Jety Oguz Gorge
Jety-Oguz gorge (the name in Kyrgyz means "seven bulls") is located in the Terskey Ala-Too ridge. It is located in 25 km from the city of Karakol. The gorge is 37 km long. Jety-Oguz gorge is covered with lush vegetation and got its name due to the ridge of red rocks "Seven Bulls".
The most famous rock among the ridge is the Broken Heart - this is the first view that travelers see at the entrance to the resort. The image of the rocks "Seven Bulls" can be found on Soviet postage stamps issued in 1968.
The Jety-Oguz resort is famous for its hot springs; the water in them contains radon and hydrogen sulphide. Water from sources is useful in the treatment of rheumatism, diseases of the stomach and nervous system.
About 5 km to the south of the resort there is a nice valley which is called the Valley of Flowers since May-month is full of flowering poppies. Jety-Oguz Gorge is the National Zoological Reserve.
In the Jety-Oguz gorge the famous magnificent Tien-Shan firs straight and slender grow with their crowns resembling mighty cypresses. The height of individual trees reaches sixty meters and most of them are hundreds of years.
The fauna of Jety-Oguz is incredibly rich. Here live magnificent mountain eagles, swift arhars, light roe deer, formidable boars and bears, hundreds of pheasants. Here at an altitude of more than 3000 meters is located an extensive Issyk-Kul Reserve and its main task is to preserve the unique nature of the Tien Shan nature which was not affected by man and not spoiled.
The Jety-Oguz gorge extends into the wide valley of Kek-Djaiik overgrown with spruce forests almost to the very top of the ridge. Above the forest zone (about 3000 m) in a wide valley about 15 km wide there are magnificent subalpine and alpine meadows - jailoo. In the spring and summer months in the Jety-Oguz gorge is a real festival of flowers among which there are silvery edelweiss, alpine chamomiles and asters, and elecampane (golden root).
The gorge ends with a breathtaking rocky ice Jety-Oguz wall which is famous for its unique hanging glaciers. In there raises the Oguz-Bashi peak ("head of a bull") its height is 5170 meters above sea level.
Jety-Oguz gorge is a great place for one-day hiking as well as for trekking tours.
Clothing and Equipment
Sunscreen (at least 20SPF)
Chapstik or equivalent lip balm
Sunglasses with UV protection
Telescopic trekking sticks poles (optional)
Fleece jacket or pullover
Fleece Wind-Stopper jacket (optional)
Down vest and/or jacket (optional)
Waterproof jacket (Gore-Tex) with hood
Waterproof pants (Gore-Tex)
Warm fleece hat or light balaclava
Trekking/Hiking boots with spare laces
