Köl-Ükök Lake

Köl-Ükök, the lake in a chest, sits at around 3,000 metres in a bowl in the mountains south of Kochkor, and the standard trip is a horse trek up from the villages below, four to six hours of steady climbing through pasture to the shore, where families keep yurts through the summer and take guests. A smaller lake, Köl-Tör, lies higher up and makes a half-day walk from the camp. The trekking here is organised through the community tourism office in Kochkor, which has run this route for years, and the arrangement of horses, guide and yurt is straightforward. It is the most accessible taste of a Kyrgyz horse trek with an overnight in a working camp, which is why it appears on most itineraries through the region.

What you actually see

• The alpine lake - still water in a high mountain bowl.
• Horse trekking - the ride up through summer pasture.
• Yurt camps - families living on the shore through the season.
• The upper lake - Köl-Tör, a half-day walk higher.

When to go

June to September, when the camps are up. July and August are warmest; early June and late September can bring snow at the lake. The camps come down by October.

Honest expectations

Riding for five hours is hard on people who have not done it, and the trail is rough. Yurts are basic with shared floor sleeping and outdoor toilets. Nights are cold at 3,000 metres in any month. Everything is arranged in Kochkor rather than on arrival.

Nearby

Kochkor is the base town; Song-Köl lies southwest.