Exploring the Majestic Landscapes of Kyrgyzstan: A Hiking Adventure

Arrival in Kyrgyzstan...

Once we made it to Bishkek, the real adventure began. Although we had to rearrange our trekking plans because of a serious foot injury (broken tendon) he got about 4 weeks before. The initial plan was to hike for 8 days in the eastern part of the country, near the Karakol town and the border with China.
So we decided to have mercy over my friend's foot, and we went for the three-day horse-riding trek to Song Kol Lake, which is at 3,000 meters.

It was my first time riding a horse, so I was nervous at first, but I got the hang of it pretty quickly.
We rode through huge, flat plains, crossed valleys, and eventually reached the lake, which was stunning.
For 3 days, we were living in yurts—traditional tents of the Kyrgyz nomads. It is a very clever design and practical in construction.
As usual when sleeping in the wild, especially high up in the mountains, the stars above are an incredible spectacle. Black sky, stars, and sound of wind. Unbeatable experience.

Have you ever ridden on a horse?

Meeting the locals

Meeting local people was another great part of the trip. My basic knowledge of Russian, Kyrgyzstan's second official language, allowed us to connect with our local guides during the horse-riding trip.
They were very friendly and lively, interested, what made us choose Kyrgyzstan for our trip.

On our last day of horse riding, there were multiple cultural festivals spread out the area. Unfortunately, we had to catch a marshrutka to Bishkek, and we’ve missed the famous Kyrgyz horse game of Kökbörü.
It is a traditional game played by two teams on horseback, where players try to manoeuvre with a goat’s carcass, and score by putting it into the opponents’ goal.

For consolation after we got back in Bishkek, we caught a small concert at our hostel where we listened to traditional music played on the Komuz, a three-stringed instrument. The skills of the performers was really impressive.

The actual hike

We stayed one day in Bishkek to wander around, do some food shopping and then we headed to Ala Archa National Park, which is about an hour from the city. As we had to change our plans instead of eight days of trekking, we only managed to do three, but those three days were packed with some great moments.

We hiked up to Ratsek Hut, which is at about 3,400 meters. The hike wasn’t very demanding, but it can be when you’re not in full health. On a more lighthearted note, we took a wrong turn on one of the trails and had to backtrack halfway, which didn’t go down too well with my friend because his foot was really hurting.

The landscape changed a lot as we went up—from forests trails to eventually bare rock and a glacier. At night, the sky was so clear you could see a million stars, which was really cool and made the tough hike feel like it was worth it.

The wildlife we encountered was another highlight. On our second night at the campsite near Ratsek Hut, a herd of Siberian ibex came down for breakfast at dusk. Watching them move gracefully over the rocky terrain was like witnessing a scene from a National Geographic documentary. Marmots, pikas, and squirrels were frequent companions on the trail. We even also spotted eagles soaring overhead.

While staying at Ratsek Hut, we met an older climber from Georgia. He told us about his experience climbing with the famous Polish mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicki, which was pretty inspiring when we listened about stories from the Himalayan expeditions.

We wrapped up our trip in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where we had our flight back home. Almaty is another beautiful city surrounded by mountains, and it left me wanting to explore more of the region. We only got a small taste of Kyrgyzstan, and I’m already planning to go back.

If you love hiking and the outdoors, I’d definitely recommend Kyrgyzstan. It’s a stunning place with a lot to offer, and even though we didn’t do everything we planned, it was still an unforgettable trip.