At-Bashy to Kel-Suu through the Kok-Kiya Valley

About the At-Bashy to Kel-Suu through the Kok-Kiya Valley trek

Kel-Suu is the hardest of Kyrgyzstan's great lakes to reach, and this is the civilised way to do it: the operator handles the border permit, which on its own removes the main obstacle. Six days from Bishkek, of which three are ridden — 74 km through the Kok-Kiya valley over the Sazduu pass at 3,770 m and the Car pass at 3,791 m, topping out at 3,928 m, to a lake wedged between vertical walls at around 3,510 m in the Kakshaal-Too on the Chinese border. The other three days are driving, and long ones: 390 km in on day one, 260 km out on day five. No riding experience is needed, though about thirty minutes of walking on steep sections is required — confident riders can stay mounted. The operator grades it moderate to demanding depending on fitness. Things to know before you commit. Helmets are not included, so bring one. Sleeping bags are rentable, not supplied. There is no mobile reception at the Kel-Suu camps at all. A police checkpoint inspects permits on the road in. And the lake itself is not guaranteed: it drains seasonally into underground caves, so the water level varies and in some years it partly empties. Outside late June to mid-September expect snow and almost no facilities.