I love mountain but I never wanted to hike any of it just because I don’t wanna bear the exhaustion and the struggle to do simple human thing like for example – hitting the loo.
However when I was doing research about Kyrgyzstan and found out that the country has a rich and beautiful mountainous landscape, the idea for hiking one of its plateau suddenly popped up.
I explored through many potential destination in Kyrgyzstan and kinda drawn to hiking areas around Lake Issyk-Kul, the largest mountain lake in the country that covering vast 6,200 square Kms. One of the most popular trek is Ala-Kul Lake trek where it needs 2-3 days to complete the hike. Realizing on my amateur hiking capabilities, I turned it down.
I tried to find alternative destination where it led me to Altyn Arashan, the valley known as its radiant natural beauty, hot springs, and stunning spruce forests. Wait, hold on, HOT SPRINGS? That’s the keyword to capture my attention quickly. You know I always have a thing with hot springs! I researched further, it seems that the trek suits to beginners like me. Some mentioned its an easy trek with a clear path and hiring a guide was not mandatory. This felt like destiny is calling!
The next thing I know, I sat on GoBus from Bishkek to Karakol, a small town down south of the Lake Issyk-Kul. This town is a popular base camp for both Ala-Kul trekkers and those exploring the Lake Issyk-Kul loop.
The Arashan Trail
I started the day by dropping off my luggage at the hotel where I’d be staying upon my return. To avoid unnecessary weight and fatigue, I only packed some essentials and couple of warm clothes in my backpack.
By 9 am, I was walking towards the nearest market to find breakfast but unfortunately none of the restaurants seemed to be open yet. So instead I stocked up on snacks and drinks in my backpack then hailed a Yandex to Ak-Tilek Bazaar Bus Station to find a Mashrutka no 350 bound for Ak-suu village, the starting point of Arashan Trail.
The distance from the trailhead to Altyn Arashan valley is 18 Km, according to google map. Though a sign at the beginning of the trek says slightly shorter distance of 15 Km. Well, anyway I tried to not bother so much about the distance as I don’t want to get intimidated. However, the excitement overshadowed the anxiety. This was it – my Kyrgyz hiking adventure was about to begin! Yay!
The first 5 Km…
The beginning of the trail unfolded easily. I shared the path with an elderly couple from Korea who had been on the same Mashrutka. They said they have been enjoying trekking a lot, both in Korea and abroad. I guessed they are in their 60s but their enthusiasm for hiking was truly inspiring. We parted ways soon after the trailhead, as I opted for a slower pace to enjoy the scenery and capture countless photos.
I walked step by step in such an awe-feeling, tried to breathe in and out the clear mountain air slowly while enjoying the sound of gurgling river in the background. I am so grateful that it was rather a sunny day making the trek so enjoyable with sunlight shining through the towering pines and mountain stones on the opposite side of the river.
The 5th-10th Km..
The trail started to change into a series ascents and descents, but still in manageable terms. The scenery around became a distraction as I marveled the view and felt a deep sense of gratitude for experiencing my first hike in this beautiful, faraway land. Exchanging hellos with other people I met on the trail – some in groups, some solo – also helped me to get some kind of energy boost to keep going forward.
I made frequent stops every time I saw some perfect spots to relax and snacks as my stomach also started to growl. Even sometimes I lay down for a while. Well, I kept telling my self that I should not be in a hurry because I did not chase for anything. This is actually the main reason why I wanted to hike solo so that I could enjoy my own pace and linger wherever I like without bothering others.
As I continued walking upwards, the scenery started to shifted little by little. The once present river was now streaming far below, the grass and trees turned to be a lot more greener, and the snowy mountain got much more clear.
A surge of excitement flew in when I saw a brown board sign from afar, but as I approached, a bag of emotions came within when I read the sign : “Altyn Arashan 7 km”. I was like, ‘shit! that was only halfway!?’ Lol! It was actually a half of discouragement knowing I had another 7 km ahead of me, but also a wave of relief for having 10 km already. What a mix of feelings indeed!
The 10th – 17th Km…
Just like managing my phone battery, I also carefully planned my snack and water intake in order to avoid hunger or thirst on the trail. However as the path got steeper and rockier, the anxiety began to creeped in.
I could not hold my fingers away from my phone, impulsively checking the offline map I’d downloaded days ago, to find out my current position at. A glimpse of hope streamed in when suddenly I spotted a little label on the map ‘Yurt cafe’. I counted my steps every meters toward the cafe, hoping I could get some lunch and hot tea to refuel energy in my body. As my position approached the label on the map, I looked around and found nothing except some horses. No sight of Yurt at all. It was a real disappointment as my expectation of having a good and proper meal was already soaring high.
I kept on walking slowly but steady, peak after peak I conquered. Until I reached a point where a long, sloping path stretched ahead, seems to be heading towards the top of the hill. I was like ‘shiiitt! are you kidding me?!’ Desperate for an alternative, I scanned the surroundings and spotted a narrow, steep path disappearing into the bushes. ‘It must be the shortcut!’ I whispered to myself and then decided to smart-ass-ly followed the path for about 20 minutes deep in the forest, only to find…absolutely nowhere. Just more trees and trees. I sighed and blaming myself for being obnoxious while retracing my steps returning to the main trail.
My breath grew heavy as I climbed the sloping trail, I could feel ache growing through my legs. Another mistake I made was I did not bother to use a proper trekking shoes hence I was quiet struggling on the rocky path. I had rests in every tenth of the steps. A part of me kept on chanting the encouragement ‘You can do it, believe in yourself! The hot springs awaits!’, yet another part of me kept on checking the offline map only to feel more frustrated because I barely made progress. Due to the fact that 30 minutes walking on the ascending trails will only moving you a few hundred meters, instead of a kilo.
Another board sign was finally seen after passing a handful of ascents, it shows : Altyn Arashan 1 Km. It gave me a jolt of relieve, little did I know that the final one km would actually felt like forever. Lmao.
I swear, I cried a little knowing my destination remained frustratingly out of sight. Oh Holy Mother Nature, why are you so tough. I would rewrite those darn blog reviews raving about the ‘easy’ Altyn Arashan trek. This was absolutely no walk in the park!
Until finally I reached a point where my eyes caught a glorious sight – a light of civilization nestled in the valley below! A mountain of pride crashed over me, with a deep feeling of accomplishment. I MADE IT. Against all odds on the trail!
Where I stay in Altyn Arashan
Eco Yurt Camp. Because I wanted to experience sleeping in the traditional Kyrgyzstan Yurt so I booked one through their instagram account. When I arrived, the lady from the Yurt Camp kindly offered me to stay in the guesthouse instead knowing it would get extremely chilly at night. But I insisted to stay in the Yurt, told her that I already prepared layers of clothes. She then took me to Yurt #7, my home for the next 2 days. Lucky me, the yurt door opened right onto a breathtaking valley – a view I couldn’t wait to enjoy each morning.
The Yurt itself was actually very basic, nothing inside the Yurt other than the 6 beds each cover with thick blanket. There was no electricity, it only has a tiny dimmed light that powered from solar panel. I was glad I have done a proper research, I packed myself a flashlight, a blanket and tiny pillow and prepared with good battery management.
The bathroom facilities were located in a separate building outside the yurt, offering both seated and squat eco-toilets. Do not expect any showers, let alone hot showers. Well, this actually fit perfectly with the eco-yurt experience, and with a super cold temperature like that I don’t think one ever needs to have a shower.
What I liked the most from the camp was the FOOD! Oh God, the lady was such a good cook. They provided a full set of meal 3x a day, consist of fresh salad, bread and jam, a steaming bowl soup, a hearty main course, and a cup of hot tea – totally a perfect meal for a cold mountain weather!
Overall, staying at the Eco Yurt Camp offered a new experience to me. It wasn’t just about the stunning views, but also about the chance to disconnect from the constant buzz of technology and reconnect with nature in a simpler, more traditional way. Topped with the delicious food and friendly hospitality of the ladies from the camp.
What to do in Altyn Arashan
Hot Springs and Chill!!
Altyn Arashan is known for its dreamy hotspring, the exact reason why I would go above and beyond to come here in the first place. There are 2 types of hot springs, the indoor’s and the outdoor one. Every guesthouse basically has their own dedicated hot spring. It’s a simple and small hot pool that can be enjoyed by max 4 people at the same time. I do love the heat though, it heats in a perfect temperature that my soreness completely gone when I dipped for 20 mins.
While for the outdoor one, it located around 20 mins walking from the Yurt camp, through the skirts of the hills. The track was not clear enough I got myself lost to the wrong narrow path, unfortunately somebody found me and kindly directed me to the right path. Although very tiny, the natural hot springs indeed have the perfect view you can imagine. No one was there when I arrived so I had the place all by myself for about 20 mins before a group came so I had to end my solitude with the nature.
Endless daydreaming by the valley!
Lucky me to get Yurt #7, so I have all the view just by the door of my Yurt. I literally spent whole day rolling on my picnic mat that I set up overlooking the valley, sipping some hot coffee and listening to my favorite music. Life was so dreamy at that time!
I stayed 2 nights in the valley, enough to absorb all the glorious energy from the mountain. Actually it would be great if I could make it to the top of Ala-Kul. But the condition was not ideal to hike to the top especially for the amateur like me. On the day 3, luckily there was a family from Czech who also wanted to go back to Karakol in the morning so I tagged along on their Soviet car, which left me another speechless experience!
Lesson to learn for next hiking attempt (if there will ever be next one lol). I should have using a proper trekking shoes & mountain jacket! It definitely will help me a lot to avoid unnecessary pain.
So yeah, once again, I’ve proven to myself that I’m very capable of doing things I never thought I would. My first solo hiking experience was done in Kyrgyzstan – OMG! How cool was that!
