Going Camping in Ala Archa & Spending Days in Bishkek

It was only 30km from Bishkek to Ala Archa. I took a slow ride going to the grocery store to pick up some food than found a nice cozy restaurant for lunch where I chilled out borrowing their Wi-Fi for hours before making my way to Ala Archa around 3pm.

The National Park is nothing to shout about unless one does hikes up and further inside, but I was just lingering along the main road. Eventually I found a quiet campsite and pitch tent. The weather was biting cold even with the sun out and I decided to make a campfire for once.

Ala Archa National Park

Ala Archa National Park

Nice and toasty with the campfire but once out of stockpiled wood, it was time to sleep. It was so cold that night even though it was only reported as 14 degrees. I could barely sleep waking up and wearing everything that I had. Three layers of socks and still my feet felt like ice pack.

It was torture waiting for the morning sun and then because Ala Archa was inside a gorge, sunrise had no sun rays till it was 930am. I have to re-evaluate how to camp in cold weather in future.

Camping in Ala Archa 

Campfire

The next few days back in Bishkek was mainly walking around and looking at sports equipment store to check out the camping equipment contemplating upgrading all my gears after that near frozen experience in Ala Archa.

Good equipment was expensive and I kept browsing thinking that Almaty would be better since Decathlon was there. The one item that I took away from Bishkek making the Visa run was Tobacco. I re-stocked all my tobacco supply which should last me all the way back to Southeast Asia.

Enjoying Good Food in Bishkek

Enjoying Good Food in Bishkek

Enjoying Good food in Bishkek

These days since Kazakhstan I have been traveling alone without interacting much with people. Conversation is also sacred in a sense, and every day is like a silent motion. As usual, I did a chain lube maintenance in Bishkek since it was already more than 500km since Balkhash.

I put up the back tyre on jacks and kick in the first gear nicely spraying the chain lube onto the chain and just before I was about to release the gear to neutral, somehow the jack gave way, and the bike jerked forward tipping away from me falling and semi crashing into the wall.

Broken Right Mirror 

The wall was fine, but my right mirror was now broken. Just as I had everything on the bike in tip top conditions, all bolts fixed up nice and tight, tank leak welded, this just had to happen. There was nothing much to be done and I was leaving for Almaty the next day so was not bothered to find replacement in Bishkek.

Travelled on: Aug 2024

 

Border Crossing from Sary Tash (Kyrgyzstan) to Murghab (Tajikistan) via Kyzyl-Art Pass with a Malaysian Passport & Motorcycle

This particular border crossing was not something we could just show up and pass through like most borders. There was a few things to prepare in advance particularly the Kyrgyzstan Border Exit Permit and the Tajikistan GBAO (Gorno-Badakhshan-Autonomous Province) permit.

Border Exit or Entry Permit was required at the Kyrgyzstan Border specifically this border and while some source on the internet says one can DIY by sending an email to the ministry of tourism three days in advance, there was also a problem where there would be no reply hence one would not know if the request was approved and conveyed to the border post

Onwards to Kyrgyzstan Border Exit

GBAO was the second permit which could be obtained in a few ways. I knew a friend that got it many months in advance at the Tajikistan Embassy in Malaysia and it was stamped into his passport. Some others just opted to apply the E-Visa online and check the box at the side to obtain an electronic GBAO. We all went with a tour agency called Destination Pamir which is based in Osh run by Mr. Erali

Destination Pamir sorted out both item for us a few weeks in advance as we contacted them via whatsapp. I send him the passport particulars and motorbike info with the tentative crossing date and collected the documents a few days before the crossing in OSH. Border Exit Permit was charged USD 20 while the GBAO was charged USD 30 making it a total USD 50.

Trans-Alay Mountain Range

Towards the Kyzyl-Art Pass

Early morning and the journey begins from Sary-Tash. Slow due to the bad potholed road but after going through to Tajikistan, it would be considered a good road or at least that what we thought. At the Kyrgyzstan Border, the gate was closed. 

A border guard walked up to the gate taking our passport and Border Exit Permit for checking before opening the gate and waving us into the compound for processing.

Passport was stamped out quickly and the Temporary Import Permit for the motorbike was surrendered to customs. The whole process took 10 minutes and then it was time to go through the No-Man-Land of 20km toward Tajikistan. 

The journey through No-Man-Land was filled with UN-doubtly the worst road or even no road condition we had ever faced throughout our journey.

River Crossing 1 

Dirt road was considered a fortune, tarmac a myth that never grace this part of the land. We heard so many stories from different people crossing this border on the road condition but now that we were on it, we could see why the stories defer so much from traveler to traveler. 

The roads conditions seam to change every day depending on weather and each traveler would have to face their challenges during the crossing depending on their luck.

We went through a dry track but due to last night rain, we had to go through two fast flowing river crossing. I was ecstatic to be honest. 

High like a kite having fun without much worry for there were friends doing the journey together giving my mental state a booster that whatever happens we will definitely conquer it together.

Watching a Russian Biker cross the river with Gutso 

Also watching him loose control after hitting a rock in the river and crashed. 

Donkey's Van got stuck even with all the effort digging trying to shallow out the river before crossing. We had to tow him out which was a grimacing event but victorious after. I had to go through a longer river crossing path for the bike was too light for me to attempt the second river crossing on the fast flowing portion. 

Donkey got stuck and we had to Tow him out

Crevices roads that could easily swallow a tyre coupled with tricky bends and steep gradients made the 20km journey very slow moving but eventually we arrived at the Kyzyl-Art famous monument. The Marco Polo

From the monument it was only a few hundred meters to the Tajikistan Border post. Here the immigration requested for passport and vehicle papers which after writing everything down into a book manually, proceeded to stamp us in. 

River Crossing 2 

River Crossing 2

30m in front was then customs. Vehicle was USD 20 and bikes was USD 10 for the temporary vehicle import permit. The customs officer initially wanted to issue the permit for 15 days but upon request he gave us 30 days.

The roads improved gradually from dirt track to proper tarmac as we journeyed onwards to Murghab. It was a good 200km journey that took a long time for us to arrived. 

Kyzyl-Art Pass Monument - The Marco Polo

We all did it .... Conquered the No-Man Land of Kyzyl-Art Pass

Partially due to exhaustion but the view was just too amazing to run through. Along the way I spotted a few cars ahead pulled over at the side of the road with the passengers all outside looking west with binoculars.

I decided to stop and see what the commotion was about and by luck on the first day itself in Tajikistan, I would see a herd of wild Marco-Polo. My camera was nowhere good enough to take a photo but the borrowed binoculars showed me some sights I will never forget for a long long time.

Pamir Mountains View 

Pamir Mountain View

The Road to Bartang Valley ..... someday I will come back 

Locals borrowing me Binoculars to spot Marco Polo

Phone Camera unable to capture Marco Polo

Traveled on: July 2024

 

Acclimatizing in Sary-Tash and spending all our Money

All three of us (Luchs & Donkey) departed Osh on the same day to head closer to the border of Tajikistan. However since we all stayed in different places in Osh, we also all did different things on our own and departed independently.

I went around the morning hunting bike workshop hoping to get a sticker or maybe some trinket and ended up with a haircut before pushing off to hit the main road to Sary-Tash. Luchs & Donkey did not mention if they would stay in Sary-Tash for they could still camp in their campers while I in a tent would freeze in the cold high altitude weather.

Haircut in Osh

Signboard to Sary Tash Province ??? 

Road to Sary-Tash

Road to Sary-Tash

Road to Sary-Tash

Mid-journey, Luchs message came in and they were headed to Lenin Peak Base camp after Sary-Tash for the night. They would join up with us the next day morning for the crossing to Tajikistan at the border. Donkey message was even simpler. Whichever guesthouse I landed, secure a room for them too.

I found this nice little guesthouse (Mural Guesthouse) overlooking Lenin Peak and just basicly a great view of the mountain range in its majestic form with all the snow making it even more mythical.

Sary-Tash little town with Trans-Alay Mountain Range in the Background

Me & Donkey was the only people in the guesthouse. Even the owners were not staying inside and it felt like we had just rented the entire hotel for the price of a bed.

Kitchen was off limit thou so we decided to cook outside camping style while admiring the view. We definitely went all out I would say with Donkey cooking up rice, omelet and a big pot of soup with pork ribs which I was surprised how they manage to find it in Kyrgyzstan.

Team Donkey & Me cooking Dinner at Sary-Tash

Dinner with a View - Sary-Tash

Dinner at Sary-Tash

Sit Back with a smile knowing we will conquer that mountain range the next day

This time I contributed to the food at least instead of freeloading. Edwin’s special, local vegetable spicy stew made from local carrots, cucumber, red peppers, eggplant and the special instant packet spicy minced meat that I had been carrying since Thailand. Halfway through simmering the stew and Donkey suggested adding beehoon into the stew.

We had a feast that last day in Kyrgyzstan and with no more money left, we will have no choice but to leave for Tajikistan the next day. All our cash was spend on groceries and balance dumped into petrol. Sary-Tash had only one ATM and not money changer plus the ATM was not working.

Traveled on: June 2024

A Quick Run Through Osh while Picking up GBAO & Border Exit Permit

Luchs, Donkey and me made our way from Arslanbob to Osh in our own pace and time. Meaning I was the last to packed camp and leave Arslanbob as they both just needed to close their boots and drive off while I had to repack everything onto the bike.

We did not have any fixed plan in mind other than getting to Osh that day and all ended up ideally in different hotels according to our budgets. I of course landed in the cheapest hostel I could find. 

Exploring downtown Osh - Kyrgyzstan

Walking around downtown Osh - Sulaiman Too Mountain at background 

It was this type of great understanding that the three of us get along well traveling together. We could do our own things in our own pace yet having the confidence that we would look out for each other always checking in on whatsapp.

That night in Osh we had dinner together and laid down the list of important things to do before we all brave through Tajikistan in a few days. The list was as followed

1. Get the Kyrgystan Border Exit Permit (USD 30) from Destination Pamir

2. Get the Tajikistan GBAO Permit (USD 20) from Destination Pamir

3. Make multiple Photocopy of GBAO Permit

I had read somewhere that throughout the Pamir Region where the checkpoint for GBAO permit, it was faster and easier to leave a copy of the GBAO instead of the original. This way we also had a few GBAO copy stashed in case the original gets taken away.

4. Withdraw USD from Local ATM (For me at least)

5. Find Money Exchange to get Tajik Som.

There is no ATM for most of Pamir Region and there was also a high chance the ATM would not work so we had to last at least until the bigger town of Ishkashim

Three Storey Yurt in Osh - Kyrgyzstan

Jayma Bazaar - Osh Kyrgyzstan

Money Changer Street in Osh

Jayma Bazaar 

Jayma Bazaar map

We had a free day in Osh and everyone ran their own errands separately including sightseeing and only really met up for dinner. I made a quick dash to see Osh city, walking everywhere for half a day checking out Osh Jayma Bazaar, the three story Yurt, and finally UNESCO heritage Sulaiman-Too sacred mountain.

Sulaiman-Too when one reads up on its history, it really is impressive in its pre-historic value and culture however visiting the mountain and the museum without much prior knowledge can make one feel like it was just another tourist attraction. No more magic in this modern world but a remembrance of the past and a great View of Osh.

Sulaiman-Too UNESCO Heritage 

Caves Network inside Sulaiman Too Mountain

View of Osh from Sulaiman-Too Mountain

View of Osh from Sulaiman-Too Mountain

Traveled on: June 2024

Going on a 1949 Jeep Tour in Arslanbob the Largest Walnut Forest in the World

Third day since leaving Bishkek. I really thought today would be the day we split up. Luchs & Donkey was planning on going straight for Osh while I would do a detour to go see Arslanbob. 

We all kick off onto the road without much confirmation of who would end up where other than myself which was dead set for Arslanbob.

Riding Views from Toktogul Lake to Arslanbob Forest

Riding Views from Toktogul Lake to Arslanbob Forest

Riding Views from Toktogul Lake to Arslanbob Forest

Riding Views from Toktogul Lake to Arslanbob Forest

Both Luch & Donkey gave the lets see how the days go answer when asked for their destination and plan for the day. Most of the journey had no reception or signal but two-thirds into the journey I received the message that both of them were ahead of me making that turn into the detour to Arslanbob.

I guess they just like their unofficial tour guide’s planning. Arslanbob was the largest walnut forest in the world and I had enough time that a big detour should not be skipped. Both Luchs & Donkey however had a dateline to keep for crossing into Europe while I was actually spending more time in Central Asia. Still it was not something to really skip if you are in the region.

Luchs and Donkey reached fairly early and started the hunt to find a campsite. The village terrain had not much open space for campers and the few campspot were away from the river and we were still picky campers looking for that perfect scenic spot. 

Arslanbob River

We ended up at a guesthouse recommended by Hayat from the CBT Tourist Office and camped in their yard. My tent was set hidden in the trees by the potato crops.

I was still not really satisfied being in Arslanbob Village. The road to the walnut forest was some crazy mud and rock filled offroad and would be impossible with my skills and Bragge so while exploring around the Village, I saw many 4x4 old soviet trucks bringing what was obviously tourist going on day tours. 

Pitching My tent by the Potato Fields 

Camping in a Guesthouse in Arslanbob

A quick chat with Hayat and he helped arrange a 4x4 which Luchs & Donkey quickly hopped on to share the cost. The next morning the 4x4 was a classic 1949 soviet jeep and we had the fun time riding the jeep up the rocky track to see some of the sights in Arslanbob. 

1st stop was the large waterfall which was actually a tall waterfall but still beautiful going through the roads. Non of our vehicle would have been able to manage that track. Even Luchs fully decked out 4X4 Toyota Hilux might be in trouble. 

Team Luchs & Team Donkey & Myself on a Soviet Jeep Tour in Arslanbob

Old 1949 Soviet Jeep Tour in Arslanbob

2nd stop was the highlight, The Arslandbob Walnut Forest, largest in the world. Felt like a plantation but I could tell that if one really venture deeper and deeper into the forest, it could get creepy and wild. 

Really unlike the Rainforest in Malaysia where you watch everywhere you step. This was open space forest but with a cold chill from a horror movie.

Arslanbob Walnut Forest 

Arslanbob Lookout Point 

3rd stop was the lookout point of Arslandbob. Scenic view is always a welcome and finally we headed to the last stop of small waterfall which was even packed with locals just hanging out. Half day tour done in Arslanbob, we packed up and made a run for the open road to Osh.

Traveled on: June 2024