Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
shared by five rooms. The family have two
cars available for excursions. It's located well
down the easternmost road leading from
the A363 to the beach. Open year-round but
often full with sportsmen in winter.
at 7am to Bishkek. There are also a few direct
services from Barskoön. There are no regular
taxis but most homestays can rapidly ind you a
vehicle to visit local sights.
Bokonbayevo,
Kadji-Sai & Around
There are attractive red-rock spires at
Km101, counterpointed with the derelict
Agat mini-resort across the road on the
beach. That's around 3km west of the
turnoff to the former uranium-mining
town of
Kadji-Sai
(4km south of Km104)
where homestay-guesthouses include
Zina's
(
%
921 37; Sportivnaya 6)
, run by eagle hunter
Ishenbek. Meeting another eagle hunter,
Talgart
(Berkutchi Talgar; photo/demonstration
from 500/3000som)
, is the main reason most
travellers consider stopping in the south
coast's biggest town,
Bokonbayevo
, and
there's a mid-August
Birds¨of¨Prey¨Festival
(admission 600som)
at Bel Tam, a yurt-camp
complex near the lakeside 1km north of
Ton. Bokonbayevo's
CBT
(
%
077-797 0767; Bo-
lot Mambetov;
h
9am-5pm)
can provide details
of local treks, homestays and various other
yurtstays. Some yurts run by Ecotour (p246)
can be found further inland at Temir Kanat
SKAZKA УЩЕЛЬЕ 'СКАЗКА'
The
Skazka¨Valley
is an area of bare red
earth eroded into photogenic corridors,
paws and spires of rosy rock. It's hardly Bryce
Canyon but it makes a colourful curiosity
when deserted in April. In mid-summer the
area can be rather overloaded with picnick-
ers. The site is 2.2km off the A363 at Km120,
on a rough but drivable track. If you're walk-
ing back from Skazka to Tosor there's a short
cut through the valley to the northeast that
emerges eventually around Km122, 1km
west of the roadside Ton Aimagy monument
with its wide lake views. Don't try this walk
in reverse without a guide.
8
Getting¨There¨&¨Away
Karakol-Balykchy and Karakol-Bishkek mini-
buses pass through Tosor but bypass both Bar-
skoön and Tamga by a couple of kilometres each.
You'll often need to walk or hitch that last sec-
tion. However, direct marshrutkas do leave from
Tamga at around 8am and 9am to Karakol, plus
CENTRAL¨TIAN¨SHAN¨¨
ЦЕНТРАЛЬНЫЙ ТЯНЬ-ШАНЬ
Tian Shan means 'Celetial Mountains' in Chinese and the range does indeed achieve a
mot heavenly majety at Kyrgyztan's eaternmot tip. Here, a knot of immense summits
culminate in 7439m Pik Pobedy (Victory Peak), the second-highet peak in the former
USSR. But though it's slightly shorter, the gracious pyramidal form of 7010m Khan Tengri
(Sky Ruler) makes it possibly the mot tunningly beautiful of all the region's peaks. Locals
call it 'Blood Mountain' due to a crimson hue it often adopts at sunset.
Though reported by 7th-century Chinese explorer Xuan Zang, Khan Tengri was not
climbed until 1931 (by a Ukrainian team). Rumbling wetwards from both sides of the
mountain is the 60km-long Inylchek (Engilchek) Glacier embracing an entire rampart of gi-
ant peaks and tributary glaciers. North of where the two arms meet, iceberg-illed lakes are
named after Autrian explorer Gottfried Merzbacher who happened upon the lower one in
1903. What makes the lakes unusual is that mot summers in early Augut, their ice banks
burt, sending a lood of icy water exploding down into the Inylchek River below.
The central Tian Shan is Central Asia's premier territory for serious trekking and moun-
taineering. But beware:
¨
The area is likely to be inaccessible outside July and August.
¨
You'll need a border zone permit (issued by tour agencies or through CBT (p263) in
Karakol but allow time).
¨
There is almost zero local population so don't expect homestays or hitch-hiking
possibilities.
¨
Unless you are flying in and out by helicopter, getting anywhere near Khan Tengri will
require some glacier walking.
¨
Build in plenty of extra time for bad weather and landslides.
