Sary-Tash

Sary-Tash is a scatter of low houses at 3,170 metres where three roads meet: north to Osh, south over the Kyzyl-Art pass into Tajikistan and the Pamir Highway proper, and east to the Irkeshtam crossing into China. Almost everyone who stops here is passing through, and the reason to look up while doing so is the view: the entire Trans-Alay range fills the southern horizon, a continuous wall of snow and ice with Peak Lenin among it, and on a clear morning from the edge of the village it is one of the great mountain panoramas anywhere. The village itself offers homestays, a shop or two and fuel. Winds are constant, nights freeze in every month, and there is nothing green.

History

The name means "yellow stone". In 1894 the Swedish traveller Sven Hedin came through and described his caravan kneeling in the snow to pray for a safe crossing of the Kyzyl-Art pass, where sudden storms were feared (Wikipedia, Sary-Tash).

The main sights

• The Trans-Alay panorama - the full range across the southern horizon.
• The road junction - the meeting of the Osh, Tajik and Chinese routes.
• Homestays - simple family accommodation in the village.
• High valley emptiness - bare grass and gravel at 3,170 metres.

When to go

June to September for reliable road access. The passes to Tajikistan and China close in winter storms. Clear mountain views come early in the morning; cloud usually builds by midday.

Practical notes

Accommodation is basic homestays with outdoor toilets and limited heating; nights are freezing year round. There is no restaurant beyond what your host cooks and little in the shops. Altitude affects people arriving straight from Osh. Border formalities and permits apply for the onward crossings.

Nearby

Tulpar-Köl and Peak Lenin lie southwest; the Taldyk pass is north.

Key facts