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Short hiking tours around Sary-Mogol

SARY MOGUL KYRGYZSTAN: A GUIDE TO THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Even though it was my second visit to Kyrgyzstan I had never heard of Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains. Only because it was included in my Pamir highway tour I ended up in this small town in the Alay valley in Southern Kyrgyzstan. My arrival in Sary Mogul was in the middle of the night after a scary journey over the icy Kyzylart pass. Not something I recommend to do in the dark but as I fell ill with altitude sickness at Karakul I was required to go down.

Through the icy darkness of Kyzylart pass, Sary Mogul emerged as a hidden gem in the Alay mountains, revealing its grubby charm at night and breathtaking beauty at dawn.

Crossing the border from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan and then heading to Sary Mogul was the best option. Sary Mogul at night looks grubby at best. Our driver carefully avoided some sleepwalking donkeys and chickens. Luckily the local CBT responded to our calls and arranged a place for us to stay with a friendly family. It was only in the morning that I saw the beauty of Sary mogul and the Alay mountains.

WHY VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Sary Mogul is just a tiny small town with not much to do besides getting a feel for rural Kyrgyz life. However, Sary Mogul is also the gateway to the Alay mountains and Lenin Peak.Most people include Sary Mogul in their Kyrgyzstan itinerary to do the easy hike to Lenin Peak basecamp or to make a serious attempt to climb Lenin Peak. Some say it is one of the easiest 7000 meter mountains to climb, although it definetly still needs careful preparation.I didn’t even make it all the way to the Lenin Peak Basecamp, because there was still too much snow. Regardless, Sary Mogul was a highlight of my trip to Kyrgyzstan. The mountain sceneries and views are just so beautiful even if you do not leave the small town of Sary Mogul.Despite the snow, we attempted to hike towards Lenin Peak Basecamp to see how far we would come. It was extremely scenic with a number of frozen lakes.

Somewhere beyond Tulpar lake we were having a picknick lunch on top of a hill with a magnificent view on Lenin Peak. It was there that I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place in Kyrgyzstan.Lenin Peak is definitely not the only reason to come to sary Mogul though. There are several other multi day hikes in the Alay mountains that are maybe even more spectacular.The Alay mountains are still receiving few tourists as not many make it this far south in Kyrgyzstan. Even those that do the Pamir highway often head straight from Osh to Karakul or Murgab in Tajikistan. A pity, because Sary Mogul is among the top places to visit in Kyrgyzstan and definetly one of the highlights in any Pamir highway itinerary.

Amidst the lively dance of kalpak hats and the vibrant colors of Sary Mogul bazaar, every negotiation tells a tale of tradition, where the heartbeat of the village echoes in the exchange of kurut and kymyz.

THINGS TO DO IN SARY MOGUL 1. SARY MOGUL BAZAAR To get a sense of every day village life you can visit the photogenic Sary Mogul bazaar. It’s a typical Kyrgyz bazaar where old men with traditional kalpak hats bargain with the old women selling local produce. It’s quite lively for a village of only 3000 people and a great place to try some local delicacies like kurut (dried yoghurt balls) and kymyz (fermented mare’s milk).Insider tips: the bigger regional market is on Thursdays. Come early morning when it is busiest.

2. TULPAR LAKE Tulpar Kol is a beautiful mountain lake in the Alay mountains. It is certainly not the only lake, but one of the lakes that is easiest to visit from Sary Mogul. In summer there are several yurt camps making it an excellent place to stay a few days.You can either relax and get a sense of the Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle or take several day hikes in the area. Example day hikes from Tulpar lake are the hike to Lenin Peak Basecamp and the Travellers pass or to the Tuiuk Gorge How to get there: Tulpar kol lake is 25 kilometers from Sary Mogul. It’s a 8 hour hike through the green rolling hills or a 45 minute drive by private car. It’s 1500 som per car through CBT (one way).I recommend to come by car and save your time and energy for hiking around Tulpar lake. The scenery here is much more beautiful than the rather long walk from Sary Mogul. Where to stay: yurt camps are available in the summer for 1000 som per night with breakfast and dinner.

WHEN TO VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS If you want to go trekking in the Alay mountains the travel season in Sary Mogul is quite short from June till September. This time of the year most snow will have melt and there is great weather with clear blue skies.In October it will get too cold already and the chance of snowfall in Sary Mogul increases. Although May also has good weather there is still a lot of snow from the winter season. This makes trekking in the Alay mountains quite difficult at that time.I visited in early May and it was impossible to reach Tulpar lake by car and even on foot we could not make it to Lenin peak Basecamp.

WHAT TO BRING ON A TRIP TO SARY MOGUL Warm clothes and rain gear: the weather can change pretty quickly in the Alay mountains. Bring warm clothes with you any time of the year, even in summer. A Russian phrasebook or Google translate: most people in the Alsay mountains don’t speak english so a phrasebook or the Google translate app will greatly improve communication. Although Kyrgyz is their first language, almost everybody understands Russian as well.Local Sim card: the wifi in most guesthouses isn’t very reliable so if you want to make sure you have internet, buy yourself a local sim card in Kyrgyzstan.Camping gear: if you plan to do hikes on your own outside of Tulpar Kol lake you need to bring your own camping gear. You can rent this in either Bishkek or Osh, but not on Sary Mogul.Disclaimer: This post with a travel guide about Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains contains affiliate links. If you buy any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! Thanks for your support!

Short hiking tours around Sary-Mogol

SARY MOGUL KYRGYZSTAN: A GUIDE TO THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Even though it was my second visit to Kyrgyzstan I had never heard of Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains. Only because it was included in my Pamir highway tour I ended up in this small town in the Alay valley in Southern Kyrgyzstan. My arrival in Sary Mogul was in the middle of the night after a scary journey over the icy Kyzylart pass. Not something I recommend to do in the dark but as I fell ill with altitude sickness at Karakul I was required to go down.

Through the icy darkness of Kyzylart pass, Sary Mogul emerged as a hidden gem in the Alay mountains, revealing its grubby charm at night and breathtaking beauty at dawn.

Crossing the border from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan and then heading to Sary Mogul was the best option. Sary Mogul at night looks grubby at best. Our driver carefully avoided some sleepwalking donkeys and chickens. Luckily the local CBT responded to our calls and arranged a place for us to stay with a friendly family. It was only in the morning that I saw the beauty of Sary mogul and the Alay mountains.

WHY VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Sary Mogul is just a tiny small town with not much to do besides getting a feel for rural Kyrgyz life. However, Sary Mogul is also the gateway to the Alay mountains and Lenin Peak.Most people include Sary Mogul in their Kyrgyzstan itinerary to do the easy hike to Lenin Peak basecamp or to make a serious attempt to climb Lenin Peak. Some say it is one of the easiest 7000 meter mountains to climb, although it definetly still needs careful preparation.I didn’t even make it all the way to the Lenin Peak Basecamp, because there was still too much snow. Regardless, Sary Mogul was a highlight of my trip to Kyrgyzstan. The mountain sceneries and views are just so beautiful even if you do not leave the small town of Sary Mogul.Despite the snow, we attempted to hike towards Lenin Peak Basecamp to see how far we would come. It was extremely scenic with a number of frozen lakes.

Somewhere beyond Tulpar lake we were having a picknick lunch on top of a hill with a magnificent view on Lenin Peak. It was there that I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place in Kyrgyzstan.Lenin Peak is definitely not the only reason to come to sary Mogul though. There are several other multi day hikes in the Alay mountains that are maybe even more spectacular.The Alay mountains are still receiving few tourists as not many make it this far south in Kyrgyzstan. Even those that do the Pamir highway often head straight from Osh to Karakul or Murgab in Tajikistan. A pity, because Sary Mogul is among the top places to visit in Kyrgyzstan and definetly one of the highlights in any Pamir highway itinerary.

Amidst the lively dance of kalpak hats and the vibrant colors of Sary Mogul bazaar, every negotiation tells a tale of tradition, where the heartbeat of the village echoes in the exchange of kurut and kymyz.

THINGS TO DO IN SARY MOGUL 1. SARY MOGUL BAZAAR To get a sense of every day village life you can visit the photogenic Sary Mogul bazaar. It’s a typical Kyrgyz bazaar where old men with traditional kalpak hats bargain with the old women selling local produce. It’s quite lively for a village of only 3000 people and a great place to try some local delicacies like kurut (dried yoghurt balls) and kymyz (fermented mare’s milk).Insider tips: the bigger regional market is on Thursdays. Come early morning when it is busiest.

2. TULPAR LAKE Tulpar Kol is a beautiful mountain lake in the Alay mountains. It is certainly not the only lake, but one of the lakes that is easiest to visit from Sary Mogul. In summer there are several yurt camps making it an excellent place to stay a few days.You can either relax and get a sense of the Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle or take several day hikes in the area. Example day hikes from Tulpar lake are the hike to Lenin Peak Basecamp and the Travellers pass or to the Tuiuk Gorge How to get there: Tulpar kol lake is 25 kilometers from Sary Mogul. It’s a 8 hour hike through the green rolling hills or a 45 minute drive by private car. It’s 1500 som per car through CBT (one way).I recommend to come by car and save your time and energy for hiking around Tulpar lake. The scenery here is much more beautiful than the rather long walk from Sary Mogul. Where to stay: yurt camps are available in the summer for 1000 som per night with breakfast and dinner.

WHEN TO VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS If you want to go trekking in the Alay mountains the travel season in Sary Mogul is quite short from June till September. This time of the year most snow will have melt and there is great weather with clear blue skies.In October it will get too cold already and the chance of snowfall in Sary Mogul increases. Although May also has good weather there is still a lot of snow from the winter season. This makes trekking in the Alay mountains quite difficult at that time.I visited in early May and it was impossible to reach Tulpar lake by car and even on foot we could not make it to Lenin peak Basecamp.

WHAT TO BRING ON A TRIP TO SARY MOGUL Warm clothes and rain gear: the weather can change pretty quickly in the Alay mountains. Bring warm clothes with you any time of the year, even in summer. A Russian phrasebook or Google translate: most people in the Alsay mountains don’t speak english so a phrasebook or the Google translate app will greatly improve communication. Although Kyrgyz is their first language, almost everybody understands Russian as well.Local Sim card: the wifi in most guesthouses isn’t very reliable so if you want to make sure you have internet, buy yourself a local sim card in Kyrgyzstan.Camping gear: if you plan to do hikes on your own outside of Tulpar Kol lake you need to bring your own camping gear. You can rent this in either Bishkek or Osh, but not on Sary Mogul.Disclaimer: This post with a travel guide about Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains contains affiliate links. If you buy any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! Thanks for your support!

Short hiking tours around Sary-Mogol

SARY MOGUL KYRGYZSTAN: A GUIDE TO THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Even though it was my second visit to Kyrgyzstan I had never heard of Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains. Only because it was included in my Pamir highway tour I ended up in this small town in the Alay valley in Southern Kyrgyzstan. My arrival in Sary Mogul was in the middle of the night after a scary journey over the icy Kyzylart pass. Not something I recommend to do in the dark but as I fell ill with altitude sickness at Karakul I was required to go down.

Through the icy darkness of Kyzylart pass, Sary Mogul emerged as a hidden gem in the Alay mountains, revealing its grubby charm at night and breathtaking beauty at dawn.

Crossing the border from Tajikistan to Kyrgyzstan and then heading to Sary Mogul was the best option. Sary Mogul at night looks grubby at best. Our driver carefully avoided some sleepwalking donkeys and chickens. Luckily the local CBT responded to our calls and arranged a place for us to stay with a friendly family. It was only in the morning that I saw the beauty of Sary mogul and the Alay mountains.

WHY VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS Sary Mogul is just a tiny small town with not much to do besides getting a feel for rural Kyrgyz life. However, Sary Mogul is also the gateway to the Alay mountains and Lenin Peak.Most people include Sary Mogul in their Kyrgyzstan itinerary to do the easy hike to Lenin Peak basecamp or to make a serious attempt to climb Lenin Peak. Some say it is one of the easiest 7000 meter mountains to climb, although it definetly still needs careful preparation.I didn’t even make it all the way to the Lenin Peak Basecamp, because there was still too much snow. Regardless, Sary Mogul was a highlight of my trip to Kyrgyzstan. The mountain sceneries and views are just so beautiful even if you do not leave the small town of Sary Mogul.Despite the snow, we attempted to hike towards Lenin Peak Basecamp to see how far we would come. It was extremely scenic with a number of frozen lakes.

Somewhere beyond Tulpar lake we were having a picknick lunch on top of a hill with a magnificent view on Lenin Peak. It was there that I couldn’t think of a more beautiful place in Kyrgyzstan.Lenin Peak is definitely not the only reason to come to sary Mogul though. There are several other multi day hikes in the Alay mountains that are maybe even more spectacular.The Alay mountains are still receiving few tourists as not many make it this far south in Kyrgyzstan. Even those that do the Pamir highway often head straight from Osh to Karakul or Murgab in Tajikistan. A pity, because Sary Mogul is among the top places to visit in Kyrgyzstan and definetly one of the highlights in any Pamir highway itinerary.

Amidst the lively dance of kalpak hats and the vibrant colors of Sary Mogul bazaar, every negotiation tells a tale of tradition, where the heartbeat of the village echoes in the exchange of kurut and kymyz.

THINGS TO DO IN SARY MOGUL 1. SARY MOGUL BAZAAR To get a sense of every day village life you can visit the photogenic Sary Mogul bazaar. It’s a typical Kyrgyz bazaar where old men with traditional kalpak hats bargain with the old women selling local produce. It’s quite lively for a village of only 3000 people and a great place to try some local delicacies like kurut (dried yoghurt balls) and kymyz (fermented mare’s milk).Insider tips: the bigger regional market is on Thursdays. Come early morning when it is busiest.

2. TULPAR LAKE Tulpar Kol is a beautiful mountain lake in the Alay mountains. It is certainly not the only lake, but one of the lakes that is easiest to visit from Sary Mogul. In summer there are several yurt camps making it an excellent place to stay a few days.You can either relax and get a sense of the Kyrgyz nomadic lifestyle or take several day hikes in the area. Example day hikes from Tulpar lake are the hike to Lenin Peak Basecamp and the Travellers pass or to the Tuiuk Gorge How to get there: Tulpar kol lake is 25 kilometers from Sary Mogul. It’s a 8 hour hike through the green rolling hills or a 45 minute drive by private car. It’s 1500 som per car through CBT (one way).I recommend to come by car and save your time and energy for hiking around Tulpar lake. The scenery here is much more beautiful than the rather long walk from Sary Mogul. Where to stay: yurt camps are available in the summer for 1000 som per night with breakfast and dinner.

WHEN TO VISIT SARY MOGUL AND THE ALAY MOUNTAINS If you want to go trekking in the Alay mountains the travel season in Sary Mogul is quite short from June till September. This time of the year most snow will have melt and there is great weather with clear blue skies.In October it will get too cold already and the chance of snowfall in Sary Mogul increases. Although May also has good weather there is still a lot of snow from the winter season. This makes trekking in the Alay mountains quite difficult at that time.I visited in early May and it was impossible to reach Tulpar lake by car and even on foot we could not make it to Lenin peak Basecamp.

WHAT TO BRING ON A TRIP TO SARY MOGUL Warm clothes and rain gear: the weather can change pretty quickly in the Alay mountains. Bring warm clothes with you any time of the year, even in summer. A Russian phrasebook or Google translate: most people in the Alsay mountains don’t speak english so a phrasebook or the Google translate app will greatly improve communication. Although Kyrgyz is their first language, almost everybody understands Russian as well.Local Sim card: the wifi in most guesthouses isn’t very reliable so if you want to make sure you have internet, buy yourself a local sim card in Kyrgyzstan.Camping gear: if you plan to do hikes on your own outside of Tulpar Kol lake you need to bring your own camping gear. You can rent this in either Bishkek or Osh, but not on Sary Mogul.Disclaimer: This post with a travel guide about Sary Mogul and the Alay mountains contains affiliate links. If you buy any service through any of my links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. These earnings help me to keep Backpack Adventures alive! Thanks for your support!

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