Big mountain scenery and nomadic traditions

This morning the clouds have lifted and we can see beautiful snow covered mountains from our guesthouse in Kochkor, a village high in the mountains (1800m) surrounded by lush pastures dotted with herds of sheep and horses and a centre for farming, herding and cattle breeding.

It's a leisurely start to the day and on our way out of the village we are suddenly surrounded by a huge herd of sheep and the shepherds on horseback.

It's another day of majestic scenery where pictures cannot do it justice. We are driving from Kochkor - crossing the Izzyk Valley west to east - towards Kyzyl-Tuu on the southern and less developed side (at least for now) of Issyk-Kul lake with ever changing landscape.

The road winds through the Kyrgyz Ala-Too and Terskey Ala-Too mountain ranges, with huge open slopes, grazing horses and sheep and small settlements scattered across the valleys. The mountains look almost bare and lunar in places, then suddenly become intensely green where there is water.

After about an hour we arrive at Lake Issyk-Kul, which is about 180 km long and 600m deep (!) and where the surrounding snow covered peaks rise dramatically on both sides. In the local language Issyk-Kul means 'warm lake' as it never freezes, not even in deepest winter, due to the high salinity level.

Not long after we arrive at Kyzyl-Tuu.
A mountain village where local crafts people still make the wooden frames and felt coverings used for yurts.

And now it's time to get hands on, at least for a bit, by helping to erect a yurt.
The main materials are wood, felt, leather and woven textiles. We have seen the individual items being made in the different workshops we visited along the way. The wooden framework consists of folding wall sections which are held together with leather 'nails', curved roof poles and the circular crown (tunduk) at the top. Decorative items are hung on the wooden frame which will be visible on the inside before coloured reed mats are added for insulation.
The thick outer felt coverings are made from sheep’s wool. The wool is cleaned, laid out in layers, wetted and rolled or pressed until the fibres mat together into a strong, warm and weather- resistant material. Similar as we have seen in the felt making demonstration yesterday. We also learned that the tunduk, the circular opening at the top of the yurt, is more than an architectural feature — it is an important symbol of home, family and the Kyrgyz people, and appears on the national flag of Kyrgyzstan. And it should be erected by a man, not a woman.

Despite the tradition of yurt making continuing, very few families remain nomadic year-round. The Soviet period transformed the traditional nomadic system into largely settled agriculture. However, today many rural families still practise seasonal nomadism: they live in permanent homes during winter, then take their livestock up to the high mountain summer pastures, usually from around June to September.

Lunch was served by the family owning the yurt demonstration business. Plenty of food as usual just too many wasps to really enjoy it.

After lunch we are off to Bokonbayevo village stopping along the way for another cultural experience - hunting with eagles!

As part of the ancient tradition of hunting, golden eagles are trained to kill hares and foxes (and sometimes even wolves) to provide fur and meat in the cold winter months. Hunters passed down their knowledge from generation to generation and develop a close bond with their eagles - for 15 years.
After that the eagles are let free to find a partner and reproduce. Apparently, it doesn't take long for the eagle to become wild again.

Traditionally, young golden eagles are taken from the wild, often when they are young and just capable of flying. Female eagles are generally preferred because they are larger and more powerful than males. The relationship with the hunter is then built gradually.

When we arrive, we get a great introduction to the process of training and handling an eagle. Training involves:
The hood – a leather hood keeps the eagle calm and prevents it becoming distracted.
The glove – the thick leather glove protects the hunter's arm from the bird's enormous talons.
Food and trust – the eagle becomes accustomed to being handled and fed by its particular hunter.
Recall training – initially the eagle flies only a short distance back to the hunter for food. The distance is gradually increased.
The lure – the hunter teaches the eagle to pursue a moving object, often a piece of fur.
Eventually it learns to respond to the hunter's call and to recognise the type of prey it is expected to pursue. But it's a long process rather than something achieved through a few weeks of training.

And then it's time for the demonstration. And pictures / videos are better than words.

We were also treated to a dog hunting demonstration.

And at the end, there were plenty of photo opportunities 🦅🦅🦅Read more