Trekking in Alay, Kyrgyzstan: Questions and trek reports

[steven]

Your questions and trek reports of treks in the Alay region of southern Kyrgyzstan are most welcome below. We gather up all information at Trekking in Alay.

[AreWeThereYet?]

Great, I've been looking for something of this kind for a while now! One query, though: do you guys have GPS locations of the paths you followed, or some sort of waypoints?

[steven]

No, sorry, I didn't make any, I am not such a good hiker. If somebody does, I would be very happy to start a collection of gpx trails for Central Asia. Wikiloc is usually the best place to start looking, maybe other sites have something?

[AreWeThereYet?]

Thanks Steven, good info nonetheless! Do you have names of the guides? And, even though I know it's off-topic, do you happen to have any tips for treks around Murghab, Tajikistan?

thanks!

[steven]

On both counts, sorry, no. My guides were called Kuat and Timur, but they are back to school now, they are both students so I believe they are not available right now.

[Kanter]

Hello,

I am just coming back from trekking Heights of Alay. Official map shows a 80 km round, starting 20 km away from Sary Moghol, clockwise, and finishing in the same village. If you are a purist, you can do 20 first km by feet, my opinion is 10 first km are not interesting, 10 km after a bit more. I hesitated a lot and I finally took a shared car with 4 other people (2000 sum total).

I had a tent, camping gear, food in bag (10 to 13 kg I would say). Otherwise there are still opened yurts, will close till mid September I think, ask to CBT. Weather OK.

Day 1: SM pass, altitude of 4300, not given, carefull after pass steep descent, my trail runing shoes were a bit used, slippery ! Time: 6h to reach yurts after pass.

Day 2 : Very smooth descent to Sary Moghol (same name than first one but much smaller), after, a road flat to Kyzil Chara, there is a small shop, ask. I was supposed to camp at Yurt camp after Kosh Moinok pass but it was 2 PM and weather was good. Decided to go ahead, camped just before Kojokelen, nice place with Utah like red cliffs. Time: 10 hours

Day 3 : Long road from Kojokelen to Jiptyk pass, 22 km, then, descent to Yurt Camp, 10 more km. Asked myself if I continued but spending night into moutain was nicer. Time: 12 hours

Day 4 : 10 flat km to SM, 2 hours

My advice: doing it clockwise maybe better, from Jiptyk pass you will see Lenin Peak, so nice. I did not expected it! And last 10 km, same, see Lenin peak! Counterclockwise you will have it in your back

This trek is really (really) beautiful, even if roads part are a bit boring...

[Julia]

Hi Kanter

Thanks for the hike report. Do you have a gpx trek of that hike?

[Kanter]

I registred my own track with Strava and I followed a gpx track as mentioned on Caravanistan guidelines (link pointing on Wikiloc)

[victoriareali]

hi, does anyone went to travelers pass in these days? i read some yurts are closed but i want to know if i can get there and go back to somwhere in the samee day
i dont have a tent and gear