Jyrgalan

After another cold shower and a hearty breakfast, I started my walk towards the bus station near the market to catch a ride towards Jyrgalan.

What did I know about Jyrgalan? Not much to be honest. Based on what I read, it seemed to be an up-and-coming adventure destination but it's still more or less left undiscovered by many. It was pretty close and convenient to get to from Karakol and I wasn't exactly in the most adventurous mood to be doing a crazy trek on my last day in Kyrgyzstan.

I was talking to two dudes from America as we got closer to the valley. I was asking them what they were up to but it seems like we all had no idea and planned to visit the Destinations Jyrgalan tourist center. We went there together and started talking with a man and a lady who brought out a map and explained to us the various routes. The Americans seemed to have more time on their hands and wanted to do a multi-day trek and camp (even though they didn't have the gear). While I only planned on doing a short day trip and wanted to catch the only and last bus heading back. We tried our best to find a route that we could do together but alas, we decided it was best to go on our separate ways.

I decided to do a trek to Kok-Bel Waterfall, all I needed was Maps.Me apparently. I got some snacks and water at the convenient store and headed out. Most of the road was dirt and I was quite happy to just be walking along this easy path, looking at the beautiful green all around, the mountains and the glaciers, the pine forests, and the cows, sheep, and horses.

It seemed like something out of a fairytale. Until I reached the end of the road and started to walk on pure untouched nature. It was fun to walk along the endless plains though the mud bogs were challenging. My shoes were definitely not happy to get covered in mud. With much maneuvering, I somehow was able to push further until I saw ice accumulating at the side of the road. This was a foreshadowing of what was to come as I got closer to the waterfall.

I stopped under a tree and ate some of the chocolate biscuits I bought at the store which was actually really good!

On the way, I saw a familiar face, another lady from the bus heading back. I thought that she had finished the trail so I assumed it was the right direction. But upon arriving, I found that most of the river had frozen completely. A normal person would have turned back, but I wasn't a normal person. I was an idiot so I did what any idiot would have done and pushed on forward. I used the cliffside at the edge with little wiggle room. Oh the adrenaline and fear. I had no idea if this was the route or not but I wasn't going to be turning back after coming this far. I had to move from one side of the river to the next. Sometimes stepping on the ice, and sometimes my feet falling through the ice which gave me a mini heart-attack. Yet I pushed on, with plenty of close calls.

Victory was mine though because I got to see Kok-Bel Waterfall in all of its glory, I was so satisfied with the hike and the journey. It was magnificent and much worth the effort. Until I realized that now I had to go back. It was about to get hella dicey again. I tried to retrace my steps and still, my legs were breaking through the ice. At one point, as I tried to jump across the river, the boulder that I had put my foot on tipped over and I ended up in an outstretched position with my arms and legs hanging on both sides of the river, forming a human bridge of some sort. It was scary and quite a close call but I managed to somehow get to the other side. Nothing to do but keep going.

Eventually, I did make it out of the cursed frost lands. I happily waddled across the muddy plains and was comforted by the many animals surrounding my trek back to the main road. Again, I found myself on the other side of the river and had to make one last risky jump back to the other side. As I got to the main road back, I was so glad to be on normal dirt again. Looking back, I found it to be a monumental success. No injuries, no missing items, just dirty shoes, and good memories!

I walked all the way back to Jyrgalan and made a brief stop just before the village to just experience the peace of the place just one last time. Then I chilled at the tourist center while waiting for the bus back to Karakol.

At Karakol, I ate at a restaurant called Arzym which was near my hostel, Argo Guest House. A bit salty that noodle dish, but after a crazy hike, anything was delicious.Read more