Drive to Lake Sonkol

From the wide and fertile valley around the town of Kočkor, the road leads to the narrow valley of Dzhuvanaryk surrounded by arid mountains.

On the road, the asphalt is absolutely perfect for Kyrgyz conditions. The reason for this is that this road number A365 leads to the Torugart Pass (3,752 m above sea level), where there is one of the two border crossings to China. For this reason, there are quite a few trucks.

After about 40 kilometers drive you will reach the village Sarybulak. From here you could continue on foot a twelve-kilometer-long valley to the ridge of the mountains, behind which are the beautiful lakes Köl Ükök and Köl Tör. However, no one goes to them from this side, so the question is how passable this valley is. From here, it is only a few kilometers to the turnoff to Keng-Suu and a subsequent drive on a gravel road.

The road winds between the dusty ridges until you reach the pass (approx. 2,500 m above sea level) from where there is a beautiful view of the Tyulek valley. The village of Keng-Suu can also be seen in the center of the green oasis.

From the pass you can see the beautiful local landscape – ridges rising to the three thousand unnamed mountains. You can simply go here to the mountains at will, with the proviso that you are guaranteed not to meet anyone.

To the south, the mountains are slightly higher – reaching almost four thousand meters above sea level.

In the Tyulek valley, unlike around the Sonkol lake, you live all year round, so you will come across isolated farms and smaller villages. The mountain slopes are especially marked by rock formations.

After about 25 kilometers of driving, at a distinctive farm, the road turns up into the mountains. Through the valley, directly behind the farm, you would reach a nice alpine lake after about eight kilometers. A possible tip for those who have more time.

The most beautiful part of the way is the exit to the Kalmak Ashu pass (3,447 m above sea level). Here, in a short time, you will climb almost seven hundred meters high from the valley with beautiful views of the opposite rock ridge.

From the Kalmak Ashu pass is the first view of Lake Sonkol. However, this is still a long way off. Far more pronounced are the mountains of up to four thousand south of the pass.

The descent to Lake Sonkol is not nearly as dramatic as the exit to Kalmak Ashu Pass.

After a while, the first yurts and herds of cattle begin to appear.

The surrounding flowering meadows are really unfathomable.

After more than two hours drive from Kočkor, you are finally in sight of the Bataj-Aral legal camp – your starting point for trips around the lake.