Song Kol

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Just a short jolly to Song Kol, but 150km plan turned into 260km is about norm for my under estimate.

Also surprised by 'blue-ness' the lake, high in mountains at 3000m altitude.

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Photos

Nice circular route
Start west, but 50km turned into 90km, bumpy road.
Then north, gravel track steepening into stacked hairpin bends to 3250m top. Follow lake east back to main road & Nayrn

Song Kol
First view of lake - what fantastic colour, little camera not doing it justice. Lense on better one is jambed.

Horse hobble
Fair animal, but it had to learn top hop to move. Front feet tied with 8" gap between hooves.

Blue lake
If I can do bumps again, stay in Yurts B&B, then exit over back side, just bit higher, to link shortcut to Bishkek.

out flow river.
Tasted fresh not salty like some lakes.

28 Hairpins down
Route down was less recommended, actually route out to main road was not bad, but then the 40km of bumps on tarmak was tough.

looking back West up to lake & hairpins
Think U can just see lorry on valley floor, 3 horses going to market for Sunday morning.

Lorries from China
40t trucks - just an endless procession of who knows what traveling to markets in west.

Nayrn in mountains
Not sure little camera has done this justice. Nayrn lies in fairly narrow east-west valley, probably spread over 4km. Bit more international than some places, close to China with significant through traffic, also quite few guided tours & back packers.