KYRGYZSTAN: TRAILS OF THE TIEN SHAN

Dates: 28 July – 7 August 2024

Duration: 11 Days / 10 Nights

Price: €3,310 per person
Single Supplement: €285 per person

Terrain: Trail Running

Average daily running distance: 10 – 20 km

Longest running distance in a day: 20 km

Group size: up to 12 participants

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What level of running is this trip suitable for?

Are there any alternatives for non-runners?

Accommodation

Dietary accommodation

Itinerary (day-to-day)

What’s included in the price?

What’s NOT Included in the Price?

See Additional Information for more details on Payment Procedure and Cancellation Policy.

What Level of Running is this Trip suitable for?

All abilities

Are there any Alternatives for Non-runners?

No alternatives, but hikers are welcome

Accommodation

Twin or Double Share
Single supplement available

Dietary Accommodation

• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Dairy-free
• Gluten-free
• Halal

If you have any dietary requirements, please let us know about them in a comment upon your booking.

ITINERARY

DAY 1 | ARRIVE IN BISHEK

• Arrival into Bishkek
• Meet with our guide and transfer to our hotel to relax (early check-in included)
• Get to meet the rest of our group with tea and a briefing
• Visit Osh Bazaar
• Lunch at a local restaurant
• Easy urban sightseeing run starting in Ala-Too Square, Manas Monument, changing of the Guards of Honour & Victory Square
• Time to chill
• Welcome Dinner

DAY 2 | BISHKEK TO KARAKOL

• Breakfast, pack up and transfer to the mountain town of Karakol in South-Eastern Kyrgyzstan (6 hours)
• We have a beautiful drive as we head east along the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul towards Karakol with stops to visit Burana and ancient stone statues
• Lunch en route in a local restaurant
• Arrival in Karakol, check-in and relax
• Exploratory walk around the old town, dinner and a briefing about the next few days
• Overnight Karakol Guesthouse

DAY 3 | DJETY OGUZ GORGE

• Relaxing morning with some further sightseeing
• Lunch and meet our local Kyrgyz trail running guide and transfer to the Djety Oguz gorge
• See ‘The Broken Heart’ & ‘Seven Bulls’ rock formations on our way through the gorge, surrounded by Tien Shan blue spruce forest our route takes us to the Flower Meadow
• Arriving in the meadow we reach our Yurt camp which is our base for the evening
• Relax & prepare for beginning our trail run tomorrow
• Dinner and overnight in the Yurt Camp

DAY 4 | DJETY OGUZ – TELETY PASS

• Breakfast
• Pack up our kit and leave our yurt camp after breakfast
• 16km (+450m) trail run through the narrow wooded gorge of Bay Tor, lush alpine meadows, and riverbank running along the Telety river
• Arrive at the tented camp at the foot of the Telety Pass and relax
• Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp

DAY 5 | RUN TELETY PASS – KARAKOL GORGE

• Breakfast
• 18km (+750m) trail run up the Telety Pass (3,800m), wide-open descent through alpine meadows along the east of the Telety river
• Woodland trails down through the Karakol gorge to our tented encampment in the forest
• Arrive at camp, relax
• Wild swimming and campfire to relax
• Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp

DAY 6 | RADIAL RUN TO THE FOOT OF KARAKOL PEAK

• Breakfast
• 16km (+700m) radial trail run/hike to the foot of Karakol Peak
• The trail runs along the Uyun Tor river, and blue spruce forest until we reach a stone hill with amazing views of the highest peak in the Terskei Ala-Too range
• Stop for lunch at the hill to soak up the views
• Return to camp via the same route
• Wild swimming and campfire to relax
• Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp

DAY 7 | KARAKOL GORGE TO ALA-KUL LAKE

• Breakfast
• 10km (+1100m) trail run to the spectacular Ala-Kul Lake
• The trail takes us on a 1km descent through the gorge, before further river crossing and forest running
• We’ll relax at the fairytale lodge for lunch
• The trail continues uphill past a waterfall until we descent to our camp on the shoreline of Ala-Kul Lake
• Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp

DAY 8 | ALA-KUL LAKE TO ALTYN ARASHAN GORGE

• Breakfast
• 18km (+200m) trail run to the Altyn Arashan Gorge
• The trail ascends to the Ala-Kul Pass, before descending to the Altyn Arashan valley where our encampment is waiting for us Relax in the hot springs
• Dinner and overnight at the Tented Camp

DAY 9 | ALTYN ARASHAN GORGE TO CHOLPAN ATA

• Breakfast
• Relax in the Altyn Arashan and soak up the mountain views from the hot springs
• Pack-up and vehicle transfer by military truck to Karakol Town (2 hours)
• Lunch in Karakol
• Vehicle transfer to Cholpan Ata a pretty town on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul
• Check-in, relax
• Dinner and overnight at our hotel

DAY 10 | CHOLPAN ATA BACK TO BISHKEK

• Relaxing morning before we head back to Bishkek
• Visit the Stone Garden petroglyph site
• Transfer to Bishkek (approx. 5 hours) with lunch en-route
• Check-in, relax at our hotel
• A celebratory meal in central Bishkek

DAY 11 | HOMEWARD BOUND

• Breakfast
• Free time to do some last minute exploring
• Group transfer to the airport
• Onward flight home

What’s Included in the Price?

• 11 nights of accommodation in 3-4* hotels, mountain guesthouses, yurt and tented encampments (twin or double share)
• Fully-supported trail running trip
• Cultural sightseeing
• Full board throughout
• All transfers
• 4:1 Runners to Guide Ratio
• Porter service (12kg packed weight carried whilst on the trail)
• Trails & Trees: with every booking, we plant a tree

What’s NOT Included in the Price?

• International flights
• Beverages and snacks
• Personal equipment
• Laundry
• Travel Insurance (REQUIRED before the trips departure – for cancellation, accidents, health and emergency evacuation, loss, theft, or damage to baggage or personal effects)
• Tips
• Single Supplement
• Visa and visa support fee (if necessary)

Payment and Cancellation Policy

• Go! Running Tours charges a non-refundable deposit of 10% upfront when you book your holiday. After the booking is confirmed, the local holiday provider will send an invoice to the runner with final payment options. Final balance is due 12-weeks before departure.
• The deposit you pay to Go! Running Tours is non-refundable (unless the trip is cancelled due to the number of participants not being met).

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