenge as we navigate our way further uphill for 4km and then downhill for 14km to our camp in the hot springs where we hope to find showers. Gilles is now feeling better but poor weather and dangerous road conditions have prevented him from safely meeting us in Arachan. I sure am anxious to see him on Wednesday when we reach the town of Karakol.Read more