Peak Karakol Trek
near Zholgolot, Ysyk-Köl (Kyrgyz Republic)
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Trail photos
Itinerary description
This is a good trek to do from Karakol City. Just take marshrutka (mini-bus) #101 to the park gate and start your hike. You will be going straight up the main river until you get to the glacier. Near the glacier (where the GPS track ends) you can find plenty of flat spots that people have created for tents. Note that the final 1.5 hours are quite rough (large boulders, wet grass sections, very unclear trail, no trail, and lots of water). It took me 9 hours. But I think a fast/light trekker could do it in 7-8 hours. NOTE: I'm new to adding waypoints, so I did it manually (zooming in on where I was and dropping a waypoint, so the waypoint may be a little off - but not by too many meters).
Waypoints
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More Campsites
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Campsite
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Campsite
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Another Good River Crossing
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Good River Crossing
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End Of Large Rock Field
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End Of Clear Trail
Make your own route...
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End Grassy Section
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Start Of Wet Grassy Section
Vague trail...
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Rain Shelter
Under bug boulder
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1st View Of Peak Karakol
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Memorial Plaque
Beneath the boulder
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Gate
Old cow gate
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End Of Old Road
Ignore the uphill turn to Jeti Oghuz
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Small Bridge
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Another Camp
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Karakol Base Camp
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Footbridge
Cross here
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Ala-Kol Bridge
Don't cross here
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Creek Crossing
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Begin flat Section
Good lunch/picnic spot
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Landslide
Keep going...
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End Detour
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Detour
Leave road, go uphill here
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Broken Bridge Crossing
Comments (3)
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I've done this trek as part of a Karakol - Alakul lake - Ak-Suu hike done in 5 days, 3 nights, about a week ago.
Thank you for all the helpful details.
The trail was easy.
I'd like to explain that the easy part is the trail to Peak Karakol glacier. The rest of it, I mean, going to AlaKul lake and down through Alakul pass is difficult.
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A great trek, and very helpful waypoints. The first day, I followed the trail to a few kms past the track to Ala Kul/Kol (where I think dianaqqq turned off towards the lake), and I agree that this was not too difficult. The second day trekking to the glacier was tougher, particularly with all the scrambling over boulders required towards the end. There was some heavy rain and hail when I did it too, which always adds an extra element of fun! Lots of marmots and weasels in the rocks approaching the glacier :)