Thank you for your useful content. I am really keen to get to Sary Mogul Pass and the “Watercolour Mountains” – but I suffer from serious altitude sickness which makes trekking difficult. Do you know if these areas area accessible via motorbike (the mountain type). Many thanks for your help.

I’d like to add a note for independent hikers to the 6-day Heights of Alay Trek, from which we just returned. Maybe it’s because of Covid, but 2 of the yurt camps did not exist. No yurt, no people.
No problem for us as we carry our gear, but those who don’t might want to check in with the CBT in Sary Mogul before heading out to ask them to check (and make reservations?) first.

For experienced hikers, the trail is perfectly doable using the gps track. No guide needed (but who can add a lot of other value to the hike, of course).

Hi Jolo,
We haven’t heard of any serious problems of altitude sickness for travelers arriving in Sary Mogul from Osh. However, if you don’t have experience at altitude (in general or in other travels in Kyrgyzstan) then my suggestion is to take it slow. Spend a day or two in Sary Mogul to acclimatize before going on a trek that will take you higher in elevation. Do some walks around the village or a nearby day hike to help your body adjust to the altitude. This is especially important if you’ve just arrived in Kyrgyzstan and are dealing with jet lag at the same time (we know from experience that jet lag and high altitudes are not fun).

Good luck and have a great trip!

Rob, I’m afraid that we’re not so experienced in the region to be able to piece together trails for a 200-mile trek. My suggestion would be to get in contact with Talant from Visit Alay as he knows the region well and also has a team of local guides who know it even better. They would probably be the best people to advise.

Alternatively you could take a look at Wikiloc to see what trails are uploaded for the region and see if you can begin to piece together something there that would take you through Kyrgyzstan or possibly into Tajikistan (although, border crossing might be tricky).

I imagine it would be possible to put together a trip of this length with a bit of planning to see where villages are to stock up on food, water sources, etc. One person who has walked through this region for thousands of miles is Paul Salopek on his Out of Eden project. He used local guides and donkeys to help with his journey, but then again he’s walking 21,000 miles around the world. Here are his dispatches from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other areas along the Silk Road: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/out-of-eden-walk/the-journey/chapters/4-silk-roads

Robin,
Glad you found our guide and article helpful for your upcoming trip to the Alay Mountains and Kyrgyzstan. As for your questions:

1) I think two nights for acclimatization around Sary Mogul would be sufficient. To be extra careful, ask CBT or your guesthouse about a day hike in the area that will take you up in altitude during the day and then you’d sleep at lower altitude (Sary Mogul) at night. We did not have any trouble with altitude sickness during our trek, but we also had experiences in Nepal, Tanzania, Peru and a few other places at altitude.

2) If you have experience in the mountains you will likely be fine with a map and looking for markings (although, some of the paint might have rubbed off by now). To be extra sure our suggestion would be to download the Wikiloc GPS digital tracks for the trek — they are linked in the article — and then use them with a smartphone app like Wikiloc or PocketEarth (what we usually use). Both of these can be used when you don’t have a mobile signal. That way you can always double check the digital tracks to be sure you’re on the right path or trail. You can also buy physical trekking maps of the area at either Visit Alay or Destination Osh in Osh city before you go.

3) You should be able to book transport to the trailhead locally and at short notice. But, it might be worth getting in touch with Visit Alay and/or CBT Sary Mogul in advance to see if anyone else is going out that day so you can share the cost of the transport.

Have a great trek!
Audrey

first of all thank you for this incredibly detailed guide which helped me a lot planning my Kyrgyzstan adventure!
I do have a couple of open question though, I was hoping you could help me with.

I am flying in to Osh Mid August, then planning on going straight to Sary Mogul and start a self-guided trekking tour through the Alay Mountains. I am experienced in remote backcountries, well equipped and fit.

However Í have no experience in high altitudes for an extended period of time. I am planning on staying two nights near Sary Mogul for acclimatisation, before departing for the “Heights of Alay” trek. From your experience – do you think this will be enough? Did you encounter problems with altitude sickness when doing the trek?

Also, can the trek be done without a GPS, just by navigating through signs and / or a map and compass?

And lastly – would you recommend booking transport (eg to the trailheads) in advance or can this be done locally on short notice?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Best
Robin

Also, logistically, I imagine that with a little extra planning, carrying out a trip of this length to possible. What do you think?

Thanks! Great feature – best one out there.

Hi Joe,
That sounds like a great trip with your daughter! If neither you nor your daughter have experience at high altitudes I’d suggest perhaps spending a day at high altitude acclimatizing (e.g., perhaps in one of the nearby villages) before starting the hike. I haven’t done this trek myself, but I don’t think it would be too difficult for you both, especially if you hire a horse for luggage and support. I would contact Talant at VisitAlay.com and explain your situation and ask his advice since he knows all these trails very well.

As for safety, we’ve never encountered any issues in this area and we find people in the Alay Region very friendly and hospitable. And, if you have a guide with you that will prevent you from getting lost and he will also be there for support if there are any medical or other issues.

Good luck and enjoy your hike!