Julien
Kel-Suu looks unreal, like a fjord in the middle of Central Asia. Getting there is tough: rough roads, then three hours on horseback. Azamat sorted all the border paperwork.
Kel-Suu, Naryn
Sample tour: Expedition to Kel-Suu Lake
- Duration
- 4 days
- Group size
- 2 to 6 people
- Format
- Group
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Age
- 14+
- Starts in
- Кочкор
- Ends in
- Кочкор
Four days near the Chinese border: a 4x4, a horseback crossing and a boat ride on Kel-Suu lake among sheer cliffs.
Many consider Kel-Suu the most impressive lake in the country. It lies in a narrow gorge near the Chinese border at 3,500 metres, with cliffs rising straight out of the turquoise water. Getting here is not easy, and that is part of the adventure. We drive from Kochkor via Naryn and At-Bashy, spend a night with herders, and then walk or ride for about 3 hours to the shore. On the lake there is an inflatable boat trip to the narrow part of the gorge. We return by a different road, across the Kara-Suu pastures. You need a border zone permit (we arrange it) and good physical fitness. The season is July and August.
Itinerary
Day 1
Kochkor — Naryn — At-Bashy
Drive, night at a guesthouse.
Day 2
To the herders
4x4 through the Kara-Suu valley, night in a yurt.
Day 3
Kel-Suu
Walk to the lake, boat trip, night in a yurt.
Day 4
Return
Drive back to Kochkor.
Included
- 4x4 vehicle
- Guide
- Horses for the crossing
- Accommodation
- Meals
- Border zone permit
- Boat
Not included
- Insurance
- Sleeping bag
- Personal expenses
What to bring
- Passport
- Warm jacket
- Trekking boots
- Sleeping bag
- Raincoat