Ala-Archa gorge

Ala-Archa gorge (from kyrgyz means a location where grow a lot of Juniper - plants in the genus Juniperus) — the gorge is located in Kyrgyzstan, 39 km. from its capital city Bishkek to the south. The gorge is a part of Kyrgyz range of Tian Shan - a large system of mountain ranges that are in Central Asia.

There is a mountain river with similar name of the gorge, as well as a waterfall that can be reached during a day by walk. All tourists from all over the world are welcomed by alpine camp at the beginning of the Ala-Archa National park and at the end of the gorge you can reach Semyonov Tian-Shanskyi Peak - the height of it is 4895 meters.

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Gorge geography
Tha gorge is located on the south of Kyrgyzstan and is part of Kyrgyz range mountain system. The nearest big city to the gorge is Bishkek - the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

The maximum height of the gorge at Ala-Archa river source is approximately 3100 meters and the lowest height near the entrance to the gorge is about 1560 meters above sea level. So the total vertical drop along the river is about 1540 meters. The total length of Ala-Archa gorge from the entrance to the Ala-Archa National Park to the source of the river is ≈20 kilometers.

The flora and fauna is quite reach in the region. You may find different mountain flowers, grass, mushrooms and other types of plants during the trip to the valley. Some parts of the gorge were planted with pine and birch forests. Mountain goats and gophers populate the local mountains as well as wolves especially during the winter time.

Gorge tours
Conventionally, Ala-Archa valley is divided into two main gorges. The first one begins from the north and ends in the south to the way to Semenov Tian-Shanskyi peak, the whole way lasts about 20 km. The second one takes direction from the north-east to the south-west and last approximately 6 km. At the end of this way you can reach a waterfall. The whole tour from the beginning of the valley to its end takes about 3 km. The height of the waterfall is ≈30-40 meters.

The second valley has also an offshoot of another 4 km. canyon. For a general understanding of main locations that can be visited see the layout of the image below.

How to get to the gorge
The nearest city to the gorge is Bishkek - the capital of Kyrgyzstan, and you can get from the city to Ala-Archa by public transport. The nearest village to the gorge is Kashka-Suu. The way from the city centre to the entrance of valley is about 25 km. There are several ways to get to Ala-Archa from the city. You should go along Sovetskaya street to the mountains in direction to Vorontsovka (Now it is called Bir-Bulak village). After passing Vorontsovka you should go straight to Baitik village. After passing this village you must turn left at the first corner and keep going to Kashka-Suu village and then directly to Ala-Archa. See the scheme of the whole way from the city to the valley.

You can also use the services of the many local travel agencies that organise regular tours to the gorge, as well as guide tours through the valley.

Interesting facts

 * There are many ski resorts In the local mountains of the valley, where you can ski from the end of November to March;
 * The territory of the gorge has the status of the national park with the same name, which is often visited by the first persons of the states during official visits.
 * There is a route to the peak called Ratsek through the gorge valley. The height of the peak is 4150 meters above the sea level.

Additional note
Ala-Archa gorge attracts many people from different countries with its beautiful nature, mountains, rivers. Gorge located very close to the capital city of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek and it allows to get to the valley easy and fast. If you decide to visit Kyrgyzstan, it is strongly recommended to visit this beautiful place.

Dear all, it is necessary to keep safety rules while visiting mountains. Please pay attention to your tour kit: shoes, clothing and other personal things. Be very careful when you go from one location to another.

All those who has already been in Ala-Archa or going to visit this one of the most beautiful places of Kyrgyzstan, feel free to post your comments, edits and any questions related to the article at discussions page.

Other articles about gorges in Kyrgyzstan
wj-ru:Ущелье Ала-Арча wj-es:Desfiladero de Ala-Archa