Ala Archa National Park
A rugged alpine gorge just 40 km from Bishkek, with glaciers, peaks and hiking trails.
About
Ala Archa is a deep valley of spruce forest, rushing river and steep granite walls, rising towards the glaciers of the Kyrgyz Range. The park is the most popular place for day hikes and mountaineering near Bishkek.
An easy path follows the river, while longer trails climb to the Ak-Sai waterfall, a glacier viewpoint and mountain huts at 3,000 metres or higher. The highest peak in the area, Semenov-Tian-Shansky, reaches about 4,895 metres. Bring warm clothes, as weather changes fast.
History
The name Ala Archa means spotted juniper, after the juniper trees that grow on the valley slopes. The area has long been used by local herders, and from the nineteenth century it attracted Russian and later Soviet mountaineers and scientists, who climbed the peaks and studied the glaciers. The Ala Archa National Park was established in 1976, partly to protect the high-mountain landscape and its wildlife, which includes ibex, marmots, snow leopards in the higher areas and many kinds of birds. Mountaineering camps and huts were built in the valley and have been used for generations of climbers training for bigger peaks in the Tien Shan. The glaciers have been shrinking in recent decades, as in much of the world, and scientists keep monitoring them. Today the park is a weekend favourite for the people of Bishkek and a gateway for travellers exploring the Kyrgyz Range.