Ala Kul lake

Ala-Kul is one of the most popular of the stunning alpine lakes located in the Terskey Alatau mountain range of the Issyk-Kul region. It lies between Altyn Arashan and Karakol gorges at an altitude of 3520 m above the sea level. The lake is about 2,3 km long and 700 m wide, making it one of the largest of the 729 lakes in the Issyk-Kul basin. Ala-Kul translates from Kyrgyz as “the Motley Lake”. The crystal clear waters of the lake are filled by glacial streams and the area is surrounded by the rocky peaks of the Terskey Ala-Too range. Ala-Kol is frozen from October until May. The color of the water can change according to the time of day, the season and the weather and you may notice violet, dark blue, azure, or even pink colors once in a while. 

The lake is situated in the Karakol gorge, on the northeast border with Altyn-Arashan gorge and is one of the fairly remote destinations of Kyrgyzstan. Although Ala-Kul is close to the Karakol town, getting there can be tricky and exhausting for non experienced hikers as the ascend to the lake is not the easiest. Nevertheless, it is one of the most popular trekking destinations in Kyrgyzstan as the views are just amazing.