Song-Kul

After Ak-Say and its impressive canyon, we left the Issyk-Kul region and drove toward another beautiful lake, Song-Kul. The second biggest lake of Kyrgyzstan lies at an altitude of 3000 meters. 

Beside a few ruins that had been built by fishermen, there is no permanent infrastructure. The steppes surrounding the lake are occupied between June and September by a few herders, some yurts camp for tourists, and a lot of horses, sheep and cows. The rest of the year it is uninhabited as it get extremely cold. We spent two nights in yurts, one on the south shore and one on the north.

The lake is only reachable through some dirt roads in bad condition, or at least the upper part of them. The first part of the road we took also leads to the Torugart pass, one of the opened border with China. The Chinese actually finance and built the roads themselves so that they can send their trucks full of goods to be sell in Bishkek.

Some Chinese trucks on a brand new Chinese road.

The pass to Song-Kul (not of interest for China).

The dirt road climbs up to about 3300 meters.

At the top I was very disappointed that there was no sign with the altitude.

After crossing the pass, we finally can see the lake and the first yurts.

Our first yurt camp.

Our beds.

The camp expected 70 persons the next day. 

They had to build a few more yurts (and kill a horse to feed them).

There a many yurt camps for tourists.

We rent some horses and made a tour around the camp.

My horse always wanted to eat.

Our guide Talant demonstrating his horse riding skills.

I finally got to try kumis, the fermented mare's milk. I barely managed to finished my cup...

The water was not so cold, considering the altitude of the lake.

By the way, all the white flowers are edelweiss.

Leaving the camp and the family that runs it.

Driving to the north shore for another night.

Crossing the river that flows from the lake.

Milena was laughing each time she could see animals from the car.

Our camp on the north shore.

We were the only one without bike.

I climbed a small hill to have a scenic view over the lake and our camp.

And over the south short were we slept the day before.

I made some new friends on the way. They all three ride together on the same horse. They said they already were 5 on a single horse...

Time to sleep. With a few blankets, the nights were not too cold.

When leaving Song-Kul, we climbed a pass... and drove back on the same side.

I realized our guide brought us there only so that I can have a picture with the altitude sign.