Kyrgyzstan - country high mountains, fast rivers and clear lakes. Most of the territory is occupied mountain ranges Pamir-Alai and Tien Shan, between which the most beautiful green valleys are hidden.
One of the most picturesque places in Issyk-Kul is the Grigorievskoye Gorge.
Photos by Dmitry Chistoprudov
From Bishkek we reached the coast of Issyk-Kul and almost immediately went to the water. Issyk-Kul is the most big lake in Kyrgyzstan, it is one of the 25 largest lakes in the world by area and is in 7th place in the list of the deepest lakes. The Kyrgyz people call it the “pearl” of Kyrgyzstan.
Near the town of Cholpon-Ata there are a huge number of stones scattered on which you can find ancient drawings - petroglyphs. True, I didn’t find anything beautiful. (Clickable, 1920×1200 px):
Grigorievskoye Gorge. There is a country road running through the Chon Ak-Suu valley, which in some places can only be driven by an SUV. It is especially difficult at the intersection of the road with a crystal clear mountain river:
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Walking through a high-mountain valley, we wandered into At-Jailoo (which means summer pastures) to visit shepherds - sheep shepherds:
The shepherds are doing well. Grandfather, grandchildren and grandmother:
That's how they live. (Clickable, 1920×1200 px):
Pasture:
Nature has preserved its pristine nature here, and neither time nor man has power over it. The middle part of the gorges is wooded and captivates with the most beautiful Tien Shan firs:
The length of the gorge is about 35 kilometers, and along its entire length there are numerous walking and horse riding routes along picturesque slopes and steep mountain paths. (Clickable, 1920×1200 px):
Panorama Grigorievsky Gorge Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. (Clickable, 3000×868 px):
Mountain waterfall from glaciers:
An amazingly beautiful place.
A small lake at an altitude of 3,000 meters. (Clickable, 1920×1200 px):
At the intermediate peak. Panorama. (Clickable, 3000×686 px):
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As the altitude increases, the forests transform into beautiful alpine meadows:
The Grigorievskoe Gorge stretches down from the Kungey Ala-Too ridge and runs from the north almost parallel to the coastline of Lake Issyk-Kul.
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On the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul. The words “ysyk kel” translated from the Kyrgyz language mean “hot lake”, since the lake does not freeze in winter. (Clickable, 1920×1200 px):
In this part of our journey through Eastern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan we will talk about the Grigorievsky Gorge or Chon-Ak-Suu. It received its first name from the village located at the entrance to the gorge, the second - from the river flowing through it.
The gorge is separated from the highway along the northern shore of Issyk-Kul and the village of Grigoryevka by only a few kilometers of dirt road.
In Kyrgyzstan // volos-t.livejournal.com
In the Kungei-Alatau mountains, Kyrgyzstan // volos-t.livejournal.com
It is located in the Kungei-Alatau mountains, which are part of mountain system Northern Tien Shan and serve as a natural border between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
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Grigorievskoe Gorge, Kyrgyzstan // volos-t.livejournal.com
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Here, at the foot of the Tien Shan fir trees, the Chon-Ak-Suu river carries its fast waters into Issyk-Kul. Its name is translated into Russian as “Big White Water”.
Chon-Ak-Suu River, Kyrgyzstan // volos-t.livejournal.com
To say that the Grigorievskoye Gorge is popular among tourists means to say nothing. This is one of the most famous gorges in the Issyk-Kul region. It appears in the vast majority of reports. I remember the Baikal analogue - the Shamanka rock on Olkhon.
Tourists come here from recreation centers in northern Issyk-Kul on paid tours or get there on their own in their cars, hitchhikers or taxis. During peak season there is a real "passage yard" here.
We were lucky to visit here out of season. Three cars with tourists, several uninstalled yurts with souvenirs and kumiss, and children jumping with golden eagles under the wheels of a car - everything that was encountered on the way to the highlands.
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Therefore, no one stopped us from admiring the beauty of the mountains.
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After 10 km of travel along a narrow gorge, the mountains parted, and at an altitude of 2200 meters the expanses of alpine meadows opened up.
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This is the territory of summer high mountain pastures (At-Jailoo). There are fewer tourists here, but there are plenty of yurts for shepherds and livestock.
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We have never seen so many foals before.
The administrative center of the village district is Sadyr Ake. .
Geography
Grigoryevka is located on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, at the foot of Kungoy-Ala-Too, one of the ridges of the Northern Tien Shan.
The distance from Grigoryevka to the regional center of the city of Cholpon-Ata is 34 km, to the regional center - Karakol - 109 km, to the capital of the republic - Bishkek - 295 km.
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Population
Infrastructure
The main activity of the local population is livestock farming, agriculture and homesteading, as well as the tourism services sector.
More than 20 thousand people visit the Grigorievskoye Gorge every year. It must be said that the culture of environmental management of visitors is at a low level. Abandoned garbage, unorganized fires, damaged trees, improper collection of mushrooms and medicinal herbs, barbaric fishing of fish fry, cause irreparable harm to the environment, and much more. etc. I would like to note the fact that local population, interested in seasonal earnings, due to low environmental culture, perhaps not realizing the negative consequences, also causes enormous harm to the environment. This includes cutting down green spaces, shrubs, burning garbage, polluting the irrigation network with household waste, etc.
One of the most beautiful places On the northern shore of Issyk-Kul are the Grigorievskoe and Semyonovskoe gorges, coming from the mountains and leading to Issyk-Kul near the ancient villages of Grigorievka and Semyonovka. The Grigorievskoye Gorge is narrower, forested and rocky, and the slopes of the Semenovskoye Gorge are slightly flatter and covered with forbs. The gorges, like two narrow slits, run from the lake parallel to each other and lead to the incredibly beautiful expanses of mountain meadows located above - thus, having climbed from Issyk-Kul along one gorge, you can return back along another. That’s what we did - on the first day we went up in a jeep to the mountain meadows along the Grigorievsky gorge, and returned back along the Semenovsky gorge, and on the final third day in Issyk-Kul we decided to take the reverse route: there - along the Semenovsky gorge, and back to the lake shore - along Grigorievsky.
1. We turn off the coastal road running parallel to the lake and head up towards the mountains. At first the road is quite okay - but after a couple of kilometers our jeep has to show all its best qualities.
3. Grigorievskoye Gorge is very narrow and rocky. The steep slopes are covered with dense spruce forest, and a mountain stream rolls its icy waters along the bottom of the gorge. We stop in a picturesque place to admire the views, and at the same time cheer up in a mountain stream - we and kitv , of course, people are made of steel, but the night flight and the second day without sleep still take their toll. :)
4. Dense, almost Siberian spruce trees, clean air, blue water of mountain streams - extremely beautiful!
6. To cheer myself up, wake up and tone myself up, I decided to do something radical. :)))
7. And again on the road - these bizarre rock layers slightly reminded me of the Krasnoyarsk pillars.
9. The narrow Grigorievskoye Gorge is left behind, and we find ourselves in a mountain valley covered with magnificent meadows.
11. There are many roads in the valley. We begin reconnaissance and soon find out that not only the Grigorievskoye Gorge opens here, but also the parallel Semenovskoye Gorge. We decided to make a circle and go back the other way - we were running out of gas, but oh well - we'll get to Issyk-Kul sometime. And the beauty around is incredible!!!
13. These places are some of the best pastures in Issyk-Kul. Horses with foals walk on the lush grass, cows lazily doze a little to the side.
15. The fillies here are very marvelous - this, however, is not THE SAME Przhevalsky horse, but Mr. Przhevalsky was still a great fellow. Seryoga and I constantly remembered him with kind words. :)
16. The sky frowns, it starts to rain, and the landscapes immediately take on other, more watercolor, shades.
19. One of the private farms located in the valley.
20. On the serpentines of mountainous Kyrgyzstan. However, the locals here are quite cheerful and drive Zhiguli cars. :)
22. And in conclusion - photographs of the Grigorievsky and Semenovsky gorges, and a picturesque mountain valley, taken another time - on a hot sunny day.
24. The foal is nibbling grass.
25. Cows indulge in bliss.
26. And this donkey was so happy and inspired by our appearance that at some point he could not even contain the fullness of the feelings that washed over him. :)
30. In 2009 I was in Switzerland. It is, of course, difficult to compare, but it still seems to me that Switzerland is on vacation. :))) Or maybe these places are simply clearer, dearer and closer to the heart.
Jety-Oguz is the name of a number of tourist natural sites. First of all, this is an amazingly beautiful rock ensemble on the shore of Issyk-Kul.
The literal translation of the name from the Kyrgyz language means “seven bulls”. However, the softness of the rocks and the erosive effects of winds led to the fact that there were more than seven large conglomerates. Now there are already ten, and according to some eyewitnesses, even eleven “bulls”.
The rocks become especially beautiful on sunny days. Red stones glow against the backdrop of surrounding greenery - this is where Tien Shan spruces grow, sometimes more than sixty meters high. Most of the trees are more than a hundred years old.
The same name is often used to refer to the entire Jet-Oguz canyon. The gorge begins 28 kilometers west of the city of Karakol as a beautiful green alpine valley and ends in a high mountain plateau.
Boom Gorge
The Boo "mskoe" gorge is located 112 km from the city of Bishkek and is located in the middle reaches of the Chu River, dividing the ridges of the Kyrgyz Ala-Too and Kungey Ala-Too. The length of the gorge is about 30 kilometers. Boom Gorge is a unique business card on the way to Lake Issyk-Kul. A railway line built in 1948 passes through the Boom Gorge, connecting Bishkek and Balykchy.
The first to cross the Boom Gorge, in 1850, was the Russian explorer and traveler of the 19th century, Pyotr Semenov. After which it got its name - Boom, which means " Evil spirit". Semyon wrote the following in his notes about him: "This gorge is a deadly and dangerous trap. We moved along our path with difficulty." At the entrance to the Boom Gorge there is a spring - a local attraction, which serves as a stop for travelers before a difficult climb. The gorge itself is a truly breathtaking view. Nature in it plays with all the colors of the rainbow. Bright, flashy colors of the mountains, stretching into the endless blue sky on one side, and on the other - the full power of the flow of the Chu River, the gentle forms of which gradually turn into a canyon. Coniferous greenery envelops the motley-orange surface of the majestic mountains.
Along the way you can see statues of deer, leopards, and golden eagles. Also, you can often see wild birds here - for example, a hawk, quickly overtaking its prey. The Boom Gorge has become very popular among rafting enthusiasts. Various cafes along the way will give you the opportunity to take a pleasant break from the road.
Semenovskoye Gorge
On the northern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul, 40 km from the resort of Cholpon-Ata, there is the Semenovskoye Gorge - one of the most beautiful places in the Issyk-Kul region. Its length is about 35 km. The Ak-Suu, a stormy mountain river with clear glacial water, flows along the bottom of the gorge, and majestic Tien Shan spruce trees rise on its slopes. In summer and spring, the clean air here is filled with the aromas of alpine herbs.
Semenovskoye Gorge is one of the main attractions of Kyrgyzstan; it is one of the mandatory excursions for those who vacation in Issyk-Kul. In summer, yurts are often set up here, where everyone can taste delicious dishes Kyrgyz national cuisine- kumis and beshbarmak. For lovers active rest horseback riding along the gorge is organized here.
Currently, the abandoned Chernobyl health center is located in the Semenovsky Gorge. Sometimes athletes who come to Kyrgyzstan for training camps stay here for several days to train and live in harsher conditions (thin air and mountainous terrain).
Grigorievskoye Gorge
Grigorievskoe Gorge (Chon Ak-Suu Gorge) is located 60 km from the center of the coast of the city of Cholpon-Ata. It is one of the most picturesque and beautiful places in Issyk-Kul. The valley of the gorge stretches along the Kungei Ala-Too ridge and runs parallel to the coastline of the small lake Issyk-Kul. A crystal clear full-flowing river flows along the bottom of Chon Ak-Suu. The most beautiful Tien Shan spruces in the world grow in these places. The mountain slopes of the Grigorievsky Gorge are covered with bright red mountain poppies, spreading across the valley in a magnificent carpet. Here tourists will be able to admire the unique pristine nature, over which neither time nor people have power.
In Chon Ak-Suu there are three high-mountain lakes, behind which forests turn into magnificent alpine meadows. Tourists are offered a lot of entertainment here, the most popular of which are horse riding and wonderful walking. Also in the Grigorievskoye Gorge you can drink kumys - a national healing drink, listen to amazing folk music and take an active part in setting up a yurt. This place is perfect for an active holiday with family and friends.
Sights of Issyk-Kul
