Mirrored peaks
The mountain on still water.
Kondephy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kondephy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kondephy — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kondephy — CC BY-SA 4.0
Tulpar-Kul is a small lake in the pastures of the Alay Valley in southern Kyrgyzstan, at about 3,500 m near Lenin Peak Base Camp. It is known for its yurt camps and for still water set against a huge wall of snow. People come here when they do not want to climb but do want to see the mountain up close. The name recalls the «tulpar», the legendary horse of Turkic folk tales. The lake is no monument and has little written history, being part of summer pastures that herders have long climbed to with their flocks. In recent years it has become a familiar stop on tours of the country's south. You see several small ponds and lakes among grassy hills, with the white Trans-Alay Range behind them. When the wind drops the peaks are reflected in the water, which is best photographed early in the morning and in the evening. In summer there are yurts near the lake, horses grazing and easy paths around the shore. It is about 4 km in a straight line from the base camp, about 19 km from Sary-Mogol village and about 114 km from Osh. You reach it by 4WD or on horseback, and operators quote most of a day by car from Osh, so allow two days. The area needs a border-zone permit. Nights are cold even in August, and many camps are not set up before late June.
The mountain on still water.
A night among the pastures.
Water among grassy hills.
Alay Valley, north of Lenin Peak Base Camp, Osh Region
Yes. It is about 4 km in a straight line, and visitors describe it as within walking distance. Horses are also an option.
July and August suit it best, and camps open roughly from late June until the end of August.