Valley of Kok-Kiya
Rocky Canyons of the Kok-Kiya Valley
Kyrgyzstan is rich in beautiful and unique places. In the border zone of the Naryn region, 550 km from the city of Bishkek and about 230 kilometers from Naryn, there is another magnificent and mesmerizing spot.
This place is called the Kok-Kiya Valley. One of the main attractions of this area is the beautiful Lake Köl-Suu, the winding rocky canyons, and the mountain river Kok-Kiya.
The Kök-Kiya River flows from Lake Köl-Suu and carries its waters through the canyon carved by itself. Everything here is interesting: the color of the river, the meanders formed by it, the towering cliffs among which the river flows, and the surrounding plateau of the canyon. The places are wild and little-known, leaving no one indifferent. There is a chance that in this valley you might observe yaks. They usually live in high altitudes and do not like areas inhabited by humans.
The lake Köl-Suu itself is located at an altitude of 3500 m above sea level and is squeezed between sheer cliffs. The lake stretches over 9 km in length, with a width of 0.5-2 km, and is the result of a landslide that once blocked the narrow riverbed of a river that used to flow here. Currently, the Kök-Kiya River does not flow directly from the lake; instead, it drains through a half-kilometer debris field, emerging from underground through several channels below it.
The water in the lake has a greenish hue, sometimes with a bluish tint, which, however, greatly depends on the lighting. The lake has one unusual feature, which is the reason for its name. Köl-Suu translates from Kyrgyz as "coming water." Indeed, sometimes the lake disappears, flowing into underground caves and grottos, so it is important to know before the trip that the lake may not be present.
The weather at the lake is unstable – during the day, if it is sunny, it can be hot, but within half an hour it may start to snow. At night, temperatures drop below zero, and in the mornings, there is frost.
The surrounding cliffs of the lake are of limestone-slate origin, so there are many different caverns, grottos, niches, and caves. In the cave, you can see the resting places of bears that prefer to hibernate here, sheltering from the winter cold. The walls of the cave are covered with hoarfrost, forming the thinnest patterns that sparkle in all the colors of the rainbow when illuminated by headlamps. From the flat peaks of the Sary-Beles mountain, an amazing panorama of the surrounding landscapes and Lake Köl-Suu opens up.
