Today, it will be the beginning of our trek from Song Kol lake.
Start the day well
After a restful night, we meet for breakfast. Our guide and driver, English tourists and our nomad family are all around the table with us. The Kumuss is again proposed. Curiously, only our guide will drink this morning to be, I quote “strong like the horse”. Seeing that their drink is not very successful, our family offers us Kyrgyz cognac. It is 8:00 in the morning but apparently, we are the only who think it matter. We politely decline the offer by explaining that we drink cognac rather digestive after lunch or dinner. We eat copiously and prepare to leave.
Start of trek from Song Kol lake
After brushing our teeth, we try to talk a bit with our driver. It makes us understand that we need to have two layers of pants today because it will get colder higher. We listen to him and add a layer. Then comes the moment to say goodbye to our guests. It is then, that the young woman of the family comes to give me the bottle of brandy in the hand. As we usually drink this in the evening, she gives it to us so that we can appreciate it our way. Adorable. After a few minutes of walking, the rain is added to the wind. I then fight to put on my rain cape and then start again.
A welcome lunch break
We arrive dripping to a new yurt for our lunch. This one is very hot and with the smiling family, it perks us quickly. This time, we meet two Hong Kong tourists who look totally shot. Once gone, the son of the family tells us that he returns from a circuit on horseback with them. And it was the first time he had made such a silent circuit: none spoke during the whole trip. We eat again very well. Then the guide tells us that it is too bad to go by the pass as planned. So we will take an easier path. On the other hand, as the son must bring the horses, he offers us to ride a horse. We accept with pleasure.
Horse riding in the Kyrgyz mountain
We try to climb on horse. Because if the horses are rather small, we are not used to it. In addition, our two layers of pants and the non-adjustable calipers short enough do not facilitate the task. With the help of our guides, we end up landing on the saddle. The horses are extremely docile and advance at a pace. Moreover, the heel strikes we give, will never make them accelerate. During our walk, we cross herds of free horses without any rope at the feet. On the occasion of a break, I ask the guide how they make them come back and why some horses that we had seen before had ropes hampering their march. In fact, the Kyrgyz only ride males who have ropes so as not to go too far. Females devote themselves to their young and are free to run in the mountains.
On horseback but not too much
We climb slowly and the fog begins to thicken. Our guides then tell us to dismount because the rest of the way requires to be a good rider. We descend from our horses with more ease than to climb. After a few minutes of walking, we are happy to be on foot. Indeed, our guides, who have remained on horseback, must advance on sloping, muddy and rocky ground. The horses slide regularly and we understand better why experimented horse riders in career were scared during this type of hike …
Animal encounters
Yaks
We start to go down and get out of our pea soup. Our guides precede us far enough ahead. We see yaks on the side of the road. We are delighted because we will be able to photograph them closely. To our surprise, when we get closer, our guides scare them away. Joining them, they explain to us that they thought that the yaks would attack us. They took advantage of their horses to scare them. Safety first and foremost, so we are happy with distant photos.
A sheepdog
We resume our path, our guides always preceding us. We pass near yurts below. It is then that a dog approaches the horses and barks after our guides. Once they disappear at a bend in the road, he sits down and watches us pass in our turn. Soizic is not reassured and takes a pebble in his hand. And indeed, the dog starts running towards her, barking. Although he obviously has an injured paw, she then throws the pebble in front of it to scare it. The effect is immediate: it picks up the pebble and immediately reports it to Soizic. It found someone who wants to play with it. It will not leave us until our yurt of the night.
And bulls
Finally, we meet some bulls that are quietly grazing. This time the guides were not scary. They are not wild animals like yaks. Nevertheless I am happy to have the little dog with us: seeing it, the nearest bull, turns away and goes further. We finally arrive at the yurt where we will spend the night. Here the roles are reversed: it is not the cattle that are in the enclosure but us! In fact, to prevent cows from scratching on yurts and damaging them, they are surrounded by fences. This night it will be colder, despite the stove lit and our blankets. It does not feel good to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night! 😉
After this day of trek from Song Kol lake , find the entire stay. And if you want to do the same, you can order it here.
