We left Kockhor today heading for lake number 4, Song Kul. We stopped in a supermarket to replenish lunch supplies. I spotted a knife nonchalantly placed next to the melon cage, should you want only half a melon. Can you imagine that in Sainsbury's? I am also not sure how well horsemeat would go down - maybe well?
The alcohol section had two shelves of expensive wine and over four of vodka.
Anyway, once stocked up with cheese, bread, fruit, water, coke and snacks, we drove west then south, peeling off the main road to drive down a valley and over a pass. Once again, the views were amazing and we weren't taking them for granted.
We headed up and over the Kalmak-Ashuu pass which, at 3400 m, is located on the shortest access between Kochkor and Song Kul. It is opened by a snow-blower at the end of May and closes when the first snowfall falls in late October. But the nomads leave well before it closes.
Indeed, we passed a yurt on the back of a truck being transported off the jailoo already.
Our second yurt camp was one of many down by Song Kul. Song Kul is second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan, 18 km x 29 km, and dead centre of the country. It’s shallow at only 13 m deep, unlike Issy Kul which reaches down to 668 m.
We arrived and made our lunch, which we had outside in the biting wind - it was very cold here. We were 3000 m above MSL but the wind really increased the chill factor.
Song Kul is a working jailoo. The Nomads leave the town of Kochkor for the summer and erect yurts by the lake where they herd their livestocks of sheep, cattle and horses. They also rent out yurts to bring in income. Yurt no. 2 view.
We wrapped up and went to explore the lagoon which was sadly fenced off - no doubt to protect the wildlife. The birds were plentiful and apparently 66 waterfowl and wader species have been recorded here. We had a pleasant, albeit nippy, stroll by the lake for a couple of hours.
For supper we ate vegetable soup followed by fried potatoes, pepper and meat (mine was obviously the meat-free variety). All washed down with bottomless black tea. We then watched the sun set.
I had a fleece, hat, scarf and down jacket on here!
Our yurt was quite big and the heater ineffective. But, as we had spare beds, we borrowed the heavy duvets from other beds. I was expecting to wake up flat sleeping under two of these. JC dug out his thermals. We made ourselves cosy.
It was another beautiful night. The advantage of being in the middle of a high altitude pasture is that, if the clouds are sparse, you get the most amazing nocturnal views. Timur took some excellent shots with a torch and his iPhone at some silly-o'clock time. I was far more committed to my duvets.
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