Chon-Kyzyl-Suu Gorge
The Red Water Gorge - Chon-Kyzyl-Suu
The picturesque Chon-Kyzyl-Suu gorge is one of the most beautiful places on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. At the bottom of the gorge, the turbulent river Kyzyl-Suu carries its rushing waters from the glaciers of the mighty Terskey Alatoo ridge. Emerald green in its upper reaches, the river turns bright red at the point where it flows into Issyk-Kul, eroding red mountain sandstones along the way. This unusual color is what gives the river its name – "kızıl suy," which translates from Kyrgyz as "red water." The river originates high in the mountains and collects several similarly noisy icy tributaries along its way. This complex system of gorges forms the stunningly beautiful landscape of Chon-Kyzyl-Suu.
The gorge begins on the shores of Issyk-Kul, fifty kilometers west of the regional capital, the city of Karakol. The mountain slopes of Terskey rise almost from the emerald waters of the lake. Here, the picturesque peninsula of Kara-Bulun juts far into the blue expanse of Issyk-Kul, where numerous waterfowl flock every year for wintering. From here, the exciting journey upstream along Chon-Kyzyl-Suu begins. At the very start of the gorge, the gentle slopes are striking with an abundance of grasses and flowers. The river carries its turbulent waters through soft meadows, occasionally interspersed with dense thickets. At times, bright red stripes of mountain rocks cut through the emerald green grass. Meadows alternate with huge boulders covered in gray lichen, suddenly giving way to a dense coniferous forest at an altitude of about two kilometers. Here, the nature of the Kyrgyz mountains presents itself in all its pristine beauty – majestic firs, dense and impenetrable thickets of sea buckthorn, barberry, and wild rose, entire glades of fragrant wild strawberries, and a sea of flowers. Occasionally, among the trees, one can spot timid roe deer, large pheasants, swift marmots, and chukars. In the highest forests, huge wild boars, ibex, and beautiful snow leopards sometimes wander.
At an altitude of 2390 meters above sea level, at the very edge of the forest, the tributary Jyly-Suu flows into Chon-Kyzyl-Suu. Here are the two most famous hot springs on the southern shore – the hydrogen sulfide springs of Jyly-Suu. The clear, transparent water of the springs, slightly bubbling and carbonated, collects in a small pool. The water temperature is quite high – it exceeds 40 degrees. There is nothing better than thoroughly warming up in the mineral heat of the spring and then plunging into the scalding icy streams of the Jyly-Suu river. Every year, dozens of people flock to these unique natural thermal springs to improve their health. Near the springs, a small "proletarian" sanatorium has even grown – a shop, a couple of cottages, and several tents.
Just beyond the springs, the gorge narrows sharply, and the path is surrounded by steep rocky walls on the right and steep slopes covered with dense fir forest on the left. The river's current here is particularly fast, roaring and crashing through the narrow passage, raising clouds of icy spray and overturning stones. A little higher than the Springs, on the mountainside at the confluence of the rushing streams of Ashutor and Karabatkak, is the Tien Shan Physical and Geographical Station. It was built in this area in the late 1940s, after the Great Patriotic War, and for a long time was the pride of the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences. The station is still operational today – zoologists, botanists, and meteorologists conduct their research here, studying the features of Tien Shan nature. The numerous glaciers of the Tien Shan and the permafrost that permeates the mountain peaks are studied particularly closely. Right above the station rises a solitary unnamed mountain. It is definitely worth climbing it when in the area, as it offers the most stunning panoramic view of the gray waves of Issyk-Kul to the north and the picturesque rocky-ice wall of Jety-Oguz to the south.
From the station, one can ascend along the Ashutor (on the left) and Karabatkak (on the right) streams, which form the main flow of the Kyzyl-Suu river. Through the picturesque Ashutor pass, one can reach the majestic and desolate icy Taragay ridges, while the Karabatkak gorge leads to the glacier of the same name. Into the turbulent waters of Karabatkak, approximately halfway to the glacier, flows the picturesque Aylama – one of the many mountain streams that ultimately form the Kyzyl-Suu river. Aylama flows through incredibly beautiful red-brown rocky canyons and cascades down from a height of 25 meters, creating one of the most picturesque waterfalls of the Chon-Kyzyl-Suu landscape.
By ascending further along its flow, one can reach the beautiful Aylama valley, where the shepherds' camps are located.
This secluded high-altitude valley impresses with its harsh beauty – there are almost no forests here, only fragrant juniper grows, and at the very end of the valley lies the majestic Aylama glacier. Through most of the gorges that end the Kyzyl-Suu – Ashutor, Zagadka, Nadezhda – one can reach the largest glacier in Terskey, the Kolpakovsky glacier. It lies at an altitude of over four and a half thousand meters, and its length is a full thirteen kilometers. The far southeastern corner of the Kyzyl-Suu gorge ends with the majestic western peak of Armstrong.
While traveling through Chon-Kyzyl-Suu, it is essential to explore the numerous side gorges from which turbulent tributaries rush to the river. For example, one can ascend along one of the right tributaries through the Archa-Tor gorge.
The narrow path along the noisy riverbed leads through picturesque slopes densely overgrown with tall aromatic grass. The gorge is crowned by the Archa-Tor pass at an altitude of 3800 meters, from which there is a stunning view of the Oguzi-Bashi peak. After crossing the pass, one can descend into the incredibly beautiful Jety-Oguz gorge. On the left side of Kyzyl-Suu, one can cross into the beautiful Kichi-Kyzyl-Suu gorge. Here are the most picturesque waterfalls on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul. The ringing Sharkyratma waterfall cascades down from a height of 20 meters in a narrow gorge surrounded by forest, while the height of the remarkably beautiful cascade of Shatyly waterfalls is a good hundred meters!
Thus, the Chon-Kyzyl-Suu gorge offers a vast number of opportunities for various excursions, multi-day trekking tours, and horseback rides. The harsh beauty of the Tien Shan, numerous glaciers, inaccessible gray cliffs, and stunning views will leave no one indifferent.
