Experience Kyrgyzstan’s Pristine Glacial Lake 

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Highest Altitude

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Trek to Kyrgyzstan’s Pristine Glacial Lake

The Ala-Kul or the Ala-Kol trek in Kyrgyzstan is a grand crossover trek that takes you close to the most beautiful glacial lake we have seen outside India, the Ala-Kul. Kul or Kol in Kyrgyz means a ‘lake’, hence the name means the ‘Ala Lake’ trek.

The milky-blue Ala-Kul lies at approximately 11,580 ft in the Tien Shan mountain ranges of Central Asia. You’ll have to cross the thrilling Ala-Kul Pass at 12,750 ft to get to this lake.

This challenging trek takes you through the most beautiful coniferous forests and grasslands of the Altyn Arashan and Karakol Valleys, where the landscape is dotted with wildflowers of varying colours and gushing rivers.

As you gain altitude, the lush green valley opens up to alpine meadows sprinkled with juniper shrubs, moraine and scree. This combination of scenery is rarely seen elsewhere. It’s like a combination of our treks from Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand, where you get to walk on the green carpet of meadows lined with coniferous trees, and see snow-capped mountains, witness a glacier, and camp next to a glacier-fed lake.

Kyrgyzstan also has a striking resemblance to India. So much so that when our founders and the rest of the team landed in Bishkek, they felt like they were in a city that is much like Srinagar in India. They felt welcomed in a land that is so far away from home.

Not just the city, it has a rich culture and tradition, and the people are very approachable. Just like shared taxis here in India, Kyrgyzstan has ‘marshrutkas’ (maxi-van type shared taxis) and buses that keep you well connected across cities. Whether it is stays, food or travel, everything is pocket-friendly.

The Ala-Kul trek is suitable for trekkers who have experienced high-altitude treks before. And if you are a beginner, you’ll have to be in the best of fitness to do this ‘moderate-difficult’ level trek.

Please note that the experience of this trek will be different from a typical Indiahikes experience:

The trek will be run in an assisted Do-It-Yourself (DIY) style: This means we are going to be doing the trek all by ourselves, without the regular Indiahikes support team. In terms of safety, our highly trained Trek Leaders will be with you. You will not have to carry any tents or sleeping bags but you have to help with cooking meals and pitching tents, including toilet tents.

The food will be different: You may not find your usual Indiahikes food. Instead, you will be served good local cuisine. On camp days, the food will be Indian.

Apart from these, you can expect to see our own tents, our toilet tents and our Green Trails practices.

This fee includes everything from base camp to base camp.

Watch these videos to get a glimpse of the trek

We have always wanted trekkers to be well-informed before they go on a high altitude trek. Knowledge is the difference between a safe trek and a dangerous one. It’s also the difference between a wholesome experience and a superficial experience.

Use this section to learn about the Ala-Kul trek. It has in-depth information about each day of the trek, what to expect, and how you need to prepare for it. Many years of expertise have gone into this content. Trekkers find that extremely useful.

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This trek will be run in a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) style. This means we are going to be doing the trek all by ourselves, without the regular Indiahikes support team. You have to help with cooking meals, pitching tents, including toilet tents. You will not have to carry any tents or sleeping bags, but you will have to help with other things and work together with the team.
Expect the experience to be different from a typical Indiahikes experience. In terms of safety, our highly trained Trek Leaders will be with you. You can expect to see our own tents, our toilet tents (much better than the current system there!) and our Green Trails practices.
In terms of food, you may not find your usual Indiahikes food. However, on camp days, the food will be Indian.

If you're planning to travel to Bishkek, opt to fly via Tashkent in Uzbekistan. If you have a couple of days to spare, Uzbekistan has a lot of places of interest like Samarkand, Madrasa etc., that cannot be missed if you are travelling all the way to Kyrgyzstan.

While returning, you will reach Karakol by late afternoon. Plan your travel by keeping a couple of spare days in hand. Visit Issyk Kul lake, Osh Bazaar and many other tourist attractions in Kyrgyzstan.

Swathi Chatrapathy heads the digital content - marketing team at Indiahikes. She is also the face behind India's popular trekking video channel, Trek With Swathi. Unknown to many, Swathi also writes a weekly column at Indiahikes which has more than 100,000 followers. A TEDx speaker and a frequent guest at other events, Swathi is a much sought after resource for her expertise in the digital content world. 

Here, Swathi Chatrapathy is in conversation with Arjun and Sandhya about one of the 'Best Treks for Summit Views in Kyrgyzstan'. 

Here, we rate Ala-Kul as a ‘moderate-difficult’ trek. It is a high-altitude trek that takes you close to 13,000 ft. The trek climbs rapidly and your safety depends a lot on the preparation you put in for the trek.

The trek is long and strenuous. It also climbs quickly. Having prior experience trekking in the high altitudes helps accustom you to hardship. Having know-how about Acute Mountain Sickness greatly helps in dealing with altitude issues you may face on the trek.

At Indiahikes, while rating a trek difficulty we consider a number of factors. These include altitude gained every day, length of trek everyday, highest altitude, nature of the terrain, weather etc. Based on this we rate a trek as easy or difficult or somewhere in between.

The best time to be on this trek is from the beginning of July to the middle of September. In fact, that’s the only time you can trek here. In all the other seasons, The Ala-Kul lake trail is buried under snow.

July to September happens to be peak summer transitioning to Autumn and the best time to trek in Karakol. The landscape comes alive during this window. And even though the window is tight, you notice the landscape changing colour and texture as the months proceed.

This is peak summer in Karakol. The upper reaches of the trek starts crawling out of the snow blanket in July. It’s warm and you experience light evening showers during this month.

The trail to Ala-Kul opens in the first week of July. Snow still remains at higher altitudes, at Ala-Kul Pass and at the Ala Kul lake. But the trek is more or less accessible.

Caution: It’s risky to attempt a pass crossing when there’s too much snow. So hold back and exercise safety.

As the snow melts, colourful flowers start appearing on the meadows. You see flowers throughout the Ala-Kul trekking season. But the colours of these flowers vary based on the month.

The landscape has lush green meadows punctuated with the Ala-Kul lake that is still frozen in parts.

After mid-July, a robust trekking season begins on the Ala-Kul trek. Expect bright sunny mornings with some evening showers.

The trail is carpeted with green meadows everywhere. They look dramatic in contrast with the rugged, grey mountains around it. The best part is, these meadows are densely dotted with wildflowers!

Frozen chunks of ice in the Ala-Kul lake, and on the trail would have melted.

Ala-Kul Trek from mid-July to the third week of August

After the end of August, cold sets in.  Rains reduce giving way to one of the best times to do the trek. The clouds part during this time of the year and you witness brilliant blue skies. Their reflection deepens the blue of the Ala-Kul lake.

Photography Point: It's a sight to behold from Ala-Kul Pass. You can catch Mt Palatka with its glacier, Mt Karakol, the rest of the snow-clad mountains, and the Ala-Kul lake in one frame. The lake flashes a milky-blue colour under the clear sky.

Another stark change that happens in early September is the change in colour of the meadows. The grass no longer retains the soft, fresh green tinge. The flowers change. And yet, there’s a beauty to this change of tone.

We usually stop our trek after the second week of September. It turns colder and chances of snowfall increase. That raises the difficulty of the trek and it's highly risky to cross the Pass.

Ala-Kul Trek from end-July to mid-September

Carry these medicines with you, easily accessible at all times. Do not take any medicine unless you have consulted your trek leader. 

Diamox (1 Strip): Be on a course of a half tablet Diamox starting from Karakol every 12 hours (125 mg). Carry on the medication until you descend down to Karakol. Being on a preventive course of Diamox greatly reduces the chances of Acute Mountain Sickness on the Ala-Kul trek.

Dexamethasone (1 Strip): This is part of the Live Saving Drugs kit. Do not take this on your own. Your trek leader will inform you in case the need arises. 

Nifedipine (5 tablets): Again part of the Live Saving Drugs kit. Do not take this on your own. Your trek leader will inform you in case the need arises.   

Dolo 650 (5 tablets): This is a paracetamol. It helps to tackle fever, mild pain

Avomine (4 tablets): Carry this especially if you are prone to motion sickness. Pop one half hour before the start of your road journey.

Combiflam (5 tablets): Take a Combiflam if you get a sudden twist of the leg or a muscle strain. It is a pain reliever. It also contains paracetamol. 

Digene (4 tablets): Take it if you feel the food that you’ve taken is undigested. Alert your trek leader immediately. It could be a sign of AMS. 

ORS (6 packs): Consume a pack of ORS water at least once a day, usually mid day when you are in the middle of your trek. It replenishes essential salts lost while trekking. Tip: It also makes cold water easier to drink.

Knee Brace (optional): Carry this if you are prone to knee injury or have known issues of knee pain.

Our trek leaders carry a high altitude medical kit with them which also consist of Life Saving Drugs. If there is an emergency our trek leaders know how to tackle it. Meanwhile, contact your trek leader before consuming any of these medicines listed here.

Pro Tip: We find that these medicines by trekkers are rarely used. But you cannot do away with them. At the end of the trek please donate unused medicines to your trek leader. Some of these medicines get distributed to villages on the trek and some are added to the Indiahikes medical kit. 

These are documents required for legal purposes by Indiahikes and the forest department. Without any of these, you will not be allowed to trek.

Original and photocopy of government photo identity card. Anything such as a driver’s license, Aadhar card, passport will do. This is required by the forest department for your identification.  

Disclaimer certificate: There are two sections in this. The first part is a personal medical record.  The second part is a legal requirement. Download the PDF, read carefully, fill in and sign it. This must be handed over to your Trek Leader during registration at the base camp. – Download disclaimer certificate

Medical certificate: The medical certificate needs to be filled out by an MBBS doctor, without which the forest department will not issue permissions for your trek. It is also a requirement by Indiahikes – Download medical certificate.

Note: Indiahikes has a panel of doctors who can help you with a medical certificate. They are available for online consultation. To get in touch with them, please write to trekmedicalcertificates@gmail.com. They will respond to you within 24 hours.
Consultation fee: Rs 300

Keep important documents in a clear plastic cover and slide them into the inner pocket at the back of your backpack. This keeps them from getting wet.

Here is a list of everything you need for your trek.

Warm layers: 5 layers - 1 pair of thermals, 1 woollen sweater, 1 fleece, and 1 padded jacket
(Cross Fleece Cap and Crosstrek Neck Warmer are available for purchase)

3 Full sleeved, dry fit, collared t-shirts (Wear one, carry two)

2 quick-dry trek pants (Wear one, carry one)

Sun cap, preferably with flaps (Available for purchase)

Synthetic hand gloves (with waterproofing on the outside and padded lining on the inside). Alternative - wear a tight fitting fleece hand glove inside the synthetic hand gloves. (Waterproof gloves - Available for purchase)

Balaclava or woollen cap (Cross Fleece Cap and Crosstrek Neck Warmer are available for purchase)

Woollen socks (2 pairs of Dry fit + 1 pair of woollen) (Available for purchase)

Rain jacket + pants/poncho (Rain jacket available for purchase)

Toilet paper (Wet wipes are strictly not allowed on our treks)

Reusable plastic covers (for used clothes)

Steel lunch box, spoon and a coffee mug (coffee mug available for purchase)

Once you run through this list, don't miss this ultimate guide on what gear to take on a trek. It contains tips on what gear to choose, where to get it from, and how much to spend on it.

Our only tip: Keep your backpack light. Indiahikes practices low-impact, sustainable trekking in every aspect of the trek. Carrying your backpack reduces your impact on the mountains by 20%. We expect all our trekkers to carry their own backpacks unless they have a justifiable reason not to.

We go to great lengths to keep you safe on your trek. However, trekking with the safest organization in India comes with certain commitments from your end.

Over 20,000 people trek with Indiahikes each year and vouch for our

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Complete information on the Ala-Kul Lake trek. Trek details, itinerary, reviews, cost, maps, photos, videos and more.

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Please note that this is a special trek designed for stargazing enthusiasts. The trek fee is slightly more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

This is a trek specially designed for trekkers above 58 years. The itinerary is specially designed to be different from a regular trek. The trek fee is also Rs 3000 more than the regular fee (Please note this is only for Himalayan treks) Know more about the trek here.  

Please note that this is a special trek. The trek fee is Rs 5000 more than the regular fee. Know more about the trek here. 

Please note that the family treks are meant for families with a child/children under 14 years of age. If you do not fit this criteria, you can register for any of our regular groups. Read more about family treks here.

You are joining our waitlist. Here are a few guidelines that you should keep in mind:
1. Your chances of getting a confirmation are high, but not certain. 
2. You don't have to pay right now. You will receive a notification upon confirmation of your slot. You will have 24 hours to pay and confirm your booking.
3. We close the movement of WL 15-20 days before the start of the trek.

We are known for our pioneering safety practices in trekking. Microspikes, oximeters, and BP checks became standards thanks to us. In the mountains, emergencies don't care who you're with—everyone knows that when trouble hits, you look for the yellow tents of Indiahikes.

We are known for our safety

We are pioneers in trekking. Since 2007, we have brought out treks that have become India's most famous treks: Roopkund, Rupin Pass, Buran Ghati, Kedarkantha, Kashmir Great Lakes, Tarsar Marsar, Brahmatal, Phulara Ridge—the list goes on. In 2023 alone, we brought out five new treks in Indian trekking. We know treks better than anyone. This comes directly from the reason why Indiahikes was born: to bring out trek information and enable trekkers to trek on their own.

We are pioneers of treks in India

More than 30,000 people trek with us every year. We are the largest trekking organisation in India. 24% of our trekkers come back to trek with us every year. Over 4,000 students from the top educational institutions trek with us every year. Aside from this, families with children choose to trek with Indiahikes knowing that our treks are the safest. We have taken over 8000 children trekking so far, and the number continues to grow. 

We are India’s largest trekking organisation

We focus on designing transformative experiences. Our trek leaders conduct thought-provoking exercises that help you reflect and contemplate. This impact stays with you for a long time. Trekkers return feeling energised, more confident, or developing abilities to deal with difficulties. Many have changed careers, rethought their core values, become more humble, shown gratitude to others, or started a new fitness journey. 

Our treks are transformative

For us, sustainability is not just writing on the wall. Using eco-bags, our trekkers have cleared over 120 tonnes of litter from the mountains. We do not carry packaged foods; instead, we serve freshly made food. We do not light campfires; we carry coal to light angethis to keep you warm. Our bio-toilets not only keep our toilets odour-free but also enrich the soil. When you trek with us, you leave mountains better.

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