Central Asia 2004: Aksu Trek

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Maps of trek:

The 8-day trek started and ended at Uzgarish village (blue dot in first map) and follows the red line in counterclockwise direction. The red dots indicate the successive campsites. The second map is more detailed, but does not cover the northern part of the trek. In that map a full rectangle covers a 10.5km (horizontal) x 9.5km (vertical) area and the numbers in pink-red color identify the main passes; for instance, 1.9.2 corresponds to Aktubek pass.

Left: Nuredin, our horseman for this trek (who lives in Uzgarish village), wearing the traditional Kyrgyz hat. Right: From left to right, Nuredin, his wife, Jackson, Slava, me, and Dick, in front of the Russian-made mini-bus that drove us from Uzgarish to Osh at the end of the trek.

At the beginning of the trek, soon after leaving Uzgarish village, along the Akmechet river.

Peak Aksu appears in the background.

The cirque at the end of Aksu glacier is bounded by three main peaks, from left (East) to right (West): Block (5239m), Aksu (5355m), and Iskander (5120m).

Block (5239m).

Aksu (5355m).

Iskander (5120m).

Aktubek pass (here, seen from the moraine of the Aksu glacier) separates the valleys of the Aksu and Rtachashma rivers.

Reaching Aktubek pass (4383m), marked 1.9.2 on the second map at the top of this page.

Views of the upper part of the Rtachashma river.

Nuredin and his horse crossing the Rtachashma river.

Remains of Kyrgyz helicopter shot down by ′′rebels′′ a few years earlier (in 2000?).

View from Kosh-Maynok pass (3200m), looking south. (This pass is marked 1.8.2 in the second map at the top of this page.)

View from Karasu pass (3700 m), looking north. The three peaks are from left to right: Kotina (4521m), Kyrkchilta (4507m), and 4810 (4810m). (The Karasu pass is marked 1.8.4 in the second map at the top of this page.)

Asan (4230m) with the rounded top and Usen (4378m) with the sharp summit.

Asan and Usen on the left above the Karasu valley on the right.

Kyrgyz family in a small settlement (kosh) along the Karasu river.

What they offered me: bread, fresh yogurt, and ball of dry yogurt. Very, very good!

Along Karavshin river.

View from the Uponim river.

Koshs and their people (most Kyrgyz, some Tajiks) near Uponim and Uryam passes.

Balls of yoghurt drying.

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