Karakol to Ala Kol lake to Ak-Suu

I've started it early afternoon, July 2, 2018.

The beginning of the trek follows a 4x4 road. I went late to avoid people and have only seen one trekker walking in the opposite direction. He told me there was a lot of snow. The road is very quiet and I've only seen vehicles at the beginning. Not many. There's plenty of water, because you're following a river. I used a Sawyer to purify it and didn't bother carrying water. I'm not sure a purifier is really necessary, but I wanted to play safe.

Waterproof shoes are good, because many times you have to cross torrents stepping on stones. Easy, but if your shoes aren't waterproof, you'll end up with wet feet and it won't dry.

I've slept the first night beside the river, hidden from the "road". It wasn't a camp site. You can just pick any place you like.


The second day, I've walked all the way to the lake. Again, a lot of rain, sometimes heavy, but also periods where it was clear, though not really sunny. On the way, before the lake, I've had a warm and delicious meal at a yourt camp. They even have a sauna (I didn't use it). The food was some sort of pancake with meat and vegetables. A huge amount. There was also a dish with cookies and plenty of candy bars. I was also given tea. I could eat in a warm big tent. This was nice, as I could even open my tent to let it dry by the fire. I've paid 400 SOM. It's about 5 euros.

After food, I've continued the hike up to the lake. It was tough. At a certain point, I was in the middle of an avalanche. I'd move and the pebbles and stones would move down. Very carefully, I've left the area. The trail isn't really marked. There are cairns here and there, but not everywhere. Having said that, you won't get lost.

This day, I've only seen three other trekkers. A couple walking ahead of me by about 1h, and a man walking behind me, about 2h. I could see them looking down, or up, sometimes.


My intention was to sleep at the lake. But when I've got there, I was cold and the rain had turned into snow. I think the temperature was something between 0 and 5 C, but with the windchill, it felt colder. I've stopped to put on a fleece and hat.

I've changed my mind about sleeping at the lake. It was really too cold.

The lake is amazing. I've enjoyed the view an the fact I was alone. The three other hikers were too far to be seen (ahead and behind me).

Even though it was snowing, I had a perfect view of the mountains. Fantastic.

I've decided to go down the pass and sleep at lower altitude.

When I was closer to the pass, I could see the couple getting there and disappearing from sight. It was early evening when I've got to the pass, about 18h.

There was a small wall of snow and a passage through it. I've peeked and could see the couple already below and just the nearly vertical wall. I couldn't believe one was supposed to go down that way. I've walked up a little to find an alternative, but there was none. Perhaps there are better ways to go down if there is no snow.

At the beginning of the way down, one had to sit on the snow and kick with the heel to make a step, I mean a place to anchor the heel. Then do the same with the other foot. And repeat. But the snow wasn't keeping my heel. It was very fluffy and unstable. My heel would sleep down. I was scared.

Anyway, I've managed to go down the snow part. Then there was scree. But it was like a paste, soaked, more like mud than scree.

Using my trekking poles, I went down slipping. Really slipping down. It was not possible to not slip.

The inclination is very impressive and I was scared the whole time. Scared and happy and excited. And hoping it'd be over.

By the way, I've used my hands on the show and lost all sensation on them. I didn't have snow gloves.

When I've got down, I've walked as fast as possible. It was getting dark and snowing hard.

I've passed the first yourt camp below the pass and they insisted for me to enter their big tent. The staff was having dinner. They fed me tasty food, plenty of tea and insisted I'd sleep there. I was beyond frozen and agreed.

It snowed through the night. I was comfy in a tent of theirs, on a simple mattress on the floor, but inside my -5C comfort temperature down sleeping bag. In spite of the exposure to the elements I've gone through the day.

The next morning, I've left. I didn't have to pay for the food, nor the tent. This was my first taste of Kyrgy hospitality.

I've walked down, to Arashan, the place with the hot springs. But I've took my time enjoying the views and the animal life. There were many "castors" (that's the name of the animal in Portuguese, because I don't remember it in English). They were such fun!

The trail is easy to follow, but not nice. Perfect views and solitude, but the trail was one big mud pool. You have to walk besides the trail itself. I've wandered all around, exhilarated by the views, as happy as one can possibly be.

When I've arrived in Arashan, it was 16h. But you can make it in less. I walked really slow.

I was considering continuing on to another pass, then all the way to Boz Uchuk, or Jyrgalan, but I've decided to just go to Karakol, rest a couple of days, then do another trek.

I didn't try the hot springs. Sometimes you're walking and the idea of stopping is unbearable. I was like this. I've walked on the "road" to Ak-Suu. About 5km from Arashan, I've looked for a discreet place where to put my tent.

It took me time to set it up. My hands lost sensation after all the exposure and the snow. I think that when I was drinking tea, after the pass, I didn't feel it was burning my hands. Anyway.

A horseman came to visit me when I had just set up the tent. He invited me to go to his place to eat and sleep. I was too tired and declined.

After a wonderful night, no condensation in my UL tent, all perfect, I've resumed my walk to Ak-Suu.

I've arrived at 12h. A marshrutka ride later (25 SOM), and I was back at Karakol.

To sum it up: I've started at about noon and ended at about noon. I've slept three nights on the way. Two in my ligh weight tent and one in a yourt camp (their tent).

I recommend this trek. Even with the rain and snow, it was exhilarating. The pass is difficult. The last 2h getting to the lake, too. Perhaps with good weather, it's much easier. I won't know.

There's no need to carry a lot of food, nor water. You can eat at the yourt camps and you can just fetch water from the torrent/river anytime you're thirsty.

I recommend waterproof shoes. I have low one (not boots), cheap from Decathlon. They were fine. But if I had gone with running shoes, I'd have been really miserable. Nothing dried with such weather.

It is possible to go light and sleep in yourt camps, if you want.

Happy trekking!