Adventure tour of Kyrgyzstan.

“At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst”

Aristotle.

Fam trip of Kyrgyzstan.

The gorge Arashan begins on the South behind the settlement of Ak-Suu which is the administrative center of the Ak-Suuysky district of the Issyk-Kul region. Arashan the gorge settles down on a northern slope of Ridge Terskey Ala-Too in east direction from the city of Karakol.
The unique and memorable and environmentally friendly nature of the gorge Arashan the most important reason for which it is necessary to visit this primitive corner of the nature of Kyrgyzstan. Beautiful mountains overgrown with a Tien-Shan fir-tree open a set of opportunities for campaigns, hiking tourism and outdoor recreation of the gorge Arashan.
From open spaces of around Issyk-Kul to mountain glaciers, to the traveler who appeared in this on the unique part of Kyrgyzstan an extraordinary variety of landscapes and natural sights will open. Mount Terskey Ala-Too is the whole ecosystem, deep gorges with the rough and prompt rivers, rocky tops, wide high-rise dzhailoo, the Alpine meadows. In the summer, mountain pastures - dzhailoo will be decorated with yurts of nomadic cattle-farmers which bring here the animals that they ate juicy meadow, mountain herbs.
Between mountain tops lakes, some of them, in dependence of filling were stretched by glacial water, happen seasonal. In the middle of the 60th years of last century the track to the resort Altyn-Arashan passed from office of the reserve on the narrow of Arashan, passing from one river bank to another on several bridges.
Bridges were demolished at the end of the 60th years during a flood and again were not built. Slopes of the gorge of Arashan (especially left) on a significant area are covered with the fir forest. Because of off road terrain and impossible alloy of logs ро to the river in far years according to rough rapids Arashan limited cutting down of a fir-tree was made.
Therefore on Arashan of fir forests more (11,5 thousand hectares together with bushes), than in other gorges of the Terskey Ala-Too remained. The track goes on the narrow gorge on the wood to glades and in 3 hours of walking brings to the resort Altyn-Arashan.
There is a bridge through the river Arashan, the track goes up the gorge on the right river bank. Between the resort and merge of sources of Arashan the gorge extends, the middle part of its slopes, especially left, is covered with rather narrow strip of the fir forest, and the bottom of the gorge is busy with meadows.
In 7 km from Altyn-Arashan at the height about 2650 meters above sea level in the natural boundary Ekichat two sources of Arashan merge: right - Tashtektor and left - Takyrtor. Here on a picturesque glade where harmonious fir-trees go down almost to the river, usually there is a tent of shepherds.
A glade - the excellent place for a tents for overnight.

Author and photos
Alexander Petrov.