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Home » Issyk-Kul region nature. Terskey Ala-Too mountains sights. Walks in Terskei Ala-Too ridges.

Resort Altyn-Arashan.

Travel packages Kyrgyzstan.

«A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature»

Henry David Thoreau.

Packaged tour of Kyrgyzstan.

The resort Altyn-Arashan (Gold Springs) is in the gorge Arashan in the Ak-Suysky area in the south from the settlement of Ak-Suu of the administrative center of the Issyk-Kul region. Extent of a way on the highway from the settlement of Ak-Suu to thermal sources on the river Arashan 21 kilometers.
Going to the gorge Arashan to the resort Altyn-Arasan from Karakol, our way lies on the East to the settlement of Ak-Suu, it is the former settlement of Teploklyuchenka, from here in the fall of 1869 the Russian military garrison was transferred to Karakol.
In that far time the garrison was called Ak-Suusky strengthening, it was control center of the Issyk-Kul County. The asphalt road surfacing will still be stretched a little behind the settlement of Ak-Suu and will soon end.
In 6,5 kilometers in the south from the settlement of Ak-Suu, in the neighboring gorge Aksu, there are thermal mineral sources Aksu. On the way to the resort Altyn-Arashan we will pass on one of the most extreme roads of the Issyk-Kul region, to tourist and natural sights of east part of vicinities of the Lake Issyk-Kul.
Respectively this is for to jeeps with high clearance, here it is necessary to overcome huge stones, gullies, potholes and all list of roughnesses which exist on country roads of Kyrgyzstan. Near the resort Altyn-Arashan there is a hill from the black earth which needs to be overcome even during a rain.
Before the resort the small pass Ortok of 2300 meters above sea level. The road runs on the left side of the river, in the deep gorge the thin strip of the river Arashan is visible. The neighborhood of the resort Altyn-Arashan ideally disposes to walks and is located at the height of 2439 meters above sea level.
This most beautiful gorge in Kyrgyzstan which is on northern slopes of Ridge Terskey Ala-Too. In the resort Altyn-Arashan it is possible to bathe in natural hot radonic springs, and then to dive into cool waters of the river Arashan which is nearby.
The neighborhood of the resort is very picturesque, the wide valley with the fir forest, meadow herbs, fragrant flowers is very attractive. The resort Altyn-Arashan was organized in 1963 on the place of hot springs with the raised mineralization and radioactivity.
In close proximity the river has thermal sources with various composition of water and temperature. In a source, with hydrogen sulfide presence, water temperature reaches + 41 degrees, in radonic + 32. Here it is possible to take baths all the year round, local healing water treats diseases of joints, digestive organs, a liver, kidneys, heart.
Pools with sources are made of a stone and are in simple rooms. Besides the bathtubs created by hands of the person there are also wild deepenings here from a stone where springs leave hot mineral water, they are located at the river in close proximity.
Thus, here it is possible to take a natural contrast shower. In the neighborhood of the resort are a grotto "Swallow nest". At the height of three meters above the ground from the rock the hot radonic spring pours out, it also is the “Swallow nest”.
The resort consists of several wooden lodges on a big glade along the left river bank Arashan. From the resort, in the south, the grandiose view of peak the Aksuysky wall (The Tent) 5020 meters high above sea level, to the east from it opens, there is a peak the Soviet Russia 4900 meters high above sea level.
The Aksuysky wall, the huge snow peak closing the gorge in the south in a form similar to a snow-white tent. The gorge and the resort are located in the Ak-Suysky zoological wildlife area. Its area is more than 30,5 thousand hectares.
In the territory of the wildlife area, more than 20 natural boundaries are located, the fauna of Mountains Terskey Ala-Too is widely presented: boars, marals, marten, ermine, groundhog, badger, fox, lynx, bear, snow leopard.
The birds: Himalayan snowcock (Tetraogallus himalayensis), mountain chicken (local name - The Keklik), pheasant, turtle-dove, black grouse, Griffon (Gyps), etc. East and western slopes of the gorge Arasan are covered with relic Tien-Shan fir-trees some of which more than 400 years.
Flora is various - useful herbs, mushrooms, berries, in the summer tens of species of beautiful flowers cover glades and slopes of mountains. The best time for visit of the gorge - July - August. In 10 kilometers in the southwest from the resort Altyn-Arashan there is a mountain lake Ala-Kol located in the mountains Termitor at the height of 3532 meters above sea level.
Within two days, it is possible to manage to walk on the lake Ala-Kol from the resort Altyn-Arasan and to return back. In the southwest, approximately, in 2 kilometers from the resort Altyn-Arsan there is a picturesque natural boundary of Keldeke.
In that place where the resort Altyn-Arashan is located, two rivers - Arashan and east inflow - the river Anyrtor merge. The river Anyrtor begins in northern Mountains Terskey Ala-Too, one of inflows follows from the thin lake which is at the height of 3491 meters over level the sea under peak Aksu Novyi 3982,2 meters high above sea level.
One of the western anonymous inflows of the river Anyrtor flows down from thin lakes, from under anonymous peak 3965 meters high above sea level. In upper courses, the river Arashan, carries the name - Aksu, after a confluence of the western inflow Intor at the height of 2 711 meters above sea level, the river receives the name - Arashan.
From the place of merge of the river Aksu and Intor the zone Tien-Shan of a fir-tree which lasts to the settlement of Ak-Suu begins. In 3 kilometers to the south of the settlement of Ak-Suu the river Arashan merges with larger east inflow - Aksu and further the river receives the name Aksu.
River Arashan extent 22 kilometers.  

Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.Resort Altyn-Arasan and its environs.

Author and photos
Alexander Petrov.