Day 5 - Ala-Kul Lake to Arashan Gorge

Ala-Kul is normally a special place to wake, possibly the prettiest lake in Kyrgyzstan. Translating as ‘Colourful Lake’ it changes colour depending on the light conditions. It is surrounded on all sides by high mountain peaks, creating a dramatic natural amphitheatre to enjoy your breakfast in awe of. It rained all night and unfortunately we woke up to a cold and misty mess. After a hot breakfast we thanked the camp staff and the porters, and started the ascent to Ala-Kul Pass (3902m). The porters will leave us today once they drop our bags at the camp in Altyn Arachan Gorge. It took us 3 hours to complete the pass. We first ascended for 300 meters to reach the Pass, then scrambled across the Pass, and with the help of the porters, completed the 400m very steep descent down to the bottom of the Pass. From there we trekked for another 12 km, 4.5 hours, down, down, down 800 meters through the muddy pastures, wooded trail and stream crossings to reach our next camp. As the clouds shifted and somewhat lifted during the ascent, we enjoyed some wonderful views of the lake as well as the main range of the Terskey Alatau with its numerous peaks. Descending the other side we crossed the wide Keldike Valley with picturesque views and herds of cattle and flocks of sheep grazing the fertile yet slippery, muddy landscapes. We reached our yurt camp around 4pm. The setting is stunning with a snow topped mountain. Our yurt camp has a flush toilet and warm duvet and blankets on a platform inside the yurt. I tried to dry up our two days worth of wet clothes and enjoyed supper in a warm clean dining yurt. No wifi or showers but there was a charging post and we got to enjoy a warm night’ sleep, minus the multiple trips to the loo during the night.Read more