BIKEPACKING KYRGYZSTAN
Bishkek Eastern Compass
bikepacking route
eng/rus

General Info


Distance - 546 km
Duration - 7-10 days
Highest point - 3770 m, Kegeti pass
Lowest point - 860 m, the place of the route beginning.
Difficulty - (1-10) 7
Asphalt - 256 km
Gravel and soil - 266 km
Trail (singltrack) - 3.70 km

The Bishkek Eastern Compass is a multi-day bikepacking journey with a start and finish in Bishkek. It covers some parts of the Chui, Issyk-Kul and Kochkor valleys. The entire route is laid out to the east of Bishkek. I have built this route in addition to the existing route on the west side of Bishkek through the Tuy-Ashuu Pass, learn more here.
In early July 2024, I rode the majority of the Bishkek Eastern Compass route (approximately 472 km, or 86% of the total distance) with Adam Macquarie. He has published a comprehensive report of this journey on our website, which you can read here.

The route is absolutely amazing! It mainly passes along the foothills and spurs of two giant mountain ranges, Kyrgyz Mountains and Terskey Mountains. The Kegeti Pass is the only pass on the route that exceeds 3,000 meters, and we will tackle it on our way back to Bishkek – it's going to be an amazing experience! This time, we get to climb from the southern slope! The last two kilometers are multiple trails on a steep slope that countless cattles have left behind. Those cattles are driven from the Chui valley to the valleys of the Karakol river gorge and back twice a year.

The route is made up of some of the best-known and most popular trails in the area, including the stunning crossing from Kara-Talaa to Kochkor through the Semiz-Bel tract, which is undoubtedly the most picturesque area you could possibly imagine. And let's not forget the incredible 20-kilometre ascent from Kochkor to the lake Köl-Ukök, which is an absolute must! I was thrilled to have the chance to explore these two locations for the first time. The Tuura-Suu valley and the Semiz Bel tract are absolutely stunning! In summer, shepherds come up to the summer pastures of Semiz Bel from the villages of south-western Issyk-Kul and the neighboring Tuura Suu Ayil (village), which is really exciting to see! The Semizbel pass, at an altitude of 2715 metres, is covered with lush meadows and pastures. It is a gentle climb, and the western side is the best route to take.
Just 20 kilometres south-east of Kochkor lies the incredible mountain lake Köl-Ukök. It's an amazing sight to behold! A tiny lake surrounded by a necklace of alpine meadows and a scattering of giant boulders. This lake is definitely one of those you've got to see to believe!
The route includes roads of all types, gravel and dirt, asphalt and a few places with a footpath. There are settlements along the way, of which Kochkor is a biggest and has been a local centre for mountain tourism for two decades.
We reached Kochkor on Day 6, after visiting Lake Ukök. Adam decided to stay here and complete his part of the Bishkek Eastern Compass. Next up was the Kegeti Pass and the foothills of the mountain range with access to Bishkek.



Map & GPX

Highlights


  • A wonderful gravel road runs alongside the Big Chui Canal, and there's also a great provincial tarmac connecting the ayils (villages) of the southern part of the Chui Valley.
  • The absolutely gorgeous Oktorkoi Valley! Experiencing the summer pastures and classic yurt life of cattle breeders, just behind the corner from the large agglomeration of towns in the Chui Valley.
  • Now for the descent cruising along the asphalt road. Breathtaking downhill to the man-made Ortotokoi lake!
  • And then Tuura-Suu Gorge from Issyk-Kul to the village of Tuura-Suu in southern Issyk-Kul province! The gravel road winds its way along the Tuura-Suu River, leading you to the charming village of the same name. The gorge is absolutely teeming with miniature valleys, each with its own lush green meadows and sparkling streams. The delightful Aiyl Tuura-Suu is nestled in a small valley bowl, surrounded by verdant pastures at the foot of the mountains. A hidden paradise in the Issyk-Kul region, just waiting to be discovered!
  • The Semiz-Bel tract and pass are home to vast, rolling pasturelands, with Issyk-Kul and Kochkor households spreading out in the lowlands of the tract and around the pass.
  • Lake Ukök is an absolute glacial treasure of the eastern spurs of Terskey Mountain ridge and a must-see piece of beauty of the whole Kochkor valley! I simply had to include this lake in the route, despite the fact that I have to make a deviation south-east from the route.
  • Climb southern slopes of Kegeti Pass 3800m
  • Traverse from Kegeti to Tuyuk. Some more climbing on a mountainous dirt road, some more mountain pastures as a bonus after a week of adventures and, finally, the exit to the asphalt of the rural motorway leading to the suburbs of Bishkek.
Gallery

Important information:

There are two paths from Kashka village to the Oktorkoi Valley; one leaves the village to the right and snakes up the hills to the quarry and on into the Oktorkoi valley; the second leaves the village to the left and follows a narrow gorge up a footpath, along a water pipe to an intermediate small pass. Adam and I took the serpentine path through the quarry.
In September I took the opportunity to scout the second path into the valley. I successfully completed it without any problems or difficulties. It is shorter and quicker. There are a few climbs where you have to push your bike, but only for a short distance. The gorge is short and narrow; I had a hard time finding a place to spend the night, although it was possible to go back down. Higher up the gorge there is a small plateau where you can pitch your tent in privacy, from there it is not far to the Oktorkoi valley, about 400m up the slope. Below is a map of the route and a selection of photos.

Important information

The section of the route along the A365 motorway in the Boom Gorge and on to the Ortokoy Reservoir requires extreme caution and attention. In the Boom Gorge the motorway is very busy, especially in the summer. The length of the section is 46km.

Camping

You can find a suitable place to pitch your tent anywhere along the route. There was only one place where we had difficulty finding a place to camp - on the descent from Oktorkoi to the Boom Gorge.
At the end that evening we put our tents next to kashar (farm) on a small green area with a spring.
Below are the coordinates of our camping overnights of this reconnaissance expedition.
1st night: 42.691874, 75.569490 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/TKrQL4mWt8CC3q358
2nd night: 42.629047, 75.782387 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/pxQGbPokzS5EPf1t8
3rd night: 42.317158, 76.397512 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/hiV9wCeRoSjTxYyW9 , privet backyard garden
4th night: 42.151358, 76.246927 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cwd1gXQhtL47tPxh6
5th night: 42.109241, 75.852084 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/54pMq5cBxtonRTcg9
6th night: 42.258579, 75.241125 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/hbsBdX2nvg8Mybrj8 , privet backyard garden
7th night: 42.612858, 75.078486 ; https://maps.app.goo.gl/RV6jMSJFaiVXJzqb8

Food/Water

I would advise you to stock up on water before leaving Bishkek for the next shop in Ak-Sai village if you want to save time and not get off the trail to fill up your bottles. Further on to Bordu and Orlovka there will be no problems with water and snacks.
My advice is to stock up for two nights at Onbir-Zhylga ayil or Orlovka before climbing to Kashka. There are no shops in Kashka, but there is a source of drinking water in the upper part of the village, near the tarmac road. It took us 1.5 days to get from Kashka to Boom Gorge with one overnight stay.
Next is a long trek through the Oktorkoy Mountains towards the Boom gorge. There are plenty of many roadside cafes and small shops along the road. The shops here are meager with a large number of snacks and sweets. After you turn towards the city of Naryn, there will be no places to eat or buy anything until the village of Kara-Talaa on the shore of Issyk-Kul. It dry up there, keep a sufficient supply of water. In the center of the village of Kara-Talaa there is a small but well-stocked grocery store, be sure to stock up your supplies here, you will not be able to do this further until Kochkor. At a good pace and favorable weather conditions, you can cover the distance between Kara-Taala (about 83 km) during daylight hours. Kochkor is full of shops and various cafes. Be sure to have enough for one camp at Ukok Lake. Before climbing to the Kegety Pass, you will have to pass 6 settlements in each of them you will be able to replenish your water supplies, you can find take canned fish, noodles and some snacks. Between the last village in the Kochkor Valley to the village of Toguz-Bulak in the foothills of Issyk-Ata area is about 100 km without the possibility for supplies.

The list includes water sources and shops.


Travel notes

Adam and I started from Globus at the roundabout at the junction of Akhunbaev and Kurmanzhan D streets in Bishkek. We rode along the Southern Big Chuisky Canal to Aksay village, and there we turned onto the tarmac. We stopped for lunch in Rot-Front. After reaching the Kegety village we went straight on to Orlovka town. We set up camp on a meadow by a stream in the centre of the Kashka village. We travelled about 98.9 km.
Read Adam McAree 's expedition report on our website here
or watch his expedition video below.
watch Malik's short film presenting
Bishkek Esatern Compass Route

Let me know if you’d like details on gear, planning, or specific sections of the route!

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Malik Alymkulov
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