Films 4/5: Issyk Kul

On the next day things bekame serious. We did our first hiking after Sergej drove us up to 2.600m (Boz Salkyn Jailoo). From here on we went up one of the mountains and made it up to 2.950m. The last time I had gone up a mountain was when I was 15 or 16. From what I remember I did it without any problems but now I felt I sounded like an old steam machine. The only good thing for my selfestam was that I was not the only one who was thankfull for several breaks on the way. But it was the highest mountain I have ever "climbed" ...

The altitude was not the only premiere. Me and the other fellow also tried mare milk. It will not become my all favorite drink but it was worth a try. We felt a bit drunk afterwards. But this might have been due to the altitude or pure imagination too.

We had learned from the day before when the clouds kept (most of) us from jumping into the cold lake. And I could need a refreshing bath after the climbing anyway. So we went back to a beach at the Issyk Kur, put on our swim suits and jumped in. The beach was full (but not packed) with what looked native people and once more a felt a slight triumph that I made it here before mass tourism discovered this country.

There was more klimbing at Skazka after the swim but that was easy with good hiking boots. The rock formations were phantastic and the afternoon climat nice. No clouds this time and nice Fresco Paintings on the way. The evening was peacy with a nice sunset and a (not too touristic) national concert after dinner.

The next morning after breakfast and the last warm shower for the next five days we put our backpacks back into Sergejs car and drove off to our next camp at the Son Kul, 3000m high. On the way we did our duty as tourists and visited an eagle hunter and a Yurt builder.

The camp was more basic and much more remote (we were the only guests here) and we passed the first snowfields and a nice icy river from melting water - perfect to stick the feet in - on the way. We walked one or two thousand meters on the way and got there just before dinner.