Too-Ashuu Pass

Too-Ashuu carries the main road south from the Chuy valley over the Kyrgyz Ala-Too, climbing in a long series of switchbacks to a tunnel at around 3,180 metres that was driven in the 1960s and is close to three kilometres long, unlit in stretches, poorly ventilated and genuinely unnerving to drive. On the southern side the road emerges high above the Suusamyr valley and drops in wide curves to the plain, and the viewpoint just beyond the tunnel mouth is the classic stop on the drive, with the whole valley and the ranges beyond laid out. Snow lies here into summer and the pass closes in storms. Roadside stalls sell kymyz and horse sausage at the bottom of the descent.

What you actually see

• The tunnel - a three-kilometre Soviet bore under the pass.
• The southern viewpoint - the Suusamyr valley from above the descent.
• Switchback climbs - the road engineering on both approaches.
• Roadside kymyz stalls - sellers at the foot of the southern side.

When to go

June to September for the most reliable crossing; the road is kept open year round in principle but closes in storms from October to May. Morning gives the clearest view over Suusamyr before cloud builds.

Honest expectations

The tunnel is in poor condition, badly ventilated and often congested with trucks; queues at the mouth are common. The road carries heavy freight and driving standards are variable. Weather closes the pass without much warning. There are no facilities at the top beyond a police post.

Nearby

Suusamyr valley lies south; Bishkek is north.