Ala-Kol Lake and Altyn-Arashan Trek: 3-Day Hiking Adventure

We depart from the city of Karakol to the Karakol Gorge early in the morning. The drive to the trail head will take about 30 minutes. Upon arrival at the meeting point, we get to know the staff, pack our backpacks, and start moving. After about 2-2.5 hours of easy hiking up the pristine river valley, we will stop for lunch at a small lake. After lunch, we will continue up the valley before turning to left to begin our ascent up toward Kurgak-Tor (Dry Gorge). Here, the route becomes much steeper, crossing through a dense forest and up the side of the mountain to the campsite at an altitude of 3000m. This portion of the hike will take approximately 2 hours. We will overnight near Orphan's Shelter where there is a hut that can be used as a kitchen-dining room in bad weather. In total, the path to our campsite will cover 13-14 km, taking 4-5 hours in total. Overnight in tents.

Accommodation type: Overnight in tents
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Trekking distance: 14 km

The second day of our trip is no less interesting. We will begin at a gentle pace for about 2-3 hours as we rise to Ala-Kol Lake (3532m). After a snack and a rest, taking in the breathtaking views of the beautiful, turquoise-coloured lake and white-caped surrounding mountains, we will continue along the north shore toward the other side of Ala-Kol. From here, we must go up again toward the pass (3860m), from which you can see all of the nearby peaks of the Terskey Ala-Too ringing the lake and rising up to over 5000m above sea level. We descend the gorge to the hot springs of Altyn-Arashan (2500m). The descent takes 2-3 hours depending on the pace. Upon arrival, we will have tea and then enjoy a relaxing soak in the hot springs. Overnight in tents or in guest houses.

Accommodation type: Overnight in tent/guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Trekking distance: 17 km

After breakfast, we will take a gentle trip to the side gorge of Anir-Tor. Here, we take a closer look at the life of shepherds and there will be an opportunity to taste homemade sour cream with fresh bread. After this, we will return to the camp and continue down the Altyn Arashan Valley toward Aksu Village. The length of the descent is 14 km, or about 3-3.5 hours. We will stop for a picnic lunch along the way. A car will be waiting for us in the village and will drive us back to Karakol.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Trekking distance: 14 km