Karkara Valley

The Karkara is a wide flat-bottomed valley of grass at around 2,000 metres, running along the border with Kazakhstan, and it has been used for centuries as summer pasture and as a meeting place: horse games, trade and marriage negotiations happened here when herding families came together in the warm months, and a summer fair still runs. Yurts stand across the meadows in season and horses are everywhere. The valley is also the road head for expeditions into the central Tien Shan, with helicopters flying from a base camp here to the Inylchek glacier below Khan Tengri. Because it is a border zone, movement is regulated and permits or checks apply in places, which is worth arranging before travelling.

What you actually see

• Open summer pasture - grass valley floor filled with herds.
• Yurt encampments - families on the pastures through the season.
• Horse culture - riding and games as ordinary daily life.
• The expedition base - the staging point for the central Tien Shan.

When to go

June to September, when the pastures are occupied; the valley is empty and snowbound otherwise. The summer fair and horse games happen in July or August on dates set locally.

Honest expectations

This is a border zone and documents may be checked; permits are needed for some areas and should be arranged in advance. There is no formal accommodation beyond yurt camps. The road east deteriorates. Helicopter flights to Inylchek are expensive and weather-dependent.

Nearby

Inylchek glacier is reached from here; Issyk-Kul lies west.