Trekking Jyrgalan: Boz Uchuk Lakes

Jyrgalan is a town most people traveling to Kyrgyzstan have never heard of, even the locals in Kyrgyzstan! Jyrgalan was once a prosperous mining town during the Soviet era, but suffered financially in the 90s and 2000s.

Years ago, Jyrgalan had absolutely 0 tourism, but in 2016, six families came together to form the Jyrgalan Destination Management Organization (DMO). Their mission, according to Jyrgalan.com is to:

Build a tourism industry that would bring economic opportunities to the local community, create jobs, and increase the quality of life for local residents.

Together, with the assistance of USAID (United States Agency for International Development), Jyrgalan has turned into an off the beaten track destination for the most adventurous travelers in Kyrgyzstan.

With a population of just 1,000, Jyrgalan is a small town, but one filled with lovely residents that truly care about their community. Jyrgalan is amazingly stunning with its natural beauty, so beautiful that locals claim its been blessed by God.

Trekking Jyrgalan is simple as it offers a variety of treks and bike tours ranging from 1 to 4 days. I participated in the 3 day, 2 night Boz Uchuk trek.  

Here’s what you can expect during the Boz Uchuk tour:

Difficulty: Moderate

It’s definitely not easy, but it’s not the hardest trek ever. I consider myself athletic and in excellent shape, but there were parts that were very tough for me.

The entire trail is 46 km/28.58 miles long.

Maximum elevation 3,471 m.

There will be a lot of steep inclines during this trek, if you have bad knees or ankle problems, this might pose a serious challenge for you.

Day 1: About 5 hours

You’ll depart from Alakol-Jyrgalan Guest House around 9:30. This is where the head office for Jyrgalan.com is. Here, you can meet with Mrs. Gulmira who runs the operations. She is a pleasant woman and can answer any questions you have. It’s always good to check in with her the day before your hike to go over all the details.

The beginning of the hike is pretty easy, a straight line forward then a slight incline.

The first hour or two of the hike is extremely scenic, it almost doesn’t look real.

After 2 hours or so, you’ll stop to have lunch. Day 1 consisted of a cheese sandwich, sausage, a snickers bar, dried fruit/nut mix, 2 boiled eggs, a cucumber, tomato, and a cup of black tea with a few cubes of sugar (you’ll have this with every meal).

You’ll continue forward, passing by many streams along the way. Be careful with these rocks when you cross or else you’ll be deep in the water.

After a steep incline, you’ll reach a valley, which will be the last leg of the trek for the day. From here, the walk isn’t too bad.

You’ll make camp here. Check out that view!

Dinner will be prepared about 4 hours later. I was on my tour with only one other foreigner, so the amount of entertainment was limited. Definitely bring a book or something to pass the time.

Dinner consisted of bread, rice with roast beef, onions, and carrots. Surprisingly, it was pretty good!

I was so tired after the first day, I went to bed right after dinner. Although it was 9, there was still a bit of sunlight out.

Day 2: 8 hours roughly

The second day was the hardest and longest day. I woke up around 8:00 and had breakfast shortly after. You’ll begin day 2 around 9:30. The second day consists of many inclines, including one to start the day. After an hour or so, you’ll reach the peak.

The view from this peak is stunning. Take this time to rest, relax, and enjoy the views.

The next few hours will be the decline, which is long, but very scenic along the way.

A lot of water is needed for day 2 to stay hydrated. Foreigners often recommend you bring water purification tablets to clean the water, but in my opinion, this is definitely not needed. I drank straight from the stream with no problems. I had liters of this stuff too!

Soon after, you’ll reach what I essentially call the heaven of nature. This amazingly scenic place is filled with hundreds of free roaming horses, an endless stream of vibrant blue water, and a few nomadic families. Here, you’ll cross a large river by horse for lunch.

You’ll have lunch right in front of the river. You can’t beat this view, it is literally perfect.

Prepare for a long uphill climb along the river after lunch, followed by a deep incline through the valley.

Along the way, I found this random kid on the trail, which was odd because we were way up in the mountains without a yurt in sight. There was no way he hiked up this high alone.

The day got colder and we could see a little snow still on the trail. This part of the hike was the hardest since we were already 5-6 hours in and worn out.

A huge storm followed after, a mix of rain and hail. My jacket and pants were completely soaked. The worst part was we had to set up our tent during the storm. It was the most uncomfortable night of sleep and there was nowhere to dry our clothes.

The guides were so friendly, they delivered our dinner in the rain. Beef pasta, bread, and of course, black tea with a few cubes of sugar.

Day 3: Around 4 hours

The third and final day will be the easiest day of the trek. It’s mostly downhill and flat. You’ll begin around 10 and begin the descent.

The trail is a refresher after a grueling day before.

At the end of the hike, we had a quick meal before being met by Gulmira who dropped us off in Karakol.

Thoughts?

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour and have no complaints. Both of my guides/cooks were tremendous and did their best in ensuring our safety. The trek was challenging, but the scenic views along the journey were inspiring and epic. I doubt you’ll find too many places on earth that can compare to the natural beauty you’ll see here. For the price and service, this tour is just right.

How to book?

Jyrgalan.com is the easiest and most common way. All details and prices are on the site.

or

Visit Alakol-Jyrgalan Guest House (main office of Jyrgalan) and book in person.

10 items you’ll need trekking Jyrgalan

• Spare camera batteries! There is no opportunity to charge your camera here. The scenery is so beautiful you’ll take endless photos and videos. I generally bring a battery per day to be safe.
• Wet wipes/toilet paper.You’ll be using the bathroom outside.
• Portable mobile charger. Again, there is no possibility to charge your electronics, so it’s vital you have a charger. I use my iPhone to take videos, which drains a lot of battery.
• Alcohol. I’m not a big drinker myself, but alcohol definitely comes in handy. Why not drink and enjoy the sunset together? There isn’t anything else to do once you reach camp.
• Hat/sunscreen. The sun is intense. I’m Black and actually got a sunburn. It didn’t hurt though, I was just peeling. Caucasian travelers might be in trouble without sunscreen or a hat here.
• A book. There is a lot of spare time once you reach camp.
• Toothbrush/toothpaste.You’ll be surprised how many people forget this.
• Variety of layers. T-shirt, jacket, etc.Depending on when you go, the weather can be very cold. I visited the second week of June and it was very cold at night. You’ll need winter socks.
• A rain coat It will likely rain up in the mountains at some point, you’ll need a legit rain coat or water proof jacket.
• Rubber boots This is one of the most important items. Hiking shoes won’t cut it. You need long boots that are 100% waterproof. You’ll be trekking through mud and walking through a lot of streams. You unless you want a wet foot, bring rubber boots.

  

and there you have it, you’re all set for Jyrgalan! Any other questions? Drop a comment below!