Kol Tor Lake Hike | A turquoise-blue lake at 2733 MASL

A hike towards a turquoise-blue lake in the middle of the mountain? Sounds a real adventure to me! Inspired from the blog posts of Pashmina of TheGoneGoat and Stephen Lioy of AsiaHikes, I’ve been eyeing this hike towards Kol Tor Lake for so long. So when I found myself back in Kyrgyzstan, despite not the best season to hike, of course… I went hiking! Want to see Kol Tor Lake covered in snow? Let’s go!

Disclaimer: I did this hike with @kyrgyzgirl__ who arranged the transfers and Jamil (@jamil_jumabekov) as my guide for me. Not my usual cup of tea (to arrange transfers and guides) as I mentioned in my Ala Archa Hike to Ratsek Hut but I opted to arrange one again for safety concerns. If you need any type of services around Kyrgyzstan, contact @kyrgyzgirl__ through her Instagram account.

Hiking Trail Overview:

• Route: Hike to Kol Tor Lake (backtrack trail)
• Distance: Total of 11.47 km up and down (according to my Strava record)
• Highest Elevation (elevation of Kol Tor Lake) – 2,733 MASL
• Elevation Gain – 831 meters +/-
• Moving Time: 3h54m (according to Strava record) but clocked at 4 hours up and 2 hours down with rests in between
• Difficulty Level (own opinion): 1 out of 5

How to Get to Kol Tor Lake and How to Get Out:

While a marshrutka from East Bus Station in Bishkek can take you to Kegeti proper, it’s still far from the trailhead. There’s 15-kilometer distance between the spot where the driver can drop you off and the actual trailhead. Then you can either hitch hike (with no guarantee) or walk, which is not the best option.

This particular post is the most common trail which is a backtrack trail. It means you will start and finish your hike at the same trailhead. So going back to Bishkek is exactly how you come as mentioned above, a combination of walk or hitch hike and a marshrutka from Kegeti to Bishkek.

If you don’t want the stress and the uncertainty about the transportation issues, arrange your own transfers in advance instead. It comes with a price of course but you can always negotiate.

Hiking Trailhead:

Kol Tor Lake is located in Kegeti Valley, roughly a 2-hour drive from Bishkek. There is an ongoing construction at the trailhead at the moment but it is still accessible. The ongoing construction seems like a lodging facility. As told by the local at the site, the area is being improved as a tourist destination and they are planning to make it as a skiing destination in the future too. However, as of now, there are only few accommodation options but I have not seen any restaurants or grocery shops so make sure to buy all the things you need in Bishkek.

Trailhead coordinates: Yurt Camp

You (or your arranged transfers) can drive up to the trailhead without the need of a 4×4. Cars can be parked anywhere (as observed) but of course without trespassing the property of local homes. The Yurt Camp, which is the last spot you can take your car, has an infographic map of the trail for your reference as below:

If you’re familiar on following coordinates, check this GPS file of Stephen Lioy of AsiaHikes!

Kol Tor Lake Hike – Trail Sections:

Now on to the main part of the blog, let me break the trail sections into three (similar to the infographic map above). This is for you to be able to to identify what to expect along the trail.

Yurt Camp to River Ford

The first part of the trail is an easy walk along the river which should be on your right side most of the time. Expect a short section of woods with lots of Coniferous Trees with few small clearing in between. I’ve seen a red arrow (one and only) as a trail sign, but there are no other trail sign apart from this. However, the trail is visible and well-established so just follow the path.

The trail then continues to another clearing with the river ford in front of you. Based on my interpretation from the infographic map above, the shallow river crossing is the river ford. It is shallow to be called a river, but a little too much to be called a puddle hence the term river ford. Cross towards the other side and prepare to hike up.

River Ford to Top of River Source & Saddle*

*The term saddle may not be the accurate technical term but I will keep using it until I find the right term.

After crossing the river ford, follow the trail on the left side of the valley. The trail will now pick up with the elevation as the trail starts to incline. The steep section may be a little overwhelming but is short (promise!) and it becomes gradual in the middle so don’t worry.

During our hike (last week of October 2022), some parts of the trail are still as it is (soil, grass and rocks) but 60% of the trail is already covered by snow especially from this section. I bought a basic crampons* to support me while hiking since my shoes does not have a good grip anymore. Wearing the crampons helped me during our hike and it was a thrilling experience for me and it symbolized my growth in hiking!

*I bought the crampons from an online shop (@activeshop_kg) in Instagram. The locals call the crampons ‘кошки’ (pronounced as koshki – English translation is cat), and don’t ask me why it is called like that. Cat bites, so maybe?

As you hike higher, you will start hearing the gushing sound of the water on your right. The trail will come close to the river source but you should follow the trail on the LEFT and keep on hiking up.

Not long after, is the top of the river source. The water is flowing out directly from the ground and the trail is passing above it so there’s no need to cross the river unless you want to play and get wet 😉

At the top of the river source is a big flat clearing of the valley which I will call saddle (for now). The river source is visible from the edge but if you look behind, a snow-covered scenery awaits you! Yes, the photos are taken at the same time of the day and it is what it is!

Saddle to Kol Tor Lake

The last part of the trail takes you to a gradual walk along the rolling valley. Zigzag your way up as you still see a few conifer trees at the lower part of the valley. They will start disappearing as you approach the slopes of the hill.

Keep on hiking up and the final slope will unveil the hiding turquoise-blue Kol Tor Lake!

I sat mindlessly anywhere as I (well Beka and I) starts suffering from the cold weather but feel free to sit anywhere around the lake. Eat your snacks and enjoy the lake and its striking color and make your way down from the same trail! 🙂

Personal Thoughts on Hiking Kol Tor Lake:

As I always say, we all have different adventure appetite or what I call ‘#hikeppetite’ to begin with. So, a good trail for me might not be a good trail for you and vice versa. And that’s completely okay, we don’t need to agree to anyone or everyone all the time. Anyhow, here’s what I think about Kol Tor Lake hike:

Pros:

• The trail is easy to follow (even during winter) if you’re familiar navigating trails. It may be in a better condition during summer. Getting a trail guide is not necessary, but if you’re not confident and familiar on navigating trails, please arrange one for your safety.
• Trail is short, gradual and not challenging at all. There are steep sections but it’s manageable and not technical.
• Views are amazing! It’s picture perfect almost everywhere!

Cons:

• As almost everywhere in Kyrgyzstan, it’s the public transportation issue. Getting to the trailhead by public transportation is possible but not the most comfortable option.
• If you’re looking for a challenging hike as part of your training, this trail might be it. I rated it as 1 out of 5 for a reason (but please note that I may have a different hiking appetite from you).
• No restaurant and proper toilet facilities (1 outdoor toilet) at the time of my visit (October 2022). There is a construction going on as of the moment so there may be one in the future.

Albeit quite short for my hike appetite (#hikeppetite), this is a really nice hike regardless of the season. Of course the biting cold weather really scared the sh*t out of me (it’s my first time hiking in/with snow). However, the scenery and the majestic turquoise blue Kol Tor Lake left me speechless! It’s not worth the frostbite though, but worth seeing in winter!

If you’re looking for another day hike inspiration, don’t skip this out! It’s do-able, rewarding and refreshing! Enjoy!

AND AS A GENTLE OUTDOOR ETHICS REMINDER:
LEAVE NO TRACE!