Trekking in Jyrgalan, Kyrgyzstan: Our Expertise Marking The New Keskenkija Path

Intrepid travellers go to Kyrgyzstan on a mission to hunt out cultural experiences, adventurous actions and off-track spots – of which, there are fairly a couple of. These all through the know have been travelling correct proper right here for years, whereas having satisfying with the rugged landscapes and heat hospitality.

Nonetheless, Kyrgyzstan is a visit spot that few folks have heard about as a journey journey spot, and even fewer have explored. After we had been invited by USAID – BGI and Uncover Kyrgyzstan to return to our favorite “Stan” all through the house, we jumped on the selection.

After we got here throughout that we is maybe climbing on a path that had nevertheless to be plotted, and that we is maybe these marking it for future travellers, we had been ecstatic!

The Village of Jyrgalan is an up-and-coming hotspot all through the nation. This pristine home is for these with an adventurous spirit and a love for the wilderness. With our baggage packed, we set off from Athens to Bishkek and ready ourselves for the upcoming journey with our mates, Jarryd & Alesha.

📝 NOTE: For any inquiries about Jyrgalan, the Keskenkija Loop Path or utterly completely different experiences and actions all through the home, please be blissful to Contact Us with any questions. We’ll reply as quickly as doable.

Jyrgalan Village

Jyrgalan was the entire thing we hoped it might very nicely be, and additional. With merely 1,000 residents, it has a extraordinarily welcoming really actually really feel to it. We handed by small properties constructed from picket, brick and cement, and pretty only a few cows, chickens, horses and sheep roamed the mud roads. Women carried laundry in buckets down the freeway, whereas the lads herded their livestock from horseback.

There was one school, a cemetery and a mosque. Surrounding the village had been rolling inexperienced hills on one facet, and towering snowy peaks on the opposite. This was an correct mountain village!

We arrived at our guesthouse, Alakol Eco-Coronary coronary heart, which was constructed in 2014 by Emil and Gulmira. Earlier to the funding and assist given by the USAID – BGI Kyrgyz Mission, the village of Jyrgalan may solely sleep 15 vacationers, they usually additionally all needed to come back again to this one guesthouse.

As of October, 2016, there are actually a whole of 5 guesthouses in Jyrgalan, and 64 beds! Lodging is available on the market year-round.

We had been greeted with smiling faces on the Alakol Eco-Coronary coronary heart and had been confirmed to our room, which was newly renovated and had a non-public bathroom. We then seen that there was a yurt raised up on a picket platform. On condition that 4 of us (Jazza, Alesha, Nick & I) love yurts, we requested if we would sleep there instead.

What higher option to kick off our two-week journey collectively than having a sleepover on Day #1?

Top-of-the-line methods to Get to Jyrgalan

To start out out with, do you must’re looking out on GoogleMaps.com, it’s not really the place it says it’s! They spelled it Jergalan and positioned it all through the improper location. Click on on on the hyperlink above or view the map beneath to see the exact location.

Should you’re looking out on Maps.me, it’s spelled Dzhergalan. Should you examine the topographical maps, it’s spelled Jyrgalan. Troublesome, I do know.

The Village of Jyrgalan is situated roughly 47 kilometers northeast of town of Karakol.

To get to Jyrgalan from Karakol, you merely get on a marshrutka (mini bus) from the primary bus station. These run 4 occasions a day and the associated cost is spherical $1 per explicit individual. The journey takes roughly 45 minutes. Should you’re not sure of the perfect methodology to catch the bus to Jyrgalan, converse to the DMO in Karakol, which is situated subsequent to Fats Cat Cafe at 22, Gagarin Avenue. They are going to furthermore current you how one can put collectively any excursions in Jyrgalan from this workplace.

The Trekking Plan

The household, workers and travellers all met all through the spherical kitchen and beloved a unbelievable do-it-yourself meal collectively – the meals was scrumptious! However, before we would change the occasion to our yurt for some after dinner cognac and guitar having enjoyable with from Emil the guesthouse proprietor, we would have favored to have a gathering with our trekking group and the native guides to plan our route for the next day.

We weren’t the one crew planning an journey from Emil’s buyer residence. There have been only some utterly completely different travellers who had guides and plans as efficiently, nonetheless Jazza, Alesha, Nick & I adopted our group of horse guides and mountain consultants to a small room close to the kitchen. Gathering all through the topographical map, we talked in regards to the route and the plan for the tour that we had been to embark on the next morning.

The plan was for us to trek to Echkili Tash, taking 4 days and spherical 70 kilometers. However, we had merely obtained phrase that there was nonetheless 4 meters of snow on the second go that we must always cross at spherical 3,200m. If we had been capable of make it over, we weren’t certain what the third go would have in retailer for us, and at 3,800m, coming into into blind wouldn’t have been the neatest choice.

There was furthermore the chance that if it snowed anymore by means of the trek, we would most likely be caught between two excessive passes.

Inside a couple of minutes, the talks turned from English to Russian and additional pointing on the map and consulting with the native mountain knowledgeable ensued. I checked out Nick and whispered “I really actually really feel nervous about this”. It was the night time before we had been supposed set off on what would already be a tough trek, and now there was the potential for being stranded on a mountain all through the snow.

As if studying my concepts, the trekking data and the horse data deserted the preliminary plan, deciding it wasn’t secure satisfactory. They obtained proper right here up with a mannequin new route – really right then and there! Talk about spontaneity.

Azamat (our horse data) has spent his complete life all through the mountains and since he was a toddler he has been making an attempt and exploring the peaks spherical Jyrgalan. He knew of an home that may make for an outstanding trek – nonetheless there have been nonetheless many elements that every one in every of us had been unsure of.

Was there a bridge to cross the speeding river? How excessive was the water right now? Was one among many passes coated in snow? Precisely what number of kilometers was this route? Was it doable in three days?

We determined that we’d cross these bridges (each really and figuratively) as they obtained proper right here.

READ MORE: Trekking to Ala-Kul and Altyn Arashan With out a Information

Day #1

(NOTE: All of us accomplished this trek in 3 days, nonetheless having accomplished so, it has now been determined that it should be accomplished in 4 – 5 days. Click on on on correct proper right here to see the how-to article, which explains the 4 and 5 day choices.)

The next morning we awoke to a buzz on the guesthouse. All folks was up and on the purpose of set off on various journeys all through the village. Some had been going horseback driving to a close-by lake, others had been on an in a single day trek to a waterfall, and the 4 of us with our guides and crew had been setting off into the unknown.

Along with Begayim (trekking data & GPS tracker), Azamat (native horse data and mountain knowledgeable), Ruslan (native horse data), Anvar (chef), Kyle (American engaged on the USAID drawback) and Jarryd & Alesha (from NOMADasaurus), we set off on foot into the mountains.

We had three canine and 4 horses with us – two had been ridden by Azamat and Ruslan and two had been used as pack horses to hold our tents and meals. The remainder of the gear, together with our clothes, water and private belongings had been carried by us on our backs.

The photograph voltaic was shining, the sky was blue and we had been all excited to be pioneering this trek for future travellers to Jyrgalan.

The surroundings was good. We hiked alongside a speeding river before heading up a grassy mountain and former our first shepherd camp. All via the summer season season months, many Kyrgyz folks reside all through the mountains in yurts, whereas herding their livestock by means of inexperienced pastures.

Merely before our lunch break, we met up with a person named Danik all through the Eki Chat home who has a mannequin new yurt accessible for vacationers to remain in. You most likely can every do a day trek correct proper right here from Jyrgalan and have lunch with the household for 450 som ($6.50), or chances are high you may select to spend the night time.

Persevering with alongside the partaking valley, we stopped for lunch before tackling the Jyrgalan Cross (Ak Kiya on account of it’s acknowledged by the locals) at 3,332m. The ascent as rather a lot as a result of the go wasn’t overly highly effective, nonetheless the nasty blister that had shaped on my heel wasn’t making it any easier. Sadly, our views had been obscured on account of the mountains had been shrouded in clouds by this diploma. There was nonetheless a large amount of snow on the go, making for a fairly ominous wanting view!

Descending down from the go, we arrived at one completely different unimaginable lookout diploma, before persevering with to the valley flooring beneath.

We had been climbing and portray rocks with shiny pink arrows to mark this path. Anvar was utterly on portray accountability, though all of us did our half. After one different (small) river crossing, by means of some marshy grassland and over one different hill, we lastly arrived at our first camp of the trek.

The horses had been unloaded and unsaddled, the kitchen tent was erected and Azamat & Ruslan began a bonfire. All of us put together our personal tents and gear on primarily most likely probably the most stage flooring we would uncover, before serving to out with the dinner prep.

All of us huddled all through the “kitchen” and beloved a typical meal of kurduk (beef with potatoes, onions and spices), and a updated salad. The dialog was good and so was the meals.

After we requested what the plan for the next day was, Azamat and Begayim acknowledged they weren’t certain due to they didn’t know if the river and the go had been crossable. We’d should see how excessive the water was all through the morning, and converse to a shepherd all through the jailoo the next day…

Day #2

We slept an identical to the lifeless and awoke to a sunny morning and semolina porridge for breakfast. Breaking camp, we wandered alongside a unbelievable path with stones and boulders dotting the inexperienced house, before lastly making it to the Tup River – the river we weren’t certain if we is maybe succesful to cross.

On the selection facet of the Tup River we seen Azamat and Ruslan with their horses. This was signal. Eyeing up the river, the seven of us who weren’t on horseback knew there was no methodology we would cross it on foot – it was too aggressive and deep.

The horses obtained proper right here as soon as extra to get us and we crossed the river in shifts on horseback, with Ruslan and Azamat’s canine sticking by their householders and swimming all via every time.

As shortly as we had been all safely all via, we continued on alongside the luxurious valley flooring which was coated in in a blanket of buttercups and dandelions. This portion of the day was very flat and straightforward, which was concern as we had fairly considerably little little bit of incline forward of us.

Banking right, we made our methodology up the mountainside on a horse path, leaving the meadow behind. We now discovered ourselves surrounded by partaking pine timber. Discovering a stream excessive up on the mountain face, we stuffed up our bottles with clear, clear water before making our remaining ascent to spherical 3,000m the place the pine timber gave option to a flat plateau.

That is the place Azamat’s pal and shepherd, Bata, was tenting out for the summer season season collectively alongside along with his household and livestock. The setting of their residence was totally breathtaking, and we had been lucky satisfactory to be invited to eat some lunch and share their company! Seeing as we had been the primary travellers to ever take this route, we knew that this encounter was completely actual and not at all positioned on for vacationers.

Lagman soup was freshly made in a pot and served to us in little bowls – this was the gasoline we would have favored to proceed on, and conquer the upcoming mountain go, the go which Bata acknowledged was doable to deal with.

We trekked by a picturesque, multi-coloured canyon before climbing alongside a mountain face to a small resting spot. From correct proper right here, we trudged upwards, over slightly little bit of little little little bit of snow and to the perfect of a 3,380m go! The ascent was highly effective, nonetheless as shortly as we arrived on the extreme of the go, we had been rewarded with the ultimate phrase 360° view.

At first of this trek, Kyle had launched that he merely just lately had a mountain go named after himself. So, as chances are high you may consider, all of us wished one issue named after us. The sooner days had been full of questions: “Does this lake have a standing nevertheless?” “Is that mountain named?” “Can we title this river?!”

However, sadly, the entire thing was already claimed and had a title.

Till we obtained proper right here to our subsequent epic go. Apparently only a few of the locals determine it “Archutor” go, nevertheless it actually wasn’t formally named, so we’ve dubbed it “Goatasaurus Cross” – which is a mixture of GoatsOnTheRoad and NOMADasaurus weblog names. Real, everybody is aware of.

After reveling in our new mark on the world, we descended down by means of the snow and former pretty only a few reflective ponds that dotted the panorama like a mirror mosaic. After one completely different hour or so, we arrived at our second and remaining campsite of the trek.

This was the ultimate phrase place to pitch our tents.

As shortly as the entire thing was put together, a bottle of Spiced Rum was cracked open and shared with all folks – this was the primary time Azamat had tried rum! Evidently, he beloved it. This night was my favorite due to all of us sat spherical all through the kitchen tent chatting about how life in Kyrgyzstan differs from that of Australia, Canada and the USA. We discovered about our guides’ childhoods, customs and customized.

Most probably most likely probably the most attention-grabbing tidbits that I took away from the dialog had been about household life.

The primary-born little one is “given” to the grandparents and is raised completely by them. The youngest son is obligated to remain residence his complete life to cope with his mother and father – regardless of his aspirations. The daughters are married off, and our (feminine) data even acknowledged “daughters are like agency all through the household residence, due to they don’t protect for extended”. On account of this, mother and father enroll their daughters in school at a later age, spherical seven or eight years outdated, with a goal to guard them at residence for so long as they may. The eldest son is free to do as he pleases.

After good dialog and a great deal of laughs, all of us headed to our respective tents. The horse guides had acknowledged the last word day should be “simple”, which was comforting contemplating my blister had gone from unhealthy, to worse.

Day #3

We awoke to Anvar cooking up french toast all through the kitchen. We couldn’t take into consideration the meals he obtained proper right here up with out all through the mountains, the meals really was tasty.

Sadly, my blister was large and painful, nonetheless I used to be decided to proceed – regardless of Azamat urging me to hop on a horse. I refused the journey, nonetheless I did hand over my backpack which they strapped to one among many horses.

Hobbling alongside, we had one completely different go to hike over, this one named Anvar Cross at 3,310m. Contemplating we had merely camped at 3,240, the ascent wasn’t so unhealthy. After Anvar Cross, we descended down into the gorge with a speeding river to cross. This half was really unmarked and genuinely, the group of us every kind of took our personal routes down the mountainside before assembly up on the underside.

We pushed on by means of the grass and marsh till we obtained proper right here to a horse path, foremost us on one completely different small ascent. The panoramic views of Peak Koitor had been spectacular! It was all downhill from correct proper right here before arriving at a yurt camp with one completely different shepherd and his animals.

We’d really actually really feel ourselves inching nearer to civilization.

This will likely very nicely be our remaining lunch spot, and if we wished to, we would have usually referred to as a car the night time before to select us up from this diploma.

By lunchtime, we had already hiked for roughly 15 kilometers. In response to our map, we had about one completely different 15 kilometers as soon as extra to Jyrgalan. In response to Azamat, it was additional like 8 kilometers. So, we set off to finish the loop as soon as extra to metropolis.

By this diploma, Nick had resorted to carrying flip-flops as a result of blisters, my foot had gone numb due to my blister ache, and we had been all exhausted, nonetheless our spirits had been excessive and we had been all (really) loving the surroundings and the journey!

Every time we came to visit one completely different hill, considering we’d see Jyrgalan all through the gap, all we seen had been additional hills. Azamat laughed each time he seen our faces. “Another go!” we’d all say, and saved trucking alongside.

After enduring some pouring rain, a hail storm and a 30 kilometer day (!), we lastly arrived as soon as extra all through the little village of Jyrgalan. All of us gave one another high-fives, hugged and celebrated our accomplishment over beers and vodka.

Making a path is one issue we’ve actually not accomplished before and it was an expertise in distinction to a distinct. We’ve all the time been sheep when it obtained proper right here to climbing and have all the time adopted the paths made by these before us. However this time spherical, we had been capable of be GOATS! We led one of many easiest methods and pioneered the Keskenkija Loop.

We really went with the movement on this journey and trusted our guides 100%, and though we tried our greatest to mark the path, I’d nonetheless suggest having a data for this trek. We’re all for impartial treks and USAID BGI has each intent of marking this path in order that trekkers don’t want guides, nonetheless at this diploma the paths are nonetheless new and it’s greatest to have somebody with you who’s aware of the mountains.

All of us gave enter into the place to mark the rocks for upcoming trekkers and mountain guides, and helped out each other when wished. This really was a bunch effort and we love this group of intrepid souls!

Should you’re desirous about doing this trek or any others all through the Jyrgalan Valley, contact Tynch, the best of the DMO in Jyrgalan and he’ll help you to out. He’s massive good and speaks good English! His e mail is journey spot.jyrgalan@gmail.com or attempt the Journey spot Jyrgalan Fb Web internet web page.

Jyrgalan is the new journey journey spot in Kyrgyzstan and do you must haven’t been to this Central Asian nation, it is advisable to position it in your doc. We’ll be writing much more about precisely how to do this trek, plus the opposite actions accessible all through the village and all through the nation. Maintain tuned!

For additional on travelling and backpacking spherical Kyrgyzstan, attempt our articles:

Trekking in Kyrgyzstan: A How-To Information For The Keskenkija Path in Jyrgalan

The Closing Information to Backpacking Kyrgyzstan

10 Causes Why Kyrgyzstan is OutSTANding

Lake Music-Kul: Horse Trekking Excessive all through the Mountains of Kyrgyzstan 

Trekking Ala-Kul and Altyn Arashan With out a Information

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Disclaimer: We really actually really feel so honoured to have been invited by Uncover Kyrgyzstan and USAID to seek out Jyrgalan and share our expertise with you. Though this was a press journey, do you must’ve been following our weblog, you’ll know that we’ve beloved Kyrgyzstan ever since we first visited as soon as extra in 2013, and that each one opinions on this textual content are completely our personal.

This journey was made doable by the assistance of the American folks by means of america Agency for Worldwide Growth (USAID). The contents are the one accountability of myself, the creator, and don’t primarily mirror the views of USAID or america Authorities.