Kel-Suu Lake

Kel-Suu lies at around 3,500 metres in the Kok-Kiya valley close to the Chinese frontier, a long narrow lake squeezed between vertical rock walls that rise straight from the water, filled by snowmelt and drained through underground channels so that its level changes dramatically and in dry years it can nearly disappear. The approach crosses high empty steppe with herder camps, marmots and almost no permanent settlement, and the last stretch is rough enough that a capable four-wheel drive and a driver who has been there are effectively required. Yurt camps operate near the lake in summer, and an inflatable boat or a walk along the shore gets you into the gorge. Because it sits in the border zone, a permit is needed and checks are real.

The landscape

• Cliff-walled lake - water enclosed by vertical rock.
• High steppe - the empty plateau crossed on the way in.
• Yurt camps - seasonal accommodation near the lake.
• Herder country - horses, yaks and marmots on the approach.

When to go

July to September only; snow closes the track otherwise. Water levels are highest in mid to late summer, and in a dry year the lake can be much reduced, so it is worth asking recent visitors before committing.

Before you go

A border permit is required and must be arranged days in advance through an agency. The track is long, rough and unmarked, and vehicles break. Altitude is 3,500 metres and nights are freezing in any month. There is no phone signal, no shop and no rescue.

Nearby

Chatyr-Köl lies west; At-Bashy and Tash-Rabat are northwest.

Key facts