Tulpar-Köl Yurt Camp

About Tulpar-Köl Yurt Camp

Tulpar-Köl is where you stay to see Lenin Peak, and the position is the entire argument for it: a lake basin in the Alay valley, across the Kyzyl-Suu river from the mountaineering base camp, with day hikes up to Traveller's Pass at 4,100 m and a horse and yak games festival on the third weekend in July. It is also genuinely rough. Beds sit on mats laid over bare earth with uneven floors; stoves are lit in the evening but the yurts don't hold the heat well; toilets are outdoor long-drops and the showers are outdoor and heated; food is basic, served in a hut, with tea through the day. It is one of the more expensive CBT yurt camps, and cleanliness can be a weak point. The location is genuinely unrepeatable, and you book through CBT Sary-Mogol — but go in expecting hardship, not comfort. Getting there from Sary-Mogol is 25 km: eight to nine hours walking, four to five on a horse, or about forty-five minutes by vehicle at 1,500 som a car. Altitude figures vary widely, so treat anything above 3,500 m as requiring acclimatisation and bring a genuinely warm sleeping bag whatever the season.

Highlights

• Across the river from Lenin Peak base camp
• Traveller's Pass day hike at 4,100 m
• Horse and yak games festival in mid-July
• From 1,000 som with breakfast and dinner
• Basic in the true sense — read the caveats first

Getting there

Tulpar-Köl, 25 km from Sary-Mogol village in the Alay valley. From Sary-Mogol it is an 8-9 hour hike, a 4-5 hour horse ride, or about 45 minutes by vehicle at 1,500 som per car minimum. The camp sits across the Kyzyl-Suu river from Lenin Peak base camp. Booked through the CBT offices in Sary-Mogol or Osh.

Frequently asked questions