Peak Karakol (5281 m)
Located in the Oguz Bashi massif on the southern shore of Lake Issyk-Kul; Peak Karakol is the highest in this area, the highest point of the Terskey Alatau, over 5 thousand meters.
There are many climbing routes established here. The ski base "Karakol" is located nearby.
Peak Karakol is an icy trapezoid, under which lies a small cirque glacier. It is a very beautiful mountain with straightforward approaches. For climbers, it is of interest as the highest point in the area with many mixed routes.
Two large glaciers descend on either side of the peak, forming icefalls where they merge into the main glacier. The height of Peak Karakol is over 5280 m. Another glacier is located to the north of the western branch of the Karakol Glacier but does not reach it. The stream flowing from the glacier forms a waterfall.
In 1958, a group of four instructors-climbers from the DOSAAF "Burevestnik" made the first ascent of Peak Karakol via the northwestern slope. The descent was first made via the northeastern slope before the ascent to Peak Djigit.
As you ascend to Peak Karakol, the rock of the Ontor Pass appears to the east, followed by the summit of Djigit. From the west, this summit seems even more impregnable than from the north side of the glacier. Between Peak Djigit and Karakol, on the Terskey ridge, lies the summit of Baby Elephant, and a little further east is the Festival Peak. Its height is about 5000 m.
