Semenovka Gorge

Semenovka, or Kichi-Ak-Suu, is the neighbouring valley to Grigorievka and is usually visited on the same circuit: a track runs up through spruce forest to summer pastures at around 2,500 metres where yurt camps stand through the warm months, and a rough four-wheel-drive route crosses the ridge between the two gorges, which is the standard loop. The camps here take guests, serve food and arrange horses, and the setting of open meadow surrounded by dark conifer is the postcard image of Kyrgyz summer. Walking routes lead higher toward the ridge. The valley is shorter and gentler than Grigorievka, with fewer lakes but easier ground, and it is the more common place to stay overnight in a yurt on the northern shore.

The landscape

• Summer yurt camps - felt tents on the pastures with horses grazing.
• Spruce valley - conifer forest lining the track upward.
• The connecting track - the rough crossing over to Grigorievka.
• Open pasture - high meadow used for grazing through the season.

When to go

June to September, when the yurt camps are up; they come down in autumn and the valley empties. July and August are the fullest months for pasture life and also the busiest.

Good to know

Yurt stays are basic: shared sleeping on the floor, outdoor toilets, no showers in most camps. The connecting track to Grigorievka needs a proper vehicle. Camps aimed at tourists sit alongside working herders and the difference in experience is large, so it is worth asking which you are booking.

Nearby

Grigorievka is the next valley east; Cholpon-Ata lies southwest.

Key facts