Kyrgyzstan: Boz Uchuk Lakes Trek
Кыргызстан: Озера Боз Учук
The Boz Uchuk Lakes trek starts in one of trekking in Kyrgyzstan‘s most picturesque hubs at Jyrgalan village, takes in three delightful open valleys and two relatively easy passes, and finishes with a campsite near a pair of pristine alpine lakes backed by rugged mountains. It’s an easy and exceptionally rewarding multi-day route, and a good starting point for hikers in the region without extensive backcountry experience.
Total Km: 42km
Total Days: 3
Elevation Gain/Loss: 2274m+ / 2286m-
Start Point: Jyrgalan Village
End Point: Boz-Uchuk Village
GPS Files
The Boz Uchuk Lakes trek presents a technically straightforward route through three attractive valleys, with easy trekking passes and ample selection of campsites and access to water. The Terim-Tor Bulak Valley, site of the first night’s campsite, can feel colder than much of the surrounding region so it’s wise to prepare appropriately; also be prepared for damp ground through this valley and at times in the Boz-Uchuk Valley.
The major pain point of note is that the bridge across the Turgon Ak-Suu River on Stage 2 has reportedly washed out – if this is the case, be prepared to ford a river or to flag down nearby shepherds to ask for a horse transfer across.
Boz Uchuk Lakes Stage 1:
Jyrgalan village to Terim-Tor Bulak Valley
Total Km: 13.5km
Walking time: 4h
Total time: 5h
Elevation Gain/Loss: 947m+ / 84m-
Stage one begins in Jyrgalan village, something of a nascent trekking hub in eastern Kyrgyzstan and a great base for dayhikes in the area as well. Leaving the village to the southwest, cross the river bridge and follow an immediate dirt track uphill to the height just west of the village, following that directly up the Jyrgalan valley all the way to Eki-Chat Yurt Camp (where there are several tourists yurt offering overnight accommodation and meals).
At Eki-Chat, turn southwest up the small Terim-Tor Bulak Valley, which starts as an old jeep track but quickly deteriorates into a dirt track and then to just an old horse trail. Follow the lay of the valley, occasionally passing seasonal ponds and very likely quite a few herds of free-range horses that belong to the shepherds who live down at Eki-Chat.
Continue up the Terim-Tor Bulak Valley until about 4km before the imposing rock face at the end of the valley, setting up camp and the base of the Terim-Tor Pass to facilitate a quick ascent the next morning. If time and energy permit, take the chance to head on to the end of the valley for nice mountain views and to climb up the Bulak-Ashuu pass to have a look at the small but pretty alpine lakes there.
Boz Uchuk Lakes Stage 2:
Terim-Tor Bulak Valley to Boz-Uchuk Valley
Total Km: 14.5km
Walking time: 5h
Total time: 6h
Elevation Gain/Loss: 1317m+ / 1128m-
Stage 2 isn’t terribly long, but it does cover two passes for a total of over 1300m of combined vertical elevation throughout the day – inexperienced hikers may find this surprisingly taxing.
Taking down camp in the Terim-Tor Bulak Valley, head westwards up the obvious side valley that leads to the Terim-Tor Bulak Pass at 3467m. It’s about an hour from the campsite to the pass, and not very difficult, though given the elevation the views are surprisingly muted on account of the large rises to either side of the pass. Continue down from the Terim-Tor Bulak pass into the Turgon Ak-Suu Valley and the highway there.
The road here come up from Issyk-Kol (through Boz-Uchuk and Ak-Bulak villages) all the way to the old abandoned mining village at the foot of the Enilchek glacier; however the trek stays with it just long enough to cross the road and adjacent river. Look for a small dilapidated bridge across the Turgon Ak-Suu river. As of 2019 this bridge was rumoured to be washed out, so inquire in Jyrgalan before setting off or be prepared to either ford the river or track down local horsemen to give you a lift across.
Climbing the Boz-Uchuk Ashuu Pass
The route immediately crosses the valley and begins to climb out once more, towards the Boz-Uchuk Ashuu pass. It’s almost certainly still early in the day, so try to knock out some of the second pass before stopping for a lunch break. Hiking up the Boz-Uchuk Ashuu Pass (3363m) is far more gradual than the Terim Tor Bulak, gaining just about 700 vertical meters over a mor lengthier four kilometers of lateral distance. Pushing up the valley as far as you can, stop for lunch either partway up or even at the top, thereby keep the bulk of the day’s climb behind you before the break. From the obvious point where the valley angles hard to the southwest, the pass is just beyond but out of view from below.
From the pass, look for the two parallel mountain bowls just to the south. The first and northeastern of the two is higher and thinner, with one small lake at the center. The second and southwestern is wider, a little lower, and holds two incredibly beautiful mountain lakes.
Boz-Uchuk Lakes
The obvious and easier route drops down from the pass to the valley floor – itself a good camping spot if you don’t want to carry all your gear back up the rise to the lakes – and climbs briefly back up to the level of the first of these two lakes and another wide flat campsite on the north side of the first lake. A less-obvious route from the pass swings over to the northern bowl and then over a small saddle to angle down to the larger bowl and the northeastern side of the two lakes – the terrain quality here is far worse and particularly after rain or snow the way can be hazardous, but if you’re traveling light and want to do a little extra sightseeing it can be a nice alternative.
Regardless, after setting up camp, spend some time to check out the two main lakes. Though an additional bit of climbing from the campsite, the stunning craggy backdrop and peaceful location make it a wonderful excursion – also beautiful for sunrise photos, if you can drag yourself out of bed early enough the next morning. This area is really the highlight of this trek, so definitely set aside some time to enjoy it up here.
Boz Uchuk Lakes Stage 3
Boz-Uchuk Valley to Boz-Uchuk Village
Total Km: 14km
Walking time: 5h
Total time: 6h
Elevation Gain/Loss: 10m+ / 1074m-
Stage three is the easiest stretch of the Boz Uchuk Lakes trek by far. The fourteen kilometers noted here presume you’ll walk all the way down to Boz Uchuk village to catch local public transportation – if you have private transportation arranged, expect five or six kilometers less.
After visiting the Boz Uchuk Lakes once more time, ideally at sunrise as the morning sun begins to light up the tops of the peaks reflected in the water, pack up camp and head northwards down the main Boz Uchuk Valley.
Initially a dirt track, the route eventually grows into an old jeep road, though it’s very unlikely you’ll see any traffic. Descending first through open jailoo pastures, more often than not with shepherds and their yurts in residence during the warm months, then descending through several attractive stands of pine forest before finally leveling out on the outskirts of Boz-Uchuk village, with views across the Issyk-Kol basin to the snowcapped mountains on the far side, bordering Kazakhstan. It’s an easy track to follow and physically undemanding to hike, even with full multi-day packs. Soon enough, you’ll see the village of Boz-Uchuk and the end of the hike. Marshrutka minubuses run regularly from here to Karakol.
Alternate Options for Boz Uchuk Lakes Trek
The first two days of the Boz Uchuk Lakes trek coincide with the Ak-Suu Transverse – an excellent seven-day route that we highly recommend. It would be easy to extend the beginning of the Boz-Uchuk Lakes trek to connect with the Ailampa Glacier Loop route or even the Keskenkiya Loop routes out of Jyrgalan – see local Kyrgyzstan Topographic Maps for sale in Jyrgalan and Karakol for more details.
Good To Know
There are no entrance fees for the Boz-Uchuk Lakes trek, and you won’t need any special equipment for this hike and it’s all non-technical trekking. However, be prepared for cold nights even in the middle of summer, as well as the possibility of infrequent rain showers or even snow at any time of year. Destination Jyrgalan can arrange guides, porters, or horses for the trip in addition to transportation from Boz-Uchuk village at the end of the route.
Getting to the Boz Uchuk Lakes Trek
From Karakol to Jyrgalan, the eastern trailhead of the hike, marshrutka (minibus) #311 departs three times per day from the Ak-Suu bus stand in the Ak-Tilek bazaar – the trip takes around an hour and a half and costs 80 Kyrgyz som per person, though you may be charged an additional price for large backpacks.
Between Karakol and Boz-Uchuk, the #383 leaves regularly throughout the day from the same stand, stopping along the Ak-Suu highway on the edge of Boz-Uchuk village. Expect to pay 40 som, or more for large packs.
Where to Stay and Eat
Jyrgalan village is a delightful ecotourism village, and it’s well worth planning a few days there before the trek starts. Make warm-up dayhikes into Jyrgalan Valley and the surrounding region. Ala-Kol Guesthouse is the most popular place to stay in the village. However, any of the six options in town will offer a friendly reception and a comfortable place to sleep along with hot meals.
Karakol has a wide range of accmmodation options for all budgets. We’re big fans of Matsunoki Guesthouse right in the centre, and Duet and KHB both offer good hostel products. If you’re looking for a cold beer and a warm welcome after a hike, Jamilya at Fat Cats Cafe is the best in town.
We’ve also published a quick and dirty guidebook to show tourists around for their first few days in Bishkek. If you’re headed towards Kyrgyzstan and expect to need some help getting around, consider our Unanchor: Bishkek guide. Additionally, we contributed the Kyrgyzstan chapter to the most recent Lonely Planet: Central Asia guidebook. If you’re looking for more help than that, consider reaching out to our friends at Feel Nomad to organize a tour to the country.
