HORSEBACK TOURS IN THE KYRGYZ STATE NATURAL PARK "ALA-ARCHA"

The Kyrgyz have a saying "At adamdyn kanaty" which means : "A horse is man's wings". It is only really possible to understand the meaning of this saying while riding a horse. The administration of the Ala Archa National Park can offer you several programs of unforgettable, wonderful one-day trips by horse. The park is located 30 km from the capital of the country, Bishkek, at an altitude of 1500-4895 m and stretches for 18 km from the North to South.
The special attraction of the park is that its twenty thousand hectares covers all the landscape and climate zones of Kyrgyzstan - starting from sub-alpine ones (where you can view picturesque mountainous landscape with virgin archa, fir, birch woods, various fauna) to the high mountain zone (where there is eternal snow, glaciers, and steep rocky mountains).
There is a good opportunity to go travel along ancestral pathways taken by cattle breeders since ancient times, or along the picturesque "Adygene" gorge.
Any tour you choose will take you through the virgin nature of the Tian-Shan mountains with sparkling waterfalls and numerous springs with crystal pure water.
The best time for taking a horseback tour around the park is from May till October inclusive. During this period there are a lot of sunny days.
An instructor, who is responsible for equipping and taking care of the horses, accompanies each group.

The "Kashka-Suu" Tract - "Pure Water" - 7 hours - Program #1

Your tour follows the mountainous paths, along the Kashka-Suu river at an altitude of between 1100 and 1400 m. The North-Western mountain slopes are covered with virgin Archa woods where there are roes, marmots, foxes, and eagles. Sheep flocks and herds of horses graze in the pastures. On the way you will cross the river twice, as well as the Kalkagar mountain, which is a natural water-shed. A peculiarity of this tour is that along the route you can enjoy the picturesque landscape of the Chu valley, Komsomol peak with its hanging glacier and a wonderful panorama of the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.

• 9:00 Arrival at the natural park "Ala-Archa"
  
• 9:00-10:00 Preparation for the tour (get acquainted with your horse and a discussion of the route)
  
• 10:00 Start
  
• 11:00-11:30 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 11:30 Tour continuation
  
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch
  
• 14:00 Tour continuation
  
• 15:30-16:00 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 16:00 Tour continuation
  
• 17:00 Arrival back at base
  
• 17:00-18:00 Discussion of the travel (adventure), tea
  
• 18:00 Departure

Along the "Ala-Archa" river - 7 hours - Program #2

This tour which goes through the hills at the altitude of between 1500 and 2100m will get you acquainted with the variety of nature in Kyrgyzstan. You will go through almost impassable places along the river and on the way you can meet examples of native wildlife like pheasants, stone partridges, wild boars, roes, badgers, marmots lying in the sun and perhaps even a lynx and a wolf. You will visit a unique nature museum, a house in which scholars live, and enjoy the panorama of the picturesque Ala-Archa gorge from a special viewing point. In the narrowest part of the gorge, in the rock clefts, you will see a nest of a blue bird - "a bird of happiness". On the way you will meet a lot of spring water. You can rest and drink the purest curative water at the Ak-Bulak spring water. During the tour you will have a chance to admire the fantastic panorama with its combination of glaciers, mountainous snowy mountain tops, impassable rocks and mountains covered with archa, fir and birch woods.

• 8:00 Arrival at the natural park "Ala-Archa"
  
• 8:00-9:00 Preparation for the tour (get acquainted with your horse and a discussion of the route)
  
• 9:00 Start from the KNP
  
• 10:00-10:30 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 10:30 Tour continuation
  
• 12:00-13:00 Lunch
  
• 13:00 Tour continuation
  
• 14:30-15:00 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 15:00 Tour continuation
  
• 16:00 Arrival at the mountain camp
  
• 16:00-17:00 Discussion of the trip, (tea). If you wish, you can go for a walk to the guest yourta at Ak-Sai.
  
• 17:00 Departure ( by car from the camp)

The"Chon-Boirok" - Birch Grove - 6 hours - Program #3

This is a favorite place amongst tourists. The tour goes through mountains and hills at the altitude of between 1600 and 2000 m. On the way you will see waterfalls, springs of pure water, suprisingly beautiful mountainous landscape and a unique birch grove, where there are a lot of berries, mushrooms, flowers and medicinal herbs. In this place with its variety of reliefs there are a lot of animals like wild boars, roes, foxes, badgers, marmots, wolves and even lynx. If you wish, you can visit a nature museum.

• 9:00 Arrival at the natural park "Ala-Archa"
  
• 9:00-10:00 Preparation for the tour (get acquainted with your horse and a discussion of the route)
  
• 10:00 Start
  
• 11:00-11:30 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 11:30 Tour continuation
  
• 12:30-13:30 Lunch
  
• 13:30 Tour continuation
  
• 14:30-15:00 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 15:00 Tour continuation
  
• 16:00 Arrival back at base
  
• 16:00-17:00 Discussion of the travel (adventure), tea
  
• 17:00 Departure

The "Adygene-Uragan-Djar" - Djakyp's Stop - 7 hours - Program #4

The tour goes through the mountainous massif or the reserve at altitudes of between 2100 and 2700 m. On the way you will get aquainted with the sights of the natural park, visit the monuments to the mountaineers who died while climbing the mountains, visit the ancient nomads stop - Djakyp, see the piling up of the stones at the mouth of the Adygene river - the result of mudflow in 1953. You will view the picturesque mountain top - the famous Crown (Coronet Peak) with its 6 towers (4860 m). The Adygene is a beautiful wooded tract, where there are tall and slim firs and a lot of waterfalls. In the river there are a lot of fish - mountain trout. On the way you may meet goats, wild boars, roes, foxes; and in the alpine zones you could possibly meet a snowy panther, (but as it is very cautious during the daytime, it is a rare sight).

• 9:00 Arrival at the natural park "Ala-Archa"
  
• 9:00-10:00 Preparation for the tour (get acquainted with your horse and a discussion of the route)
  
• 10:00 Start from the "Ala-Archa" mountain camp
  
• 11:00-11:30 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 11:30 Tour continuation
  
• 13:00-14:00 Lunch
  
• 14:00 Tour continuation
  
• 15:30-16:00 A stop for rest, and taking pictures of the sights
  
• 16:00 Tour continuation
  
• 17:00 Arrival at the "Ala-Archa" mountain camp
  
• 17:00-18:00 Discussion of the travel (adventure), tea. If you wish, you can go for a walk to the guest yourta on the Ak-Sai.
  
• 18:00 Departure

Terms of Agreement:
Participants must be in a good health and physically well trained for a tour in mountains.
Participants must have suitable clothes and shoes for riding horses in the mountains (warm jackets, hats and sunglasses).
Participants must have insurance (life/accident cover).

The Tour Cost includes: equipped horses, first aid, consultations, and accompanying guide, visiting the zoological museum.
For an additional charge an instructor can provide training for horse riding.