July 10, 2023 to July 22, 2023
Treacherous hiking, hot fermented horse milk and a Kyrgyz Road trip
Arslanbob to Song-Kul
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As the Kyzyl-Art from Tajikistan into Kyrgyzstan was closed (or so we thought), our alternative option was to spend multiple days hitchhiking/taking trains and buses/cycling back into Uzbekistan through the scorching hot Fergana valley and into Kyrgyzstan.
The upside of this route was that it was now melon and peach season and so we could quench our thirst on fresh fruits which were often gifted to us on the road side.
We decided to take a detour up to Arslanbob to hike in the region, after a couple of hours cycling we were given a lift by a man called Melis who could drive us up to the higher and slightly cooler hilltop town. We didnt stop for long in Arslanbob, only to try some warm fermented horse milk (called kimiz) after which Seb almost threw up.
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The route to the top of 'friendship pass' wasn't friendly at all, in true Central Asian fashion there were no marked trails and we followed advice from the owner of a homestay and a map which looked like it was drawn by a child. Following the vague advice we climbed to the left of the rockfall up to the height of the pass, only to find we were blocked by a huge canyon, not indicated anywhere on the map. Tired and running out of daylight we camped at the base and tried again the next morning with an even steeper climb to the top. I questioned a lot what we were doing there as rocks slipped beneath my feet on the near vertical scramble. Took a big breather at the top (3700m) and agreed to eachother not to do anything like this again.
A few hours hiking down and we were confronted by the beautiful "holy lake" and to our surprise a shelter with people inside. Locals trekked here on horse bringing lots of supplies and invited us to join them for a feast. We felt so thankful as we had used most of our food already staying the extra day.
It was a much easier but far longer route back to the town, with herds of yaks over the rolling hills and endless greenery. A breath-taking start to a new country.
Immediately back on the bike after coming down from the hike and up a crazy steep track, pushing our bikes into the night to make it to a lake recommended by our host. On the way we were stopped by some farmers who insisted we stopped to eat some apricots from their tree and to fill up our water. The sun set from here was stunning and we were happy with the cooler temperature after sweating away litres in thesun.
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We then stopped inJalal Abbad for the afternoon to resupply for the next stretch and meet ourfriend Melis. Melis, kindly gave us a lift to the hike in Arslanbob and when heheard we were in town he invited us for Turkish food, a delight for the tastebudsand a welcome change from plov. Melis loves to travel in his huge pickup truckand would later invite us to join him on a road trip to Son-Kul.
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The Kaldamo pass was pretty tough mentally and physically after no break after the hike, especially when locals kept stopping to offer rides, often very insistently. We refused until 3/4 of the way up when we agreed we'll take the next one, of course there were no trucks after that. The watermelon gifted to us at the top was even sweeter because of it though. A man had a go on my bike at the top and I in turn took his horse out for a test ride.
The way down on the gravel track was super fun with many sharp hairpin bends and mountain views. I waited for Sebastien an hour at the bottom has he struggled to control the descent with his questionable quality "Bengal" breaks. We were fortunate to find a dream of a camping spot by a refreshing river and roasted vegetables with some plants that we found on the fire.
The remaining hilly route to Kazarman through dirt tracks was also fun but left us pretty exhausted, I sat waiting for Seb on the side of the road next to a fruit stall questioning if I had enough energy for another 3 huge passes that we had planned. To our surprise we got a call from Melis saying that he will be driving past us to Song-Kul on a road trip tomorrow morning with two extra spaces in his car, of course we accepted his offer and were pretty relieved we could skip the remaining passes to the lake.
We left early the next morning from Kazarman with Melis' friends called Mohammed and Respect. I loved his name and how we could now have a whole day spent doing activities with Respect. We drove all morning with respect over the remaining mammoth passes in the beautiful but baron landscapes.
The main difference I noticed between a Kyrgyz road trip with a Western one was the substitution of alcohol with kimiz (a fermented horse milk, best served warm after sitting in the car for days). The taste was revolting at first but it actually started growing on me (and probably inside me).
By midday, we reached Son-Kul, a huge lake on an open plateau at 3016m and the boys trip could commence. Aside from sipping at warm and fizzy equine milk, time was spent cooking plov with Respect, attempting fishing with Respect and feeding cows discarded watermelon rinds.
Slightly regretted not cycling down the pass from Son-Kul the next morning, instead sat in Melis's comfortable car all the way back to the town where we bailed on the next adventure to another lake on the border of China due to permit and time restrictions. After saying goodbye to Melis and his friends we fortunately bumped into another cyclist who lives in Ilkeston, a town just 30 minutes from me in the UK!
Next post, a crazy Kyrgyz music festival and a whole lotta hitch-biking.
Today's ride: 350 km (217 miles)
Total: 1,540 km (956 miles)
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