Be A Nomad — Alay Valley 3-Day Ride

About the Be A Nomad — Alay Valley 3-Day Ride trek

The softest introduction to Kyrgyz horse trekking, and the one to pick if you are nervous, short on time or travelling with children — the community-tourism operator lists it as suitable from age two, which tells you everything about the terrain. Three days and thirty-two kilometres in a loop out of Osh, over the Airy Bell pass at around 2,956 m, the Kum Bell at 3,150 m and the Chyyirchyk at 2,400 m, with both nights in yurt camps. The pace is walk-only or a light trot; no experience is needed and a horseman accompanies any group of more than two. What makes it more than a beginner's ride is the domestic detail. Day two puts you into the hosts' working day rather than past it, and day three spends two hours climbing to Kum Bell watching shepherds bake bread and milk the mares — kymyz season runs roughly the same May to October window, so you can drink it fresh. The two operators run the loop in opposite directions and give slightly different pass heights and totals, so do not be alarmed if the itinerary you are quoted reads backwards from this one. Helmets are not included. The yurt camps have no wi-fi, no electricity, no hot shower and no indoor toilets — the operator says so itself, which is more honest than most. Total elevation change is 2,111 m up and 2,834 m down, from a low of 1,686 m to a high of 3,150 m.