Zone "Min-Kysh" (a thousand birds)
The zone "Min-Kysh" (a thousand birds) includes the fabulously beautiful valley of the same name, which is about 40 kilometers long. The valley rises from 1400 to 3100 meters above sea level. Its maximum width is two kilometers. The valley is framed by the Kabak-Too ridge (4144 m) and the Moldo-Too ridge (4418 m).
At the lower part of the zone, where the Min-Kush flows into the Kekemeren, lies the village of Ornok. A road runs from the village along the riverbed to the village of Min-Kush. The river's floodplain is overgrown with poplar-willow forests and shrubs of rowan, blackberry, barberry, and honeysuckle. The slopes descend to the river in terraces. The side gorges are covered with floodplain forests. The flat areas of the terraces are occupied by agricultural land. In the middle reaches of the Min-Kush river lies the village of the same name.
In the rather steep slopes, caves and grottos can be found. On the southern slopes of Kabak-Too, covered with dense mixed forests, is the Min-Bugu area ("a thousand deer"). Poplars, birches, willows, and rowans are gradually being displaced by Tien Shan firs. Huge shaggy pyramids fill all the gorges, climbing steep slopes up to the ridges. Small rivers flow down from the edges of the gorge, falling in spectacular cascades into the riverbed of the Min-Kush.
The riverbed is relatively shallow but rises steeply. In some places, the gorges along the river are so steep and narrow that it is impossible to pass through them. One has to climb over the passes to then descend back into the river valley. Sometimes it is necessary to make one's way along reddish rocks washed by turbulent streams of water. The river thunders as it hurls a tight flow onto the rocky debris, knocking one off their feet and showering them with myriads of crystal splashes that fill the air with coolness. Piles of rocks alternate with dense spruce forests interspersed with sunlit clearings. Beautiful meadows are dotted with tall grasses and flowers.
As the gorge rises, the forest gradually thins out, giving way to thickets of creeping juniper, tall grass meadows, and rocky debris with long trails. The cliffs rise like insurmountable walls directly from the raging water. In sheltered spots, patches of unmelted snow from winter hide away.
Over the passes in the side ridges of the gorge, one can reach the Jumgal or Naryn valleys, while the Donguzi pass ("wild boar") leads to the Son-Kul area.
The names of places in the valley speak of the numerous animals that inhabit this zone. The gorge is populated by a restless world of birds. Among them are warblers, tits, goldfinches, pigeons, snowflakes, starlings, thrushes, black-throated redstarts, nightingales, crows, and hawfinches. The ringing songs, whistles, and chirps create an extraordinary forest music that begs to be recorded on a tape. On rainy days, those recordings will help dispel sadness with memories of wonderful days spent in nature. In the mountain rivers, one can observe the amazing sight of a gray bird, the dipper, diving for food. It flies up to a branch, shakes itself off, spots something in the current, and dives back into the water.
In the spruce forest, your presence will be announced by the sharp cry of a nutcracker. It will persistently accompany you until you leave.
On the northern slopes of the Moldo-Too ridge, near the village of Ak-Kel, lies a mysterious non-freezing lake with cool mountain water. The saturation of the water's color is emphasized by the contrast of the colorful vegetation covering the shores. At the headwaters of the Min-Kush river, there is an abandoned underground mine.
The territory of the zone includes the botanical reserve "Min-Kush." There are mineral water springs "Beshene-Say" and "Chemindy," discovered in the valleys of the rivers of the same name, located about 50 km from the village of Chayek.
