Hitting the Trail: Issyk-Ata -

One of the reasons Bishkek seems to be like such a liveable city? The multitude of options for hiking and outdoor exploration within just an hour or two of the city. Aside from the restorative properties of the little health spa of Issyk-Ata an hour and a half from Bishkek, a map I picked up in a moment of trekkers’ lust showed the little settlement to also be the trailhead to what looked to be an excellent walk up and over several 4000m passes and down to the OTHER health resort at Alamuddin.

Wow, is it a trail. From the picture-perfect yurt just outside the gates of Issyk-Ata, a well-defined trail winds pasts waterfalls and streams, over hills and long-view lookout points, and even past a couple of temporary shepherds’ settlemets and their attendant flocks of sheep and horses.

River Crossing — Rover Crossing below Issyk-Ata.

photo IMG_7207_zpsfd9497b1.jpg — Clouded Hilltops.

On my first hike in the area, a little daytrip from comforts of the health resort, the weather started turning bad in the early afternoon and forced a change of plans for the moment.

photo IMG_7215_zpsfecf0d35.jpg — Initial retreat.

Undeterred, though, I went back a week later with Ruth (a random-met Seattleite who I think I spent three weeks hanging out and singing Thrift Shop with) and found a changed world. The sun shined and the streams swelled and I can’t imagine a nicer day for a walk in the mountains. I daresay even that the lemonade springs and the bluebird sings in the Big High Kyrgyz Mountains. That nice.

photo IMG_7369_zps2f342bda.jpg — A Hut for Hiding from the Elements.

The further we got down the trail and the higher we could see into the mountains up ahead, though, the more it looked like there was mad snow ahead and little chance of making even the first of our planned passes.

Build Me Up, Buttercup — Resting in a field of flowers.

Shepherd Downhill — Shepherd’s Hut, far away downhill.

Crossing Guard — Final crossing, just before camp.

Even without the full three-day over-pass, though, there were still glaciers to scramble and photos to take and maybe even horses to milk! (Huh?)

photo IMG_7403_zps9bbe1eb7.jpg — Retreating through the growing streams.

The next morning, though, after a night of light rain, the world was clouds. Clouds in every direction, obscuring the mountains and valley and all of our hiking aspirations. After a moist morning with not much promise of change, we packed it in and headed back to the warm baths of the health resort.

Next time, Issyk-Ata. Next time.