Transient water - Lake Kel Suu
1 January 2024
There are many magical places in Kyrgyzstan, one of which is an incredibly beautiful cosmic lake called Kel Suu, located in the Naryn region on the border with China.
The lake is absolutely extraordinary. As a well known song Russian said: “You are so beautiful, I stop breathing...”. So this lake will slow down your breathing for a moment. First of all, it is incredibly beautiful. Secondly, it is located at an altitude of 3,400 meters and breathing can be affected from the thinning air at these heights.
The length of the lake is 9 kilometers, and its width varies from 500 meters to 2 kilometers at its widest point.
The lake has one unusual feature, in honor of which it was given its name: Kel-Suu is translated from Kyrgyz as “transient water.” Indeed, sometimes the water disappears, flowing into underground caves and grottos, and therefore before going there you need to keep in mind that you may not find the lake, but even in this case you will see a beautiful alien landscape.
The lake is located on the inaccessible Kokshaal-Too ridge, and the way there, lies through the vast Ak-Sai valley and is replete with swampy places and fords, only accessible via a 4WD vehicle and an experienced driver. The road to the lake from the camp itself is very picturesque: high mountain pastures, rivers, herds of yaks and glacier peaks on the horizon will not leave anyone indifferent.
The lake is formed by melting snow and is not always as beautiful as you see in photos from the Internet. At the beginning of the season (May-June), when in the mountainous areas the snow is just beginning to melt, the lake has an unsightly gray-brown color. And only after all the sand that has descended from the mountains along with the snow has settled, the lake will acquire that same turquoise color that attracts hundreds of tourists to it.
To visit these places you will need a permit, which can only be obtained from the Kyrgyz border service. Production time is 5-7 working days. Therefore, it is better for tourists to contact travel agencies that provide this service in advance.
The road to Lake Kel Suu is long and not easy. From Bishkek you will get to Naryn along the highway - 314 km. And from Naryn there are about 150 km of mountainous off-road terrain, which will take at least 3.5-4 hours on the road. So get ready for a big journey.
The lake is absolutely extraordinary. As a well known song Russian said: “You are so beautiful, I stop breathing...”. So this lake will slow down your breathing for a moment. First of all, it is incredibly beautiful. Secondly, it is located at an altitude of 3,400 meters and breathing can be affected from the thinning air at these heights.
The length of the lake is 9 kilometers, and its width varies from 500 meters to 2 kilometers at its widest point.
The lake has one unusual feature, in honor of which it was given its name: Kel-Suu is translated from Kyrgyz as “transient water.” Indeed, sometimes the water disappears, flowing into underground caves and grottos, and therefore before going there you need to keep in mind that you may not find the lake, but even in this case you will see a beautiful alien landscape.
The lake is located on the inaccessible Kokshaal-Too ridge, and the way there, lies through the vast Ak-Sai valley and is replete with swampy places and fords, only accessible via a 4WD vehicle and an experienced driver. The road to the lake from the camp itself is very picturesque: high mountain pastures, rivers, herds of yaks and glacier peaks on the horizon will not leave anyone indifferent.
The lake is formed by melting snow and is not always as beautiful as you see in photos from the Internet. At the beginning of the season (May-June), when in the mountainous areas the snow is just beginning to melt, the lake has an unsightly gray-brown color. And only after all the sand that has descended from the mountains along with the snow has settled, the lake will acquire that same turquoise color that attracts hundreds of tourists to it.
To visit these places you will need a permit, which can only be obtained from the Kyrgyz border service. Production time is 5-7 working days. Therefore, it is better for tourists to contact travel agencies that provide this service in advance.
The road to Lake Kel Suu is long and not easy. From Bishkek you will get to Naryn along the highway - 314 km. And from Naryn there are about 150 km of mountainous off-road terrain, which will take at least 3.5-4 hours on the road. So get ready for a big journey.
You can learn even more interesting facts about Kyrgyzstan on my blog or on my YouTube channel.
author:
Larisa Bulina
Larisa Bulina
The traveler,
the founder of SARYKYZ
the founder of SARYKYZ
photo:
Nikolay Gladkov
Nikolay Gladkov