The "Ak-Talaa" zone includes the valleys of the Ala-Buka, Arpa, and Terek rivers, as well as the southern slopes of the Moldo-Too ridge within the middle reaches of the Naryn River. The center of the zone, the district center of Bayetovo, is located approximately 120 km from the city of Naryn. Within the zone, the Naryn River collects numerous large and small tributaries, becoming turbulent and full-flowing, comparable to a mighty hero bringing warmth and light to people. Over many millennia, the river has carved a huge canyon between the northeastern end of the Ak-Shiyrak ridge and the foothills of the Moldo-Too ridge, rivaling the grandeur and beauty of the famous American Grand Canyon. Its steep layered banks are separated by many kilometers in some places. Due to the fairly steep gradient, the water in the river rushes at speeds of up to 60 km per hour. In some areas, the riverbed narrows to a dozen meters, and the height of the water column reaches 30 m. In the floodplain of the Naryn River, between the mouths of the At-Bashi and Ala-Buka rivers, there is the hunting economy "Ugyut," where licensed hunting for certain animals, mainly ibex and grouse, is organized. The riverbanks of the Naryn are used for agricultural land. The foothill landscapes of the southern slopes of the Moldo-Too ridge are represented by wormwood semi-deserts. Higher up, the steppe is characterized by feather grass and fescue.
Wide, sometimes forested gorges rise steeply to the ridge, narrowing at the top to tight rocky corridors. Cold-water streams flow through the gorges, cascading down picturesque cliffs in waterfalls in some places. In the ridge zone, the gorges open into wide valley expanses covered with meadows and small groves of Tien Shan fir and juniper. The water in the streams flows smoothly and majestically down the gentle slopes. From elevated spots, one can see the valley and floodplain of the Naryn River, shrouded in a blue haze, the ribbon of the road stretching from Naryn to Kazarman, and the distant chains of surrounding ridges. The color of the sky plays in half-tones from blue to whitish. The left tributaries of the Naryn — Ala-Buka and Terek — flow through a valley that is 170 km long and 50 km wide. The valley floor rises from 1500 to 2600 m. It is framed by the Djaman-Too ridge (4718 m), the Baibiche-Too ridge (4066 m), and a small ridge (about 40 km) Ak-Shiyrak (average height 3400 m). The river floodplains are green with poplar-willow forests mixed with birch and thickets of shrubs. The predominant tree species in the floodplain forest is indicated by the name of the river — Terek ("poplar").
In the valley, steppe vegetation is represented by bluish wormwood, fescue, and feather grass, while higher up, there is a rich variety of herbs (geranium, yarrow, buttercup, snakehead, scabious). In early summer, the steppe blooms with numerous flowers of iris, onion, saffron, sedge, buttercups, and tulips, followed by flowering cornflowers, ziziphora, thyme, sage, and yellow buttercups. In the foothills, thickets of chiy and low shrubs — caragana — can be found. The slopes of the Ak-Shiyrak, Baibiche-Too, and Djaman-Too mountain ridges with northern and western exposure are better hydrated, and they are covered with masses of tugai thickets of juniper and other tree species. From the springs, white streams rush down steeply, gaining strength. At the waterfalls, the roaring column of water scatters the finest water mist, which shimmers with rainbow hues in the sunlight. Birch groves green the banks. Mountain birches are unlike their plain counterparts. Their bark has a golden hue from "mountain tanning," darker than the color of the leaves. The trunks are bent and thickened. The forest of mountain birches is very beautiful. Individual trees grow in clusters from one spot, spreading upward. The trunks of others initially lie flat on the ground, then arch upward. On a moonlit windy night, it seems that "ghosts" come alive in the grove, endowed with the voice of the wind, the rustle of leaves, and the cries of night birds. Cheerful thickets are replaced by piles of reddish rocks, cozy emerald meadows, and the flickering of flowers.
