Jyrgalan

Jyrgalan was a Soviet coal-mining settlement whose mine closed in the 1990s, leaving the village emptying out until a community tourism initiative began in the 2010s, since when it has become one of the more convincing examples of the model in Central Asia: guesthouses run by families, marked trails cut and maintained by locals, horse and ski guides trained in the village, and income staying there. Summer brings trekking to lakes and passes, with routes running to Boz-Uchuk lakes, Turnaly and over into the Karakol and Kyzyl-Suu valleys. Winter brings ski touring and freeriding on slopes above the village, with snowcat access. The village itself is a row of houses in a wide valley, with the mine ruins still visible above it.

What you actually see

• Marked trekking routes - trails cut and maintained by the village.
• Family guesthouses - accommodation run in ordinary houses.
• Ski touring terrain - open winter slopes above the valley.
• Mine remains - the closed workings on the hillside.

When to go

June to September for trekking, with wildflowers in June and stable weather in August and September. January to March for ski touring. Between seasons the village is quiet and many guesthouses close.

Honest expectations

Accommodation is simple family guesthouses, with shared bathrooms and set meal times. The village has minimal shops and no ATM. Trails are marked by local standards, which is better than elsewhere in the country but not alpine standard. Winter access depends on the road being cleared.

Nearby

Karakol lies west; the Chon-Kyzyl-Suu valley is southwest over the passes.