Ak-Tyuz - "White Valley"
The Ak-Tyuz Valley is located on the southwestern slopes of the Zailiyskiy Alatau mountain range along the Kichi-Kemin River. The distance from Bishkek to Ak-Tyuz is 140 km, of which 95 km is along the Bishkek-Balykchy highway, and the remaining 55 km is northeast from the Kemin railway station via an asphalt road.
In Kyrgyz, Ak-Tyuz means "white valley." The clay here has a whitish color due to the high salt content.
The heart of the Ak-Tyuz Valley is the village of the same name, located at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains covered with birch groves and coniferous forests. The village of Ak-Tyuz was a rapidly developing town in the Kemin district. Since the Great Patriotic War, lead ore was actively mined here. In its heyday, Ak-Tyuz had over 3500 residents, but after the collapse of the USSR, the demand for rare earth products sharply declined, and in 1992 the plant was closed. Since then, the village has gradually declined. Now, from the once prosperous Ak-Tyuz, only ruins remain and no more than 500 local residents. The Ak-Tyuz mine began operations during the Great Patriotic War against fascist Germany – in 1942. The country was in dire need of lead, and the rich ores of the Ak-Tyuz deposit contained plenty of it. Ak-Tyuz was the first mine in the northeastern part of Kyrgyzstan. Since 2004, the plant has been owned by a foreign company.
Local authorities are doing a lot to develop tourism in this region. The slopes of the gorge can be adapted for freeriding and skiing in winter, while in summer, hiking routes are organized here.
In 2009, the construction of a new ski base began near the village. However, it is unknown when this base will be completed and put into operation. Between the village and the under-construction base lies a unique attraction of the Ak-Tyuz Valley – a fountain that shoots up to 15 meters high. The water rises even above the tops of the coniferous trees. Locals often have picnics here. In winter, the fountain turns into a massive ice block. At night during winter, this fountain operates like a snow cannon.
The Ak-Tyuz Valley is another beautiful place in Kyrgyzstan, where there are many birch groves and a variety of mushrooms grow. Enthusiast planters worked very productively in Ak-Tyuz! Under the guidance of the chief forester Tatiana Ivanovna Ogurtsova and the planter Konstantin Petrovich Vavilov, several thousand seedlings of pine, birch, larch, and Tien Shan spruce were planted along the left, eastern slope of the Kichi-Kemin River gorge. During the 1960s and 70s, Ak-Tyuz developed intensively.
The high mountain forests are rich in medicinal herbs and berries. The slopes of the gorge are covered with Tien Shan spruce forests and thickets of juniper. Birch groves can also be found, where mushrooms grow abundantly.