When it comes to trekking in there is no shortage of routes but my advice to trekkers would be to start their journey in Boratabad in the northeast of Kyrgyzstan. On this trek, we tackled the 3-day trek from Onychorr to Magaluf. This was a challenging trek for our trekking group but with perseverance and the right equipment, we managed to follow the correct course.
In our next offbeat trekking trip, we planned to trek to the foothills of Butelucia from Moradabad. This area has a stunning view over Mt. Butelucia. On this trek, we trekked in self-contained groups of up to four persons and after passing the Geleng monastery we camped in the grass in the hamlet of Stokhara.
This trek left us with many amazing images. The views from our campsite at the edge of Issyk Kul Lake gave us an excellent view of Butelucia. It was there that we decided to book a guided tour to the region and on this journey, we met the charming Kasybaevsky (leader) of the Issyk Kul Lake trekking tour and received valuable advice about the best routes to take.
Back from our tour to Mt. Butelucia, we decided to try our hand at mountain biking, having previously tried the challenging yet delightfully scenic round trip on a rented motorcycle. On our return journey to Mt. Butelucia we met up with our friendly guide from the tour company and he invited us to sign on board his company bus and we traveled alone to the second day’s start of our rugged but rewarding horse trek to the Lakes.
On this trip, we experienced the full glory of mountaintop cycling as the sunset and the landscape hummed with the rhythm of hooves. The terrain was surprisingly beautiful despite its harshness and we enjoyed the view of the endless fields, farms, and villages stretching out below us. We reached the Lakes by riding our bikes and the ride was an exhilarating experience. When we stopped for lunch we were treated to a panorama trek up to the tenth-century oak village perched high on the hills. The panorama was spectacular and the local residents seemed very welcoming and happy to show us around.
The next morning we packed up our bikes and headed towards the heart of the plateau. On our trek, we took a short detour to visit the many spring flowers blooming throughout the year. We saw countless numbers of butterflies and bees, as well as wildflowers in their early stages. The steppe wildflowers we saw stretched for miles. The landscape was remarkably beautiful and there were many opportunities for photo opportunities.
As we neared the end of our grueling journey we decided to camp in a small grassed clearing nearby the Lakes. Although the temperature was cool and not cold to the touch our bodies needed some warmth to keep us on the move. There was an abundance of hot springs in the area so we all gathered around a small fire pit and enjoyed the warmth together. As the sun fell behind the horizon we noticed that our horseback trekking tours had come to an end.
On our way back to the village we noticed a man operating a tea house on the opposite side of the road. Upon asking who he was we were told that the man was the manager of the popular Serebrievski restaurant. As we approached the man we could tell that he was a native of Kyrgyzstan and that he had come to the United States to study English. On our return trip, we visited the restaurant and were greeted by a delicious homemade meal. The menu offered a wide selection of meat, vegetables, poultry, cheese, and fruit, however, we eventually opted for a bowl of soup and the Manager provided a delicious bowl of soup which came with some potatoes and rice which he knew us to enjoy.
