Lake Teshik-Kul

Lake Teshik-Kul (also Teshik-Köl) — is a hard-to-reach high-altitude lake

It is located at an altitude of 3500 meters on the southern side of the Tereskey Ala-Too range in the Issyk-Kul region, approximately 38 km from the village of Bokonbaeva. Cascading mountains, a majestic plain, and distant flocks of sheep make these places extraordinarily beautiful. There seems to be no end or edge to the hills stretching far beyond the limits of human vision.

Teshik-Kul is a typical mountain lake, divided into two parts located at different altitudes and connected by a waterfall. The water of the lake is milky-blue and opaque due to a high content of various impurities. The local expanses serve as excellent pastures, and from June to September, tourists can combine extreme tourism with cultural and historical experiences, interact with shepherds, and taste authentic kumis. The drink has a unique taste; it nourishes and refreshes. The shepherds are friendly, and Russian and foreign tourists are not a novelty here.

The area around the lake is quite picturesque. To the east, there is a magnificent view of a mountain glacier that does not melt even in summer, while to the west stretches a small mountain plain that lies right at the foot of the glaciers that feed this fairly large lake. The lake has an underground outflow, and therefore the river flowing from it bursts forth from underground just below the lake itself.

It has no direct outflow. Not far from the lake are hot springs where one can bathe for health benefits.

The terrain where the lake is located is quite inaccessible. You can reach the lake via the Jalpak-Bel pass (3300 m) from the west or via the Ton pass (4020 m) from the east. There are several ways to get to the lake by car: through the Bolgart river valley via the Jalpak-Bel pass or the Kichi-Naryn valley (access from the Bishkek-Torugart highway near the city of Naryn or the village of Sary-Bulak), as well as via the Tosor pass on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul (a very difficult but interesting route for vehicles). Whichever route you choose, your vehicle must be very well prepared for off-road conditions.

In turn, the hike to the lake is easy and simple: just 5 kilometers with a slight elevation change. When climbing to the lake, one must be very careful: the old trail to the lake has eroded in places into the river, so for a safe ascent, it is necessary to choose a path as far to the right of the river flowing in the gorge as possible.

Despite the numerous tourists, there are still places in the vicinity where no human foot has trodden.