At an altitude of 3,016 m, lost in the Moldo-Tau mountain range, at the end of bumpy slopes open only in summer, Song Kul is one of the jewels of Kyrgyzstan, an alpine pearl with turquoise waters and the second largest lake in Kyrgyzstan with an area of 275 km2. The lake is surrounded by high mountains: to the north, the Song-Köl range, whose highest peak reaches 4,042 m, and from south to northeast, the Moldo-Tau range, whose highest peak reaches 3,900 m. The Song-Köl is one of the shallowest lakes in the country, at a maximum depth of 15 m. In late spring, its slopes are covered with grass and its bare banks become pastures where shepherds come to settle their yurts. It is a beautiful place to which some tour operators from Bishkek now organize treks and horse rides. This jewel of nature is therefore both a stopover in its own right, but also an ideal place to take a few days off during your journey. In the summer, it is very easy to rent horses for a day (or more) from the locals to get some height and enjoy the beautiful views over the lake and its surroundings. The counterpart of the very large number of tourists is obviously the loss of authenticity of the lake shores where, while walking in July-August, one meets more Swiss, Dutch or Germans than Kirghiz. And tourism, which for the nomads establishing their summer pastures around the lake was supposed to provide additional income, has become the main source of activity during the high season. Thus, if the shores of the lake are invaded by yurts in good weather, you will find there mainly tourists and you will quickly find it appreciable to escape on horseback to visit the Kyrgyz who have set up their jailoo further away. Plan to get up early (dawn on the lake is a spectacle not to be missed under any circumstances) and go to bed... early! Night falls quickly in the mountains, and although most yurts are equipped with electric lighting, the weakness of this (such as the unreliability of portable generators) tends to plunge you into darkness with no choice but to sleep. If you want to stay awake, plan to bring a spare battery for your light!

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Troupeau dans les pâturages autour du lac Song Kol DavorLovincic
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