Horse riding Kyrgyzstan

Over many years the horses help shepherds to move their houses (Yurts) over the passes to the alpine pastures. A horse is considered to be an integral part of the life of the nomadic people. Throughout these days you will experience different climatic zones - from semi-desert to tundra. During the tour you will have a chance to spend a night in the real dwelling of these ancient nomads (yurtas) and experience their life and culture.

Guaranteed departure dates: 

12.07.16 - 17.07.16

30.07.16 - 04.08.16

15.08.16 - 20.08.16

21.08.16 - 26.08.16

Horse trek : Around Son-Kul lake

Duration: 6 Days

    

Day 1 Bishkek - Kochkor 

Arrival in Bishkek early in the morning. Transfer to the hotel. Rest till noon. Short city tour in the center of Bishkek with visiting the central square, Osh bazaar (oriental market). Transfer to Kochkor village  (260 km). Lunch on the way. Optionally visit felt carpet workshop, where you can not only buy souvenirs but make them yourself. Dinner with Kyrgyz family.

Family run accommodation. 

(Meal B/L/D)

Day 2 Kochkor - Kilemche- Jaman Echki

Early breakfast transfer to Jumgal valley to starting point of the horse ride below the Kyzart pass. Meeting with the guide and horsemen. Within sight of the road, cross Kyzyl-Kiya jailoo, an enormous, relatively flat sea of grass. Continue over the Chaar-Archa Pass (3 061 m) into the Chaar-Archa Valley and eat a tasty lunch at Kilemche jailoo, with views of holy 4400 m Baba-Ata Mountain. The name means "like a carpet," and this swathe of grass covers whole mountain ranges, with shadings as subtle as any shyrdak (shyrdak is a Kyrgyz felt carpet). 

After lunch riding to Jalgyz Karagai pass (3400 m), over the Song-Kol Mountains and into the lake's basin. The afternoon ride affords wonderful views of Kilemche jailoo, and the pass itself is rocky and exciting. From the pass, Song-Kol is still distant, but as you ride down the slopes, it gets larger and larger; the mountains on the other side get higher and higher, until finally the lake fills most of your field of view and the southern mountains tower above it. 

Riding time about 5-6 hours.

Dinner and accommodation in the NoviNomad Yurt camp .

(Meal B/L/D)

Day 3 Jaman Echki - Tulpar-Tash 

Breakfast. Horse riding about 4-6 hours along the lake. Local people live and graze their livestock on the meadows (jailoo) around the lake, from June till September. You will taste the wilderness and freedom of nomadic life here. It will be possible to taste the Kyrgyz traditional drink kymyz (fermented mare's milk) 

Riding time about 4-6 hours 

Dinner and Overnight in CBT yurts. 

(Meal B/ Lunchbox/D)

Day 4 Tulpar Tash - Tulga-Tash

Breakfast. Horse riding about 4-6 hours. Stone circles on the southern shore of Son-Kul lake. "Tash-Tulga" or "Tulga-Tash" means hearth, built of stones (trivet). In the archaeological literature they are called "eight-stone memorial fences". These eight-stone memorials date to I century BC, which have analogies on the territories of Altai, Tuva and western Mongolia. In the Central Tien-Shan, they are rare and "not in all cemeteries of the Saks era", which means that it must be assumed that the custom of construction of memorials from eight stones was not typical to the whole population of the Saks in Tien-Shan time. Tash-Tulga consists of altars - eight-stone ones, and is not tied to the mounds, which in turn distinguishes them from the same Altai monuments. Each altar presents a laid out eight stones, arranged in a circle, with an average diameter of 1-1.3 meters. Nine such eight-stone memorials are lined up in a single line facing north-south for 200 m. Thus, Tash-Tulga has a planned structure with a numerical symbolism. Tash-Tulga, according to many researchers, from ancient times served as a ritual centre and a gathering place for the nomadic herdsmen. With the onset of warm season pastoralists dub their flocks on juicy, abundant with grass and water High Mountain pastures. North of the stone circles, closer to the lake, is where the burials are located on top of which broken up rubble is spread 

Riding time about 4-6 hours 

Dinner and overnight in the Ak Sai Yurt camp.

(Meal B/ Lunchbox/D)

Day 5 Song-Kul lake - Bishkek

After breakfast Transfer to Bishkek (350 km). On the way a visit to visit Burana Tower, a place on the Great Silk Road, the remaining of ancient town Balasagun (11 century). Arrival in Bishkek. 

Accommodation in the small private hotel. 

(Meal B/L-)

Day 6 Bishkek

Transfer to Airport early in the morning. Flight home.

Services included:

1.    Double room accommodation in Bishkek, Kochkor 

2.    Four-people accommodation in the yurt 

3.    Meal based on full board from breakfast in Day 1 to lunch in Day 5

4.    Mineral water before horse riding and after horse riding (1 L per person a day)

5.    Boiled water during horse riding days

6.    English speaking tour guide

7.    Personal for trek (stableman) 

8.    Horses for the clients

9.    Transport for all transfers according the program

For additional payment:

1.    Single room accommodation

2.    Alcohol and soft drinks, deserts

3.    Horses for luggage

4.    Dinner in day 5

5.    International flights

Level of difficulty: This tour is recommended for beginners with small riding experience (riding time approximately 4-6 hours per day).

The price of the tour is 972 USD per person. 

Single supplement is 60 USD per person only in the hotel and family run accommodation 

Size of the group: 

Minimum 4 pax

Maximum 10 pax

Prices:

The prices are in Euro, Valid till the end of 2016. 

Payments:

Given price is valid if the payment is done via bank transfer.

Cash payment - Given price is valid if the payment is done via bank transfer. If you prefer to pay in cash upon arrival, price will be 5% cheaper 

Conditions: 

1)    Accommodation - During this tour you will have accommodation by 4-5 people in a Yurt. 

2)    Horse and luggage - You will ride the shepherds Kyrgyz horses. They are not big but very strong and able to make long distances on the high mountain trails.

For the horse ride we use the traditional Kyrgyz saddles, it is similar to American Cowboys saddles. Each saddle equipped with bags where you can store your personal belongings. 

For the three days of the horse ride you can take the part of your total luggage which you will use during that days. This luggage will be packed on your horse on the saddle bags. The rest of the luggage you can store in the car and get it after 2 days at the last Yurt camp.

Luggage horse - If you want the luggage being packed on the separate horse it will be possible for additional payment. 

Supplement for luggage horse is 30 USD per day 

Equipment:

Down jacket, warm sweater, silk sleeping bag liner, rain gear (waterproof trousers should have an opening on the outside at the bottom of the leg in order to put on and take off without removing your trekking boots), 2-3 pairs of warm socks, waterproof trekking boots, gloves, sunglasses, sun cream with high UV-protection, lip balm with UV-protection, horse chaps and safety horse riding helmets.

For additional price you can rent the horse chaps and safety horse riding helmets. The cost of the renting is 1 USD per day for the horse chaps and 1 USD per day for the helmet

Health

If you have some specific sicknesses you need to bring own first aid kit with necessary medicaments.

Responsibilities of clients

Your clients should recognize and accept the risk that circumstances may arise which would cause some activities to be shortened or eliminated altogether without reimbursement or refund. Such circumstance includes weather conditions, earthquakes and other acts of nature, injuries or other medical problems, which they may experience. However, you recognize and accept that none of the eventualities described above will give you a right to a refund or other forms of reimbursement.

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