River Ak-Suu
The main channel of the Ak-Suu River is at least 20-22 kilometers long.
The lower part of the valley, crossing the first terrace of the Chatkal Valley, has a wall-like character. Passing through the second terrace of the main valley of the Chatkal River, the Ak-Suu has carved a deep canyon that is completely impassable for 1-1½ km. Then the valley widens somewhat, with mixed forests growing near the water, and many junipers and shrubs on the slopes. As it approaches the Main Ridge, the valley becomes deeper and transforms into a V-shaped gorge with rocky slopes 8-10 km from the mouth. The upper part of the valley is covered with forested areas, while the river's floodplain is densely overgrown with poplar, birch, and black currant.
Approximately 8 km from the mouth, a left tributary flows into the Ak-Suu, which runs through a very interesting and unique gorge. In the summer, the tributary begins from several springs that flow from the lower part of the rocky foothill descending from the Main Ridge. Above the springs, towards the Chatkal Ridge, there is a deep narrow rocky gorge with a dry riverbed, where bushes and junipers grow along the banks. The length of the gorge is at least 7-8 kilometers. About two kilometers above the springs, the gorge is blocked by a rocky mass, through which the river has carved a crack 1½-2 m wide and up to 50-60 m deep. The crack stretches in a dark winding corridor for 300-350 meters.
In summer, one can enter the crack via the drying riverbed; the sheer walls are smoothed by water; there are numerous pigeon and rock dove nests in the crevices.
The upper part of the gorge is cluttered with old moraines, partially covered with grass and partially filled with debris. In places, water seeps through the dried riverbed. The cirque of the gorge is quite characteristic of the western, high part of the Chatkal Ridge: to the south, the valley is bordered by completely sheer step-like walls, above which lie glaciers and snowfields on relatively flat bases. The tongues of the glaciers hang towards the cirque. At the foot of the main wall, the cirque is filled with a small firn field that rises along the northeastern slope to the glacier located higher up. The wall closing the cirque from the south prevents a view of the upper glaciers.
The Ak-Suu Valley in the section between the first and second left-bank tributaries, which is about 6-8 km long, is difficult to traverse, and there is no good trail.
The next major left-bank tributary of the Ak-Suu consists of several streams originating from numerous small glaciers. The short valleys of the streams are completely overgrown with slender spruce forests, and the abundance of water has turned the slopes into lush flowering meadows. A chain of high smooth rocky towers and peaks, dissected by deep crevices and couloirs filled with ice and snow, gives this mountainous corner a fantastic appearance. Stepped hanging short glaciers are interrupted by numerous sheer rocky cliffs, and some glaciers have 4-5 steps of breaks. Waterfalls cascade down from glacier to glacier along rocky ledges. The strict outlines and steep flat slopes give the surrounding peaks, which do not exceed 3800-3900 m, a resemblance to geometric figures.
The main source of the Ak-Suu originates from a fairly significant glacier located on a rocky plateau and dropping off with a sheer wall; below the cliff, a narrow gorge is covered by a snow bridge for 700-800 m.
A little below the main cirque, the snowfields in the crevices of the right slope give rise to small streams that flow into the Ak-Suu. In the upper reaches of the Ak-Suu and up to Kara-Suu, there is a trail along the ridge that separates them, which is used to drive cattle to the rich pastures in the upper reaches of the second left tributary of the Ak-Suu.
