Kyrgyzstan
On skis and horse in eastern part of Kyrgyzstan (Thien Shan)
Skiing above Karakol
Participants:
Ilze Rupners (Canada), Silke and Peter Gumplinger (Canada), Scott Kellar (USA), Eric Gignoux (France), Scott Turner (Canada), Mark Bishop (Canada), Tore Hagen (Norway), Helge Smebye (Norway), Bjørn Lytskjold (Norway).
Sunday 26 March 2017
Tore, Helge and I arrive Kyrgyzstan 2-3 days before the rest of the group.
Big adventures sometimes need an early start. 05:10 the door on our Aeroflot machine opens at Manas Airport, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
After a trouble free passport/custom check, we pick up packs and skis, safely transported from Oslo via Moscow, and meet our man for the next days, Timur Akbashev. Timur runs www.visitkarakol.com and has offered to drive us to our "base camp", the town Karakol, a 5-6 hours drive /400 km east of the capital Bishkek.
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| Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek - Karakol |
Our first stop is at the huge livestock market in Tokmok, 75 km from Bishkek. I suddenly remember what Alex - our local organizer - wrote before our travel to Kyrgyzstan: "When you land at the airport make sure to turn your watches back 40 years". Never seen anything like it before, the market is packed with horses, cows, sheep, hens, geese, men and women. Muddy and smelly. And friendly. Bring rough shoes! The most exotic animal at the market may be the large fat-tailed Kyrgyz sheep.
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| Fat-tailed Kyrgyz sheep |
The day is still young, we are hungry. Time for breakfast. Timur knows what we need and takes us to a 'private' cafe, дунганская кухня/Dungan cuisine, serving delicious dumplings. Then we head on for the long drive to Karakol, on the northern shore of the huge lake Issyk-Kul. In all directions the skyline is snow covered peaks. The road is not the best, full of potholes (and cattle), so we are very happy that steady Timur is our driver. We have a few stops en route (marked at Bosteri + village), and arrive our new home in Karakol, Teskey Guesthouse around 18:00. Warm and friendly reception by the keeper Taalai. Dinner at Cafe Kench, a few blocks away. Excellent food, but a bit disappointing that they have run out of beer...
Karakol (ca 65 000 inhab., what a place. Shabby and worn out, both houses and roads. And on a March Sunday like this there are fires in every garden, burning dry grass and scrap, leaving the town in a smokey fog. But: We like it here!
Monday 27 March 2017
Slow start, late breakfast at Taalai's place. Then it's time to see Karakol in daylight. Apart from the wooden Holy Trinity Cathedral Karakol town center has not too many attractions. We walk the streets, visit small shops and head for the market. Heading home we have got new felt slippers, Kyrgyz hats, backpack cover - and fruits, water, bread and beer.
Karakol Market
At 12:00 Timur has arranged taxi pickup for us. We load up skis and packs and head for Karakol Ski Base, a 30 minutes drive SE of town. The lifts closed down yesterday, which is perfect for us. Now we have a sunny and nice ski tour up through the empty slopes - then further on behind the top station towards SE. The snow is very rotten, so we are happy to follow an old skidoo track. Beautiful landscape. Kyrgyzstan, we love to be here.
Above Karakol Ski Base
Taxi pickup at 18:00 from Karakol Ski Base, then back home to Teskey Guesthouse, and a very good dinner at Cafe Zarina/кафе Зарина downtown Karakol. Good, plentiful and cheap.
Tuesday 28 March 2017
The big car excursion day with Timur starts at 08:00. Outside it's snowing, not the best since we will drive over the 3822 m pass Chon Ashuu. The goal for the day is the hot spring Sary-Jaz, and to go deep into the huge and remote mountain area rather close to the Chinese border. The road we drive across Chon Ashuu (ca 100 km) was made during the Soviet period to build up the mining city Enilchek in the early 1980's. And hardly maintained ever since.
The snow keeps falling and falling. "I did not expect this much of snow", says Timur. A snowy and bumpy ride. No snowplow has been here today. Whiteout. Timur's co-driver (and car mechanic!) Jura walks ahead the car time to time to find the road. Despite 4WD and very careful and clever driving we have to dig and push and dig several times to make it. We don't like to talk too much about avalanche risk... The snow is not good, we both know it, see it and hear it (the not so nice "woff" sound when Helge takes a few steps outside the road). Hardly any others out today. We meet only two cars, one of them a tiny Lada Niva with five Kyrgyz militarists onboard. Well, four inside, while the fifth sits on the hood securing correct navigation in the whiteout.
Digging our way across Chon Ashuu (3822)
Big landscape
Once across the Chon Ashuu whether clears up. What a landscape! What a place. And: What a road. We make a stop outside the ghost mining town Enilchek, sitting in a huge, stone and gravel covered valley. Planned by the Soviets for 5000, now housing around 50 families.
Enilchek - the ghost Soviet mining town
Finally we arrive at the hot spring Kara-Tash (Black Stone). At first sight not the most charming place, but when floating in the hot, hot water, surrounded by big mountains, close to the river this is a real treat. And very, very far away and different from home! Thanks Timur for taking us here! And for the lunch packs. Time to backtrack the long and windy road to Karakol. Weather conditions across Chon Ashuu is much better now (but not necessarily the road); we are only in the ditch once. What an area! So many options for touring, both winter and summer. As we drive down from the pass the setting sun makes the snow crystals sparkle.
Kara-Tash (Black Stone) hot spring
Well back in Karakol, after nearly 12 hours on the road, Timur drives us to Cafe Dastorkon. Excellent place, super food, very friendly staff and quick service. A day that I for sure will remember. Once more: Thanks Timur, our new hero and friend.
Wednesday 29 March 2017
The rest of our big group will arrive this afternoon, and pick us up. Helge and Tore go for half a day on the horseback. I take a stroll in Karakol, trim my beard for a dollar (50 som) and do some shopping. Guide Bruno, local organizer Alex and the other seven participants arrive Teskey Guesthouse around 18:00 in a Sacha's minibus. Hardly room for our stuff in the bus, but Sacha makes it. Then it's off for our first destination with all on-board: Jyrgalan, ca 500 inhab.?, 2300 m.a.s.l., about 50 km ENE of Karakol.
Sacha's Mercedes van is heavy. It's getting dark. The road is rather bad and bumpy, and when arriving in Jyrgalan it is a fabulous mix of mud, snow and cowdung. The van get stuck. Everybody out to help digging and pushing. Hurra for Sasha! He makes it all the way to the front door of Jyrgalan Guesthouse. A great place. Rooms with shower. Big sitting room. Excellent dinner served in a yurt like building. And a guitar that Silke takes care of after the meal. Soon the valley is filled with well known songs, both Russian, English and German.
Karakol boys
Jyrgalan: We're soon there
Jyrgalan Guesthouse: The fabulous kitchen crew!
Thursday 30 March 2017
Early breakfast (06:00) at Jyrgalan Guesthouse, after all we have our French guide and friend Bruno now as our boss. And we know that the snow close to Jyrgalan (2300 m) will get very soft during the day. Sunny and nice outside. However, avalanche risk is considered high, so Bruno goes for a ski tour towards the gentle slopes SW of the village. We never manage to reach any peaks this day, but I really enjoy this big and beautiful landscape. Above ca 3000 m snow was good, with some powder. Highest elevation for the day: 3290 m. Skiing back down the last part towards Jyrgalan village was close to a night mare, soft and wet snow simply collapsing all the way to the bottom.
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| Big and nice terrain SW of Jyrgalan (2300 m) |
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| Helge and Tore: Challenging snow conditions on our way home. |
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| Helge: Grass and snow skiing above Jyrgalan village (2300 m) |
Before dinner I go for a walk in Jyrgalan village with Tore, Helge, Scot and Alex. Once more I have to say: What a place. Very exotic and charming for tourists like us, but life must be very harsh and tough here. Everything is really down to basics. The streets are full of meltwater and cowdung (watch you steps!), were horses and cows roam free forth and back. The few people we meet are interested to have a chat with us. Or join us for a group photo. Since our Kyrgyz and Russian is very poor, and hardly anyone we meet speaks English, it is SO good to have Alex there, speaking their language. A fascinating village walk in a place very, very different from what I'm used to.
Back home to Jyrgalan Guesthouse another great meal is prepared for us. For desert: More songs and guitar.
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| Jyrgalan street in March: Watch you steps. |
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| Shopping in Jyrgalan |
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| Happy meeting in Jyrgalan. |
Friday 31 March 2017
Another early breakfast (05:30) at Jyrgalan Guesthouse (2300 m), to make the most out of the snow before it gets too soft. Today Bruno has picked out a nice, little peak NE of town. Another day in gentle and avalanche safe terrain, with great view towards the mountain making the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border to the north. From the top, "peak 3044", we enjoy nice powder skiing down the north face a couple of times before skiing back home. Time for time now, then to pack and drive with Sasha back to Karakol. Thanks to all the wonderful and positive people at Jyrgalan Guesthouse. And to those met in the village!
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| High and try, skiing NE above Jyrgalan. |
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| Towards our gentle "peak 3044" |
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| Skiing back down to Jyrgalan (2300 m) |
Back at Teskey Guesthouse in Karakol Taalai is waiting for us, with an extra big smile: "If you go for a walk in the city, please be back at 18:00. Alex and my father have prepared a surprise for you". OK, there is a few misunderstandings about when and what, we are a big group. But a bit afte six o'clock we are all there, taken by surprise of the four local musicians that have arrived. Kyrgyz folk music. Goes straight to my heart. Kyrgyz kamuz (small 'guitar'), flutes, Jew's harp (in Norwegian we name it mouth harp), and other instruments. And best of all: Song. The singer is a friend of Taalai's father, and is one of the most known artist performing the Kyrgyz epic poems Manas: Botay Kulanbaev/Ботбай куланбаев. The day is topped with a good meal at Cafe Zarina/кафе Зарина.
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| Botay Kulanbaev/Ботбай куланбаев and his trio. |
Saturday 1 April 2017
Today we are heading to Arabel Valley, the high valley on the southern side of the pass Chon Sööke (4024 m). After a slow breakfast we are ready to go with Sasha in his van, plus one extra luggage car, around 09:30. On our way we have a few stops, including the waterfall above the Jury Gagarin monument. Big landscape. The winding gravel road over Chon Sööke is well maintained, leading to a mining site up in the mountains. We arrive our spot in the huge Arabel Valley around 14:00. From here we ski 2 km in flat terrain to the luxurious tent camp Sergei and his crew have set up for us: Four giant tents with plywood floor and good beds, generator for light, two toilet 'houses' - and a sauna tent! At 3800 m.a.s.l.
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| Arabel Valley - taking it all in. |
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| Arabel Valley: Sergei's fantastic camp, including sauna. |
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| Skiing "peak 4200", behind the camp. |
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| Dinner with style, 3800 m.a.s.l. |
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| Anabel Valley: Evening at the camp |
The terrain up here is big and open, very different form the valleys around Karakol. It reminds me more about mountain areas back home - and Svalbard. All our stuff is taken in on sled/skidoo. After a cup of tea and some snacks we go for a short ski tour on the hill (4200 m) behind the camp. Yes, I feel on my body that this is high up!
Not a lot of snow, but enough to realize that this area as well has high avalanche risk: On our way down we manage to trigger a smaller slab avalanche. Back in camp chef cook Maria has prepared a fantastic meal, which we enjoy around the big table (with tablecloth).
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| Arabel Valley: Ski Day 1 |
Sunday 2 April 2017
Ski tour day. Breakfast at 07:00. Fully equipped with harness, axes and crampons we are ready for takeoff around 08:30. We ski up the valley south of the camp. Because of the avalanche danger Bruno picks a safe ridge up to "peak 4509" (sorry for so few names; hard to find good maps). Our crampons become handy up the steepest part. From the top we have a huge panorama, from here we are sure that we may even spot China to the SE. Great skiing down the glacier and valley back to our camp (arrival around 14:00).
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| Up the valley south of tent camp |
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| Good skiing |
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| Climbing towards "peak 4509" |
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| Big panorama from "peak 4509" |
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| Maria preparing dinner :-) |
Time for sauna, which Sergei and his crew has already taken into use. Sauna and rolling in the snow. Maria is preparing both sausages and meatballs. And the guys have brought in beer, and vodka. Life is not bad at all at 3800 m.
Monday 3 April 2017
Ready for a new ski tour day. Breakfast at 07:00. Today we head for the neighbor valley to the west, equipped with harness, axes and crampons. Long and flat access before reaching the hills. Miss my lighter Nordic equipment... Beautiful and safe ascend to "peak 4350". Once more we are stunned by the big view. Once more we have a lot of good skiing down to the main valley. I didn't bring my Nordic skis, but: I brought some Swix Blue Wax! Works very well on our randonnee/AT skies when we "cross country ski" out the big and flat valley floor, home to the camp. After some snacks and tea it is time to pack and go. Thanks to Sergei and his fabulous crew!!! You have really spoiled us up here.
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| Arabel Valley: Ski Day 3 |
At the road Sasha and the extra luggage car are waiting for us. All on board again, once more heading for Karakol and Teskey Guesthouse, and Taalai.
Dinner tonight is at Cafe Kench. Still no beer in their barrel, but excellent food.
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| Big landscape |
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| "Peak 4350" |
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| Happy Bjørn |
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| French Eric go for the blue wax: "Vive le bleu! |
Tuesday 4 April 2017
Today we are heading for Karakol Valley, just south of the city. A day that proves to be the most exotic day on this travel, at least for me.
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| Karakol Valley - with horses and skis. |
Late breakfast (thank you Bruno). All of us packed and ready to go around 10:00, with Sacha and his van. Short - and bumpy - ride up to the southernmost village in Karakol Valley, were we meet our new hero and horseman: Almaz. Almaz and his three horsemen + 17 horses! Muddy and rough packing of all our stuff into horsebags. Like three others I am eager to tell that I'm no experienced rider, and get my perfect, tranquil and gentle horse Kula. This will be very far for anything else that I've experienced: Mounted on Kula. Backpacks strapped behind me. Skis on my laps. And then go, go, go! Or speaking to the Kyrgyz horse: "Tschjo, tscho, tshjo!" Kula is definitely NOT responding the first 30 minutes (soft cowboy), but slowly we agree upon how to communicate. The next 5-6 hours are like an unreal adventure, or dream: Snow covered threes, steaming horses, tricky wild rivers to cross. Me riding. Snow up to the horse belly when crossing avalanche slopes. More rivers to cross. Clever Kula. Excited me. Big landscape. Tall mountains. Big meadows. Nobody around. Only us - the 17 horses riding into this huge, snowy - and for us - remote landscape.
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| Eric and Bruno ready for the snowy ride. |
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| one of many river crossings |
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| Almaz (left) packing the horses |
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| struggling though a deep avalanche slope |
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| Riders in the snow |
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| Our tent camp (2600 m), where the rivers Ujuntor and Kejltor meet. |
When the track gets too rough Almaz and his crew are always there to guide ours horses. For sure I'm no cowboys. After the tough ride I feel a little bit like one. A soft, but proud, cowboy from Oslo. What an adventure! What a place! Hope I may take some of my family and good friends here to share an experience like this.
High up in the valley, around 2600 m, Almaz has his tiny shed. While the horsemen take care of the animals, we - the tourists - pick up our tents in the snow. Soon the Almaz crew has put up a big common tent, and serves us soup and dumpling. Life is very, very good. Rough and good! Good night.
Wednesday 5 April 2017
A very French mountain wake up: 04:15!!! Main reason is that the snow still is very soft, and avalanche tricky. Or is it to test us Bruno? Ready for take off around 06:00. We first try to ski up the "Ujuntor Valley" south of the camp, but soon have to give up. We can't pass the old avalanche slopes there in a safe way. And the snow is deep and rotten. Instead we go for the "Kejltor Valley" east/SE of the camp, which is far better: For the first 30-40 minutes, up the narrow part of the valley, we have to carry skis on the backpack. Hardly any now snow at all (very good for Almaz' horses, they are taken here to feed on the dry, old grass). At ca 2800 m we have good snow to ski on. The weather is OK in the start as we ski up the huge and beautiful valley, before clouds come in an hide the biggest peaks. Skiing is easy and straight forward, the valley floor is rather flat and avalanche safe along the eastern side. We push on 9-10 km up the valley, to elevation 3150 m. Since weather is not improving, it's snowing now, we see no point in going further.
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| Heading up the "Kejltor Valley" |
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| Kejltor Valley |
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| Lunch break at 09:00, Helge. |
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| "Camp 2600" |
To have the best skiing back 'home' we go for the Nordic trick: Blue wax on the skies. Proves to be perfect over the long, flat parts and the rather gentle slopes we have to climb. Back in the camp at 12:30. No one are very keen for more skiing, so we go for long, long siesta in our tents. Around the dinner 'table' we discuss what to do tomorrow. Considering feeding problems for the horses, avalanche risk and limited skiing options we all agree to shorten our stay by one day. We'll head back down tomorrow. Before taking an early night I finally get use of the kerosene/paraffin stove that I've brought, keeping the tent Scot and I share warm.
Thursday 6 April 2017
Breakfast at 08:00 in our "Camp 2600 m": Fried eggs, bacon and lentils. With fresh snow on the tents. (Bruno's French-English this morning goes like this: "I 'ope the 'orses have been heating!" My respond: "The are probably heating each other").
Then it's time to break the camp and load the 17 horses. Around 10:00 the long and colourful caravan leaves the camp spot in light snow showers. It's a much easier job for the horses today since we backtrack our old tracks in the snow. And it's downhill. For me it's another exotic and exciting voyage, riding on a horseback through this big and snow covered landscape. Crossing the rivers goes better today I feel. Am I getting a bit closer to the cowboy in me? Well, no! As my horse Kula suddenly slips on the snow/grass/mud mix I nearly make a somersault, dropping the skis I have on my lap. Bjørn, you still have a lot of practicing to do! We have no pauses on our way down, and reach the village and road after 3,5 hours. Time to say goodbye to Almaz and his three horsemen. Thank you so much!!! You gave me - and us - the most unreal and incredible experience. This is something that I for sure will recommend to all happy travelers that I know, or will meet.
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| Breakfast in the camp |
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| Me and my horse Kula |
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| Through water and snow in Karakol Valley |
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| Riding in to town, Karakol Valley |
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| Almaz and his incredible horsemen. |
Our super friendly driver Sacha soon shows up, and drives us to Teskey Guesthouse in Karakol, and a smiling Taalai. Equipment has to be packed out and tried. We need a shower, and I borrow a bike from Taalai and visit my hair cutter to get rid of my beard. For dinner we head once more for Cafe Zarina/кафе Зарина. Good food, wine and beer - at a very good price.
Friday 7 April 2017
Breakfast at 06:30 at Teskey Guesthouse. Sunny and nice outside, and fresh snow on the ground. Today we go for a ski tours starting at Karakol Ski Base, a 30 minutes drive from the city. Perfect conditions for ski touring today, with 10 cm of fresh, dry snow on the frozen old snow base. Since the ski resort closed down a week back we are all alone. We follow the ski pistes NE of the lifts, then continues towards the tiny peak/crest 3387 m. Good skiing and big views: Behind us we see the lake Issyk-Kul, to the right Karakol Valley where we rode yesterday and above us ahead the Terimtor mountains (4271). Time for a longer lunch break at the top, and for the sun to disappear... Good skiing in a bit difficult light conditions back down to Sasha's pickup service around 13:30.
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| Karakol Ski Base. In the back: Karakol city and Issyk-Kul |
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| Big terrain above Karakol Ski Base |
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| Tore playing in the fresh snow. |
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| Salami lunch, Bruno and Tore. |
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| Satisfied tourists: Bjørn and Scot. |
Back in Karakol it is soon time to say farewell to Taalai and his parents at Teskey Guesthouse, our home for many nights in Kyrgyzstan. Such a friendly and very nice place to stay and to hang around. Thanks a lot Taalai!!!
All our stuff is stuffed into Sacha's van. Around 16:30 we honk the horn and wave goodbye. The goal for the evening is the tiny village Chichkan, at the SE shore of Issik-Kul, and the charming and friendly Apricot Guesthouse run by Kul Banur Abdievan. Peaceful, personal and charming. After a warm welcome, the sweet mother in the house assist Bruno and me buying eggs at the neighbor farm. Then it's time for a walk to the big, sandy beach, 4-5 minutes down through the shrubs. A few of us (Helge and me) go for a dip in the cold, clear Issyk-Kul water. 8°C is my best guess. Time for dinner, served by Banur around the big table. Nothing but delicious! For dessert we visit the local 'supermarket', 10-12 minutes away. Finally I get my Kyrgyz hat, the kalpak.
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| Bruno buying eggs in Chichkan |
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| Chichkan Boys. |
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| Dinner at Apricot Guesthouse, Chichkan. |
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| Bjørn: New kalpak in old bus. |
Saturday 8 April 2017
After Banur has served us a big breakfast at 06:30 we have to say goodbye to the charming and friendly Apricot Guesthouse staff. Bishkek is waiting for us! The drive along the southern shore of Issik-Kul is very, very beautiful. The blue lake, snow covered huge peaks both south and north of the lake and the desert like terrain along the road side. On the long drive (roughly 6 hours) we stop for lunch at "Food Zone" a bit west of the city Balykchy. Very good food. Around 15:00 we are finally at our place in Bishkek; Hotel Rich, big and clean and comfortable. Now it's time to explore a bit of the city, with Alex as our guide. We go for the big and busy Osh Bazaar, and love it there! Recommended if you are in need for felt slippers, carpets, Kyrgyz hats, food and anything else. On the way back Tore and I stop at a local bakery, buying fresh bread straight from the oven.
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| Helge posing on our drive along Issyk-Kul. |
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| Osh Bazaar: Silke buying her Kyrgyz komuz. |
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| Osh Bazaar: Helge the Hat Man. |
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| Tore shopping bread from the baker. |
Time for our last meal together for The Fabulous International Kyrgyz Ski and Horse Riding Team. Alex knows where to take us, well assisted by his girlfriend Dina. First food at a 'halal place' (sorry, forgot the name); then a beer at a tiny micro brewery. Perfect finish for a superb tour.
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| Bishkek evening |
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| Our last meal together in Bishkek. |
Sunday 9 April 2017
At 04:00 the taxi picks up the Norwegian Trio, plus Scot, Scott and Mark and takes us to the Manas Airport...
Goodbye Kyrgyzstan! I really liked it here.
Goodbye Alex! You put together a fantastic program for us, and impressed me day after day with your extremely positive mood and knowledge about both country and people. I hope we may share some more Kyrgyz adventures!
Goodbye all my good touring friends! Many of you were new to me. What a great group, from morning to night. Up high in the snow, walking the city streets in the "lowlands" (90% of Kyrgyzstan is above 1500 m), or around the table. I'm sure well meet again in the near future.
Goodbye Timur! You made Tore's, Helge's and my first three day to the very, very best.
PS Aeroflot delivers perfect transport from Bishkek via Moscow to Oslo. We arrive according to schedule, with all our touring stuff and Kyrgyz handicraft.
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Helge and Tore! Thanks for making this tour so good and adventurous.
Tusen, tusen takk for turen!!! |
