Issyk Kul region

Maybe less know, petroglyphs of Ornok are of the same period than petroglyphs of Cholpon Ata. A wild open air museum, where you have to find by yourself stones drawn during bronze, iron ages, and during the early Middle Ages. There are more than 2000 stone boulders, with images of ancient hunters and animals such as the mountain goat (Ibex), deers: totemic animals of the Bugu's tribe, dogs, leopards, horses, camels.

Le pic Pobeda est le point culminant du massif du Tian Shan et du Kirghizistan, à l'est du pays à la frontière avec la Chine. Il constitue un symbole historique pour différents pays. Il est gravi pour la première fois en 1956 par Vitaly Abalakov. Sommet particulièrement dangereux, son ascension est principalement tentée par des alpinistes russes.

Near the former airport of Cholpon Ata, you may find a large site of petroglyphs from Bronze Age and some sacred places. There are thousand of drawings. First were painted by the Andronov tribes (Andronic), the former Sintashta tribe who colonized Central Asia around 3800 year BC. They were agro-pastoral. Then, we can see paintings from Scythian's tribes (VIII-III centuries B.C.). Most of drawings show animals like ibex or deer for example. 

There are two lakes, 1,2 km long and a lower lake 340 meters long. They are part of the Terskey Alatoo and the Issyk Kul oblast, even if the river flow into the Naryn bassin. It's situated near a popular local place names Jilu Suu (Jeli Suu) and its hot sources. From hot spring, you may count one day to hike there and back. It's also part of a trek between the valley of Karagoman till Jilu Suu through these lakes. Long time ago, these lakes were created after the retreat of the glacier Kelter (Köl Toer) which culminates at 4478 meters altitude.

One of the gorge of Jeti Oguz valley opening a way to the Karakol valley through its pass at 3780 meter altitude.

The Southern Engilchek Glacier is the largest and most spectacular of the two branches of the Engilchek Glacier system, stretching over 60 kilometers across the central Tien Shan massif. Recognized as the sixth longest non-polar glacier in the world and the largest in Kyrgyzstan, its ice thickness reaches up to 200 meters in some places. Unlike its northern counterpart, known for hosting Lake Merzbacher and its spectacular drainage phenomenon, the southern glacier is distinguished by serving as a unique access route to the highest peaks in the region.