Konorchek Canyons

Konorchek is a system of dry canyons cut into red and orange sandstone on the north side of the Boom gorge, the defile that carries the road and railway from the Chuy valley up to Issyk-Kul. From the road a track leads down across the river and railway and into the mouth of the canyon; from there the walk goes up a dry riverbed for a couple of hours between walls that narrow to a few metres and open into amphitheatres of eroded towers and fins. There is no water anywhere in the system, no shade and no marking, and the classic outing is an overnight camp at the top with a return the next day. The rock is soft and the shapes change; flash floods after rain are the serious hazard.

What you actually see

• Narrow red gorges - passages a few metres wide between sandstone walls.
• Eroded towers - fins and pinnacles in the upper amphitheatres.
• The dry riverbed - the route itself, following the wash upstream.
• The Boom gorge - the deep valley the canyons open off.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Midsummer is punishingly hot with no shade and no water. Rain in any season brings flash flood risk, which is the reason to check the forecast rather than the calendar.

Honest expectations

There is no water in the canyons at all, so everything is carried; two litres per person minimum. Heat is severe from June to August. The route is unmarked and easy to lose in the side branches. Flash floods are lethal here and the forecast matters. There are no facilities of any kind.

Nearby

Balykchy and Issyk-Kul lie east; Bishkek is west.