Kyzyl-Oi to Song-Köl — the Western Approach

About the Kyzyl-Oi to Song-Köl — the Western Approach trek

Almost everyone reaches Song-Köl from Kochkor or Kyzart. This comes at it from the other side entirely, starting at Kyzyl-Oi in the Kökömeren valley west of the lake and working east across the jailoo for the better part of a week, past the Tash-Köl and Sary-Köl lakes and over a 3,411 m pass at the Oi Kaying pasture, before joining the classic corridor over Tuz-Ashuu for the final approach. It is the least-trafficked way in and the red-canyon country of the Suusamyr on the approach is unlike anything on the eastern routes. The logged horseback version covers 146.7 km with 6,641 m of cumulative climbing and about forty hours of moving time, topping out at 3,545 m; it suits everyone from beginners to experienced riders and includes instruction, traditional horse games, horsewhip-making and nights with shepherd families. Read the format carefully before you book. The community-tourism version of this itinerary is a walking trek with pack horses carrying the luggage — riding horses are an optional extra, not included — while the logged version is genuinely ridden. Ask which you are buying. It also requires a minimum of four people as published, so solo travellers cannot run it as sold. Expect no signal and no resupply between villages, and note that the operator's own maximum-altitude figure of 3,400 m conflicts with the 3,411 m pass it names on the same page; plan for 3,545 m.