Botanic Summer Tour

The alpine flora is central during the summer trip. Because the snow is (sometimes just) gone, we can get on the passes. Alpine plants grow in a short period of time and bloom very exuberantly. Wonderful to photograph! Every year it is a surprise which plants we see, but there are many, many. Stating plant names is not a guarantee but a maybe because they were found here before. It does not seem necessary to write down, but it is not intended that wild plants be dug out.

*All meals are included

Day 1,

♦ 30 km ♦ 30 min ♦ Hotel Bishkek
We will pick you up from Manas airport and transfer you to a hotel in Bishkek. In the afternoon we visit the botanical garden and the Osh Market. If there is time left we go to the city centre. In the botanical garden we find many Eremurus species, in seed or in bloom. The Hortus manager will also show us plants that are native.

Day 2,

♦ 190 km ♦ 3.5 hours ♦ Guesthouse Chon-Kemin
In the morning after breakfast we leave via a tourist road to the Chui valley. We follow the mountains and stop to botanize where possible. We continue to the Burana tower. Here also petroglyphs. Stopping for lunch at Tok-Mok. The Chui valley borders Kazakhstan. We turn to the wide Chon Kemin valley. Agriculture but also botanically interesting. Dictamnus angustifolius, Heracleum dissectum, Rhodiola linearifolia, Eremurus fuscus.

Day 3,

♦ Guesthouse Chon-Kemin
In the morning we leave for the slopes to the east of the village. Here we walk briefly and we botanize. In the afternoon we go further into the valley to a beautiful place to botanize; Gagea spec., Salvia stepposa, Silene amoena, Veronica longifolia, Aquilegia atrovinosa, Cerastium davuricum, Cortusa brotheri. And possibly Linum olgae.

Day 4,

♦ 190 km ♦ 3.5 hours ♦ Gregorevka
This day we drive along Lake Issyk-Kul to Gregoryevka. We drive through the Boom Kloof through which the Chui river runs through. We will botanize in places where that is possible. We pass Balychky. On the left is the Kungey Ala-too on the right the lake. We are going to botanize on the way. We stop in Cholpon Ata and visit the open-air petroglyph museum here. Geranium saxatile, Ligularia narynensis, Linum heterosepalum, Phlomis oreophila, Scutellaria przewalskii, Acanthophyllum pungens

Day 5,

♦ Gregorevka
We first make a short trip to the Gregoryevka gorge. Through a narrow gorge whose walls are covered with fir trees. This is also the growing place of Hepatica falconeri. The valley further on is beautiful but there is a lot of cattle. After this we drive to Karkara, the border region with Kazakhstan. A beautiful landscape. We are going to botanize in different places; Aconitum leucostomum, Anemonastrum protractum, Erigeron aurantiacus, Goniolimon orthocladum, Codonopsis clematidea, Rhodiola coccinea. Then we drive back the same way and then to Karakol.
Goniolimon orthocladum, Codonopsis clematidea, Rhodiola coccinea.

Day 6,

♦ 160 km ♦ 3 hours ♦ Guesthouse Riverside Karakol
This day we travel to a high pass (3822m) the Chon Ashuu pass. If the weather is good, we will continue to the Sary-Jaz valley. Here you will also find plants from a different vegetation zone; it borders China.
Gentiana algida, Gentiana kaufmanniana, Semenovia transiliensis, Papaver tianschanicum, Dracocephalum imberbe, Ranunculus transiliensis.

Day 7,

♦ Guest house Riverside Karakol
Sunday market. Russian Orthodox church, Dungan Mosque, Przhevalsky monument. In the afternoon walking, photographing and botanizing at the end of the Karakoldal.

Day 8,

♦ Guest house Riverside Karakol
The Jeti-Oguz valley is bordered by a series of red sandstone mountains; the seven bulls. We drive on until the valley narrows, here we have the summer pastures the Kok Jayik, a summer meadow with yurts. We will botanize here and along the river. Echium vulgare, Hedysarum sp., Astragalus spec, Ligularia grandiflora, Codonopsis clematidea and Aquilegia atrovinosa.

Day 9,

♦ 120 km ♦ 3 hours ♦ Yurt Tort-Kul
We are now leaving Karakol. We drive the coastal road and head towards Barskoon. We drive in the direction of the mountains, the Teskey Ala-too. Before Bokonbaevo we turn left to the Skazka valley. Special place of eroded sandstone with lots of plant growth: Edelweiss, Sausurea gnaphalodes, Lagotis spec., Allium semenovii, Oxygraphis glacialis, Ranunculus alberti.

Day 10,

♦ Yurt Tort-Kul
We spent the night in the immense valley of the Tong, south of Bokonbaevo. Behind the valley we see the mountains of the Teskey Ala Too looming. We look for a number of slopes with interesting plants. The grasslands are full of Alpine flowers including Edelweiss, mountain centaurea, Phlomis, Pedicularis palustris, Ligularia and many gentians. Botanising in various places.

Day 11,

♦ 170 km ♦ 4 hours ♦ Naryn
We drive a narrow road to Kyzyl Tuu, from there we drive west along the lake. We pass the Orto Tokoi reservoir with a special drought flora. Along the way we stop to botanize along the way. If there is sufficient time on arrival, we will see the Kyzyl-Bel only 30 km from Naryn. Androsace pavlovskyi, Rosularia tadzhikistana, Scutellaria przewalskii, Acantholimon alatavicum and along the lake Goniolimon callicolum.

Day 12,

♦ 150 km ♦ 4 hours ♦ Yurt Son Kul
We travel via Ak-Tal to Son-Kul. The Moldo-Ashuu pass (3200m). The pass and the road are landscape and botanically interesting. We drive along the Son-Kol lake to the yurt camp where we spend the night. Botanical along the lake. Tulipa dasystemon, Thalictrum alpina, Oxygraphis spec.

Day 13,

♦ Yurt Son Kul
We look for places with little grazing to view the flora on the plateau. We may find tulips!

Day 14,

♦ 400 km ♦ 6 hours ♦ Hotel Bishkek
Via the Kalmak Ashuu pass. Via this pass (depending on the circumstances) via Kochkor to Bishkek. The pass is a nice view point and interesting. Planting on the roadside. Chance of sighting of vultures. In Kochkor is a shop with beautiful utensils made of felt.

Day 15,

♦ 30 km ♦ 30 min
This day we bring you (very early) to Manas airport