“It always feels good to enter a new country. Everything that lies ahead is as new as can be” – Rick Steves 

Krygzstan is the Stan I was most looking forward to visiting prior to this trip, and also the hardest one to spell. The photos I’d seen of its alpine lakes and towering mountain peaks had me salivating. Over 90% of the land is mountainous…it doesn’t get much better than that! These past few years Kyrgyzstan has started to become a popular country for both adventure backpackers and Instagram influencers and I wanted to get there before it becomes oversaturated. While it was nowhere as busy as a European summer or the hot spots in Southeast Asia, you can tell the tourist boom has arrived in this once unknown country. That being said, it still provides a rugged authentic backpacker experience with little infrastructure and many hidden gems yet to be spoiled by crowds.

The history of Kyrgyzstan has many similarities to its northern neighbor Kazakhstan – going from nomadic tribes to regional khanates. The Kyrgyz Khanate was heavily influenced by its Turkic neighbors and they adapted many aspects of Turkic culture, language, and military strategy. The introduction of Islam via the Silk Road further changed the cultural landscape of the Kyrgyz Khanate and gained traction by the 9th and 10th century. The next few centuries saw the fragmentation of the khanate as the region got conquered by empires like the Seljuk Turks and Mongols, however the Kyrgyz people maintained their traditional nomadic way of life and cultural heritage. 

The Kyrgyz remained fiercely independently but they got caught in the orbit of Russian expansion in Central Asia and fell under the Russian empire in the late 18th century. The region underwent significant changes under the hardships of Soviet rule before ultimately gaining independence in 1991 (all five central Asian Stans have the same birth year as me). The collapse of the Soviet Union led to severe economic hardship – inflation soared, unemployment rates sky rocketed, and many people struggled to adapt to a new privatized economy.

Kyrgyz people have a strong sense of identity tied to the land they have lived on for centuries with high altitude pastures, rushing rivers, deep valleys, and the rugged Tian Shan mountain range. They have maintained a deep connection to their nomadic traditions – horseback riding, storytelling, and a bond to the natural world.

A few random things about Kyrgyzstan – (1) they have a three som coin which I found odd and funny (2) the country has a young population. The median age is 25.5 years and children under 15 make up roughly 31.5% of the population. It really shows when you walk the streets; there are kids everywhere, and even the parents all look incredibly young (3) even though it’s a very poor country, we saw lots of nice cars in the streets – Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, and BYD (the Chinese electric car company; I both saw, and rid in, lots of BYDs all over Central Asia and am a big fan). Upon further research, Kyrgyzstan has so many nice cars for a few reasons. The first being that following international sanctions and the withdrawal of western automakers from Russia, Kyrgyzstan emerged as a gateway for parallel imports where wealthy Russian buyers and dealerships utilize Kyrgyz brokers to circumvent sanctions. The second reason is the country maintains significantly lower customs duties, VAT, and vehicle clearance fees compared to its neighbors. The third reason is that Kyrgyzstan has become one of the top destinations globally for vehicle exports from South Korea and China. The more you know!

Getting In

We took the 10:10 bus from Almaty to Karakol that was supposed to take 6-8 hours but it ended up taking closer to 11 hours thanks to mechanical problems. In the end we were lucky to get there at all. The bus was mostly backpackers and we made friends with a few of the guys – Nik from Australia, Tobi from Germany, and Luca from Italy. We talked so much, and so loudly, that these two local women shushed us. Oops.

Two hours into the ride we stopped at a gas station for drinks, snacks, and a bathroom break. We got fifteen minutes down the road when the bus broke down. Oh great here we go. It was so hot outside and the only shade was standing in front of the bus. The driver was fiddling around with the pipes and tubing in the back of the bus. At least now I know what the inside of a Kazakh bus looks like. Everyone was getting off the bus and investigating the problem like they were a Formula One mechanic who had a quick solution.

There was talks of a new bus coming but then after 1.5 hours the driver fixed the piping and we were back on the road. Never a good sign for what’s ahead. We were cruising for about an hour before we broke down again. The bus made this noise like you’d hear when a tire was deflating and we all knew this was a bad sign. The driver got out and spent about 15 minutes fiddling then drove 30 seconds before we broke down again. 15 minutes for another fix then 5 minutes down the road and another break down for 30 minutes this time. Shit. I don’t know that he can do anything beyond temporarily fix this problem. We were in the middle of the desert and miles from the closest town. 

Some people got their bags and started to hitchhike; including the local women who told us to quiet down. The only bright side of this situation was that me, Ken, Tobi, Luca, and a few other backpackers were bonding. The big concern looming over all of us was that this particular border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan closes at 8pm and each time we broke down the clock ticked closer to this deadline. Would we find a village with a place for all of us to stay or would we have to sleep in the bus? At least Ken and I had our own tents and sleeping bags. 

The bus started back up and we went another 30 minutes before arriving in a small town. The driver did one last round of fiddling with the pipes and he seemed pretty confident all was well; or at least good enough to get us to Karakol. 

We made it to the Kazakh border and it was a moment of truth for Ken. He had spent the past few months bouncing between Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan so he was in a weird place playing the visa game. Each county has a 30 day free visa for US citizens but the rules changes for re-entry within a 60 day period depending on the country. Long story short, we determined it would be best if he stayed in Kazakhstan for 31 days rather than entering Kyrgyzstan one day early. When he got to the counter, the guy scrutinized his passport and said come with me. Uh oh. The rest of us all got through the border easily. We walked a couple hundred feet and had an easy entrance into Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile Ken had been taken into a back room. He sent me a text saying everything is okay, he just has to fill out some paperwork for overstaying his visa by one day. At this point everyone else on the bus had successfully entered Kyrgyzstan and we all sat waiting on Ken. I told the driver he had an issue but should be through soon. 20 minutes pass. Then another 10 minutes. The driver is getting impatient at this point. I keep telling him just a few more minutes. Am I just going to leave Ken? Finally after about 40 minutes we see Ken. Phew! Please be quick on the Krygzstan side. Luckily it was. He showed up apologizing. Apparently the border patrol guards were really chill and it should have just taken a few minutes but the finger print scanner technology kept crashing and that’s why it took so long. It was about 1.5 hours from the border to Karakol and by 10pm we finally arrived. 

Lodging 

We had originally only booked one night in Karakol because the bus was supposed to arrive around 4pm and we would have had time to grocery shop that evening and trek the next day. Since we got in at 10pm, we decided to stay for two nights. We ended up staying at two different guest houses because the first one was fully booked on the second night. Nic hadn’t booked anything and our spot night one was big enough to sleep three so we let him crash with us. The three of us then decided to get a new homestay together the following night. 

Karakol

Karakol is the fourth largest city in Kyrgyzstan with a population of around 84,000 people and is located in the northeastern part of country on the eastern side of Issyk Kul Lake. It is not the most exciting city but it has become popular amongst backpackers and hikers as the gateway to the Tian Shan Mountains, particularly the now Instagram famous three day Ala-Kul Lake trek. 

Wandering Around Town

During our day wandering around Karakol, the bus crew got back together – me, Ken, Nic, Luca, and Tobi. We went to the bazaar, ate ashlan-fu (popular cold noodle soup in this region that originates from the Dungan community, a Chinese Muslim minority who reside in eastern Kyrgyzstan), shopped for our trek, shared a big family style Turkish dinner, and had a couple beers at the backpacker bar called the Hut. 

Five Day Trek from Jyrgalan to Karakol – 55.7 miles; 18,198 feet elevation gain; 18,675 feet elevation loss 

Unlike the trek we did in Kazakhstan this one was mostly on established trails, but it was also steeper and more mileage. Ken and my original plan was to just do two nights and three days starting in Jyrgalan going to the Boz Uchuk Lakes. Our multi day hike was actually the first section of a larger 6-8 day trek known as the Ak-Suu Traverse, which I had read about previously. The Australian guy Nic was planning to do the entire traverse so we decided to hike together the first few days. Once we started the trek, I realized that if I continued a few more days (only 25+ miles and 7000+ feet of elevation gain/loss…no big deal) then I could see the famous Ala-Kul Lake. Ken had already gone to Ala-Kul earlier in his trip when his girlfriend Pam was out visiting from Thailand so he had no interest. But since I’ll probably never come back to this part Kyrgyzstan, I felt like I would be missing out a bit if I didn’t hike to Ala-Kul. Plus I had someone to do it with since Nic was doing the Ak-Suu Traverse. In the end, I completed about 2/3 of the Ak-Suu Traverse myself. Luckily Ken and I had brought a few extra days worth of food (and there was the comfort in knowing there were yurts along the way that sold food) to where it was fine that I decided to hike two more nights mid trek. 

Nic is a total lightweight backpacker who extensively researches all his gear and keeps a spread sheet with the weight of each item that he puts in his backpack. This level of neuroticism also translated to how he acted on trail to where he was constantly packing and unpacking his backpack. While he was a strong hiker, and generally good company, he also had this habit of delaying the time we started hiking or constantly taking breaks to readjust his gear. “No one dilly dally’s more than Nic” – Ken

Day 1 – 8.4 miles; 3,015 feet elevation gain; 259 feet loss

After getting a later than agreed upon start, Ken, Nic, Luca (who was doing a shorter one night hike in the area), and I shared a 1.5 hour Yandex ride to Jyrgalan. On the drive to the trailhead, we ran into a stampede of sheep walking in the middle of the road (this would become a common sight in Central Asia). The road was decent at first but became a bumpy dirt road as we got closer to Jyrgalan. You could tell our Yandex driver was starting to regret accepting this ride but once we arrived in the village we gave him a big cash tip that made up for it. 

The village of Jyrgalan is very small and remote, but there’s a lot of construction going on, and it might be the next Karakol in 10 years if Kyrgyzstan keeps growing in tourism as rapidly as it is now. Later in the trek at the top of Ala-Kul pass this older guy from New Zealand told me there are plans to build a ski resort in Jyrgalan. Maybe I should invest in property now?! 

We stopped at a yurt for a chicken shawarma lunch and it after 1pm by the time we finally hit the trail. Luckily today was the shortest day. The first section of the hike was low to moderate incline and wasn’t particularly exciting as we went through a cow field then along a 4×4 road. Our Yandex driver could have dropped us off further! This steady incline was the theme of the day and was a nice way to ease into the trek. 

Eventually we split off from the 4×4 road and followed a trail that went through the valley and started giving us mountainous views. After a slightly more steep incline, the trail flattened out along the river and we entered another meadow with cows and horses (there was a lot of sections like this on the trek). Less than an hour later we made it to our campsite by the river a short distance from the yurts (if there were yurts then that also meant there was flat spots for camping nearby). We didn’t see anyone else on trail all day so that was nice, but we also didn’t start hiking until the early afternoon. The yurts looked like they had a few people staying at them, but weren’t particularly full. 

We setup camp and ate ramen then it started raining on us so we retreated to our tents for 20 minutes. Then we hung out chatting for a bit before heading to bed. We were camped by a bunch of cows so there was a constant sound of mooing and light rain throughout the night.

Day 2 – 10.38 miles; 4,291 feet elevation gain; 3,314 feet elevation loss 

It was sunny when we woke up in the morning and after breakfast we packed our tents and hit the trail. The day started with a short walk along the river before a steep uphill gaining 1000 feet in a mile and going over our first of many mountain passes on the trek. At least it was a dirt path and not challenging terrain. The top of the pass treated us to our best views so far with a sweeping mountain range in the distance that had one towering snowy mountain looming over the rest. We tried to guess how high it was from our 11,400 foot pass. It had to be at least 15,000. 

Back into the valley we go for a few miles of steep downhill. Then came a section where the river is too deep and moving too fast to cross where two guys with horses were waiting to take hikers across for a fee. We had read about this so we were already mentally prepared to pay. We had also read that you could walk 0.5 kilometers out of the way to find a bridge, but for $5/person we decided to go the horse route; even if it took less than 30 seconds. Plus it was an opportunity to get on a horse! Ken had never ridden a horse and he nearly got bucked off in the middle of the river. I think he might have accidentally given it a kick. The guy scolded his horse when they made it across the river. 

After taking a lunch break where a farmers’ dog was staring at us the entire meal the trail continued as a moderate uphill along a stream. We all hiked at our own pace this afternoon. I got way ahead of them getting lost in my own hiking world of thoughts. The trail continued through a meadow with cows and horses. The incline was gradual but nonstop for a few miles. The last section to the pass was steeper and I passed by a group of Indonesian hikers, the first other people I’d seen on trail all day. 

It was dark and cloudy off in the distance, which blocked some of the mountain views, but the skies cleared up a bit while I waited for Ken and Nic. They had taken a few stops along the way and I ended up waiting for 45 minutes.

We went back down into the valley but rather than going all the way down and then back up to get to the lake we got off the trail and stayed up high along the contour line. This required us to walk on a side angled hill, and in the end, I would have just preferred going a little further down and back up. 

We got to Boz Uchuk Lake around 5:30 and setup camp next to the other groups – a couple from Canada and a big group of Polish guys. We cooked dinner and enjoyed the beautiful alpine glow on the mountains behind the lake. This is also when I decided that I would continue on the trek to Ala-Kul rather than going back. The goal was to take two more nights to finish and end up back in Karakol by Thursday afternoon because we already had a hotel booked for that night for the World Nomad Games. Finishing by Thursday meant the next couple days were all going to be long ones. 

Day 3 – 10.67 miles; 2,723 feet elevation gain; 4,587 elevation loss 

The Polish guys were up early and making a lot of noise. Oh well I was already on and off sleeping anyways. We had breakfast and packed up camp before saying goodbye to Ken. He was sticking with the original plan to hike out after the Boz Uchuk Lakes since he had already done Ala-Kul. He was going to head to the World Nomad Games a day early and I would just meet him there. 

The first section of the day was a short boulder field traversing along the side of the hill that led up to the lake. Then it was a small downhill where we passed the group of Polish guys followed by a moderate uphill to the first mountain pass that got steep at the end. The views from the top were stunning. In general I think this day had the best views – furthest into the backcountry, multiple alpine lakes, and incredible mountain views. This was the Tian Shen beauty I was looking to find in Kyrgyzstan. 

It was a steepish downhill back into the valley then we had to hop along some rocks to cross the river before heading uphill to an unnamed lake that provided the perfect place to eat lunch. The Canadian couple from our campsite the night before had the same idea. 

After lunch it was a moderate uphill then short but very steep uphill to the top of pass two of the day which had great views looking back on the lake we ate lunch to one side and a glacier on the other side.

Then it was over four miles of downhill to camp with a mixture of steep sections and flat sections along the river. 

We camped on a natural island in between the milky glacial river with the same group as the night before – first the Canadian couple showed up and then slowly the Polish guys trickled in. Luckily the sound of the rushing river blocked out their noisiness. They took turns bathing naked in the stream as we avoided looking over that way. Then Nik and I sat there eating our dinner watching them struggle to setup their tents. That night it rained pretty heavily on us for about an hour.  

Day 4 – 13.57 miles; 5,738 feet elevation gain; 3,835 feet elevation loss 

We woke up at 6am this morning because I needed to have a big day and make it close to the Ala-Kul pass in order to be back in Karakul the following afternoon. Once again Nik moved slower than I would have liked and we didn’t actually get on trail until 7:45. It was a cloudy morning, but the temperature was perfect for hiking a steep mountain pass. After less than 0.5 miles of going flat along the river, we had to climb 2,600 feet of elevation in just two miles. It was the type of climb that you take it in chunks. Pick a point ahead and slowly walk to it then pick your next point. One little section at a time. Nik and I both went at our own paces. Normally I don’t listen to music while hiking but it was helpful to distract myself on this steep mountain pass with the heavy pack. 

The path was hard to follow at the bottom but then it became well defined and more obvious. The cloudiness helped that it wasn’t so hot and I couldn’t really see too far ahead and dread how much higher the climb was. After trudging my way to what I thought was the top, it turned out to be a false summit. At the end, it was super steep switch backs where I felt like I was going at a snail’s pace but slowly made my way up. I was stoked when I got to the top, even if the views were blocked by the clouds. This was definitely the hardest section of the trail so far. Nik was only about 10 minutes behind. 

After a short break, we started getting cold, and it was time to head down the other side. It was even steeper and more crushed rock than what we had just gone up. We passed by two Dutch girls slowly making their way up and I think it would have been even more difficult to ascend on this side. Then we entered the valley and had a long flat meadow with cows and horses. It felt good on the feet to finally be on flat ground. 

The sky got foggier which led to a light rain. We were glad to be in the valley and not hiking up the mountain pass. The rain continued as we went downhill for a few miles before reaching the small village of Altyn-Arashan. This little village consists of yurt camps and guesthouses for hikers, horseback tours, and people that just want to spend a night in the mountains. We hadn’t seen many people the last few days, but now we were entering the more touristy area of the trek. It was a bit of a shock to the system to see Korean grandmas wearing brand name rain jackets and bright pink shoes; but hey to each their own! We decided to treat ourselves to a warm meal in a guesthouse while the rain died down. The plov was average at best but the potato soup was delicious. Plus it was nice to spend an hour with a roof over our heads. 

Altyn-Arashan also has hot springs, which normally I would be into, but I was on a schedule and wanted to get another 5-6 miles further along the trail in the afternoon. Nik asked me multiple times that morning if I wanted to do them and I always said no. After lunch we were making coffee when the Canadian couple showed up and said they were going to the hot springs. I told Nik he is more than welcome to join them and that I would keep going on trail to the campsites just below Ala-Kul pass if he made it that far later. We said our goodbyes and I continued the second half of my long day. I enjoyed hiking with Nik but was ready to go at my own pace and not be constantly awaiting on his ADD brain. 

After not seeing many people the last few days back to crowds and I walked by so many people heading the other direction (it’s common for people doing the three Ala-Kul trek to go from Karakol to Altyn-Arshyn or visa versa). The walk started out flat along the river through mud and horse shit. This was my least favorite part of the trek because they do horse tours on it and the trail was covered in shit. Then it started raining and the trail got even muddier and more difficult to walk. I continued for three more hours of uphill in slushy deep mud passing by a number of people heading the other way. I was so in the zone that I didn’t even noticed that I gained almost 3,000 feet of elevation over the next 3.5 miles while it continued to rain on me.

I was deliriously tired by the end having been on trail for over eight hours. But I was able to keep going until I found a campsite by the river less than a mile Ala-Kul pass. Luckily the rain had stopped at this point.

I had the place to myself. My clothes were soaking wet and covered in mud, but I was just glad to be done for the day. This was the most elevation gain I’ve ever done with a heavy backpack and my legs and entire body were feeling it. I made dinner then retreated to my sleeping bag because I was cold, wet, and tired. 

Day 5 – 12.68 miles; 2,431 feet elevation gain; 6,680 feet elevation loss 

I woke up at 6:20 but started the day slow because the sun came out and I wanted to try to dry some of my stuff off. By 8:30 I was on trail and in under a mile I began the insanely steep climb to the top of Ala-Kul pass. It was a short section but the highest grade of incline yet and fairly loose scree. Good thing for trekking poles. I had started early enough in the morning that it was just me and an older couple from New Zealand. One final uphill push and I made it to the highlight viewpoint and highest point of the trek – the 12,818 foot Ala-Kul pass. The views of the glacial blue lake with countless snowy mountain peaks behind it were well worth the challenge. I see why this has become so Instagram famous. 

I was glad to be up there early before the crowds and while the weather was good. There were some clouds off in the distance but the sun was shining. I soaked in the scenery for about 45 minutes, glad that I had made the extra effort to spend two more nights on trail to enjoy these views. The New Zealand couple and I chatted for a bit and they had done a lot of cool hikes around the world. I could have stayed at the top even longer but I was on a mission to make it to Karakol by early afternoon so I could then catch a ride over to the World Nomad Games two hours away. 

The other side of the pass was steep downhill over a mix of medium sized rocks, boulders, and dirt paths. I think it would have been even more challenging coming up this way. I passed by swarms of people heading up, which made me even more happy that I climbed the pass early. I got into the valley where there was light rain/light hail on and off for an hour before it finally became sunny. It reminded me a lot of Colorado mountain weather in the summertime.

Then I randomly ran into my Italian friend Luca and a German girl that he was hiking with so the three of us continued on the muddy downhill together. My energy was running low after five long days of hiking so it was nice to chat with them as a distraction. We reached the little yurt village on the main road where taxis were charging an arm and a leg to go the eight miles back to the park entrance (and most of them didn’t even drive you to the entrance, they would only drive you to the bridge halfway). Even though it was a long distance, the road was flat, so we decided to forego the overpriced taxis and walk it ourselves. At first it seemed like a good decision because we were chatting and the dirt road was easy; even if it was a bit muddy. But then the hike really started to drag. After nearly five miles we reached the second bridge and caught a cheap ride with a guy to the entrance. The German girl and I were laughing about how many different gear shifters his car had. We were going to order a Yandex back into town when a friendly guy pulled over his car and hitched us a ride for free.