February 2016 Kel Suu, Kyrgyzstan Trip

[ryanh1006]

Wow. Great pictures, and cool trip!

Thanks for sharing - I would have no idea about the opportunities in Kyrgyzstan otherwise.

I find that most people haven't heard about Kyrgyzstan much. When I moved here all my friends in the US said things like, "Kyrgyzstan? That's a country?" Been here 4 years and absolutely love it. It's a real adventure and a truly wild place!

 

[SmoothLC]

Ok, I'll write it . . . Epic!

Thanks for sharing. Great TR.

 

[SIZZLE]

Well done! What a great read. I especially liked the pics of the frozen lake.

 

[soonenough]

Really cool report, loved the story and the photos! Not surprisingly, I had never heard of Kel Suu, so it was great to see something totally new.

 

[ryanh1006]

Really cool report, loved the story and the photos! Not surprisingly, I had never heard of Kel Suu, so it was great to see something totally new.

Glad you liked it! My company just started taking people to Kel Suu in Summer 2014, and now it's one of our most popular destinations (for good reason I think). However, this was the first time I got to go up there personally, I've been really jealous of my guides for getting to go! What with border permits and a two day minimum drive from Bishkek, it's remote enough that probably no more than about 100 people a year see it.

 

[Aussie Iron]

Absolutely Terrific report and photos. Loved it. That would be an adventure to see.

Thank You,
Dan.

 

[ryanh1006]

Absolutely Terrific report and photos. Loved it. That would be an adventure to see.

Thank You,
Dan.

Come and see any time

 

[boozewz]

Brilliant!

Thank you for sharing.

 

[Jelorian]

Amazing photos! Such a beautiful place. Love your lake shots. I came across your thread while searching for VW Touareg posts. I really hate the "inflate it when you need it" spare that comes with the Touareg.

 

[ryanh1006]

Amazing photos! Such a beautiful place. Love your lake shots. I came across your thread while searching for VW Touareg posts. I really hate the "inflate it when you need it" spare that comes with the Touareg.

That stupid "inflate when you need it" cost us 2-3 hours of standing in the snow in front of a 2000 year old caravansarai and pounding on it, burning carburetor cleaner in it, and more. It finally held all the way back into Naryn, but it was a dicey affair. Can they not fit a full size spare in there? Even a donut would be more reliable.

Other than that I was abundantly impressed with the Touareg, it did a lot better than I expected it would.

 

[Jelorian]

That stupid "inflate when you need it" cost us 2-3 hours of standing in the snow in front of a 2000 year old caravansarai and pounding on it, burning carburetor cleaner in it, and more. It finally held all the way back into Naryn, but it was a dicey affair. Can they not fit a full size spare in there? Even a donut would be more reliable.

Other than that I was abundantly impressed with the Touareg, it did a lot better than I expected it would.

Honestly, I have yet to try an inflate the spare. I guess I should do it in the safety of my driveway before having to deal with it on the road or trail. I don't think a donut would fit in that space. I'll probably just get a full sized spare and throw it on the roof whenever we head out on the trail. For city/suburban use, I'll just call AAA.

I've also been very impressed with how the Touareg behaves off road. Wish there were more aftermarket goodies for it. You would think there would be since they've run it in the Dakar.

Getting back to your thread, I just love the remote feel of your photos. The ice shots of the lake were very cool as well.

 

[ryanh1006]

I've also been very impressed with how the Touareg behaves off road. Wish there were more aftermarket goodies for it. You would think there would be since they've run it in the Dakar.

Getting back to your thread, I just love the remote feel of your photos. The ice shots of the lake were very cool as well.

I have some older Jeep Grand Cherokee WJs with the 2.7 diesel engines and while we love them we've been looking for a suitable replacement that's newer. Touareg is turning out to be too expensive, but was actually starting to think about it. Might end up with a SsangYong product eventually.

As for the area, the remote feel of the photos is because it is that remote In the summer time the whole surrounding region (meaning at least about 50-100 km in any direction) has just 3000 people, mostly semi-nomadic shepherds. As far as we could tell during the winter time there were about 10 people within a 20km radius from us. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[samskirrow]

I love this whole thread!! Thanks for posting!
I saw a picture of this lake about 7 years ago in a travel magazine and have been desperate to go here ever since. I'd love to get out to see it before my 30th birthday in Feb (2017) - what would you say to doig another expedition? If you're interested then I'd love to chat.
Thanks again for posting, got me so excited about making this trip happen!
Sam

 

[ryanh1006]

We are planning another expedition again in February. During the summers we (as a company) take people up there on tours, but during the winter I try to gather a group of expats and go as a fun project. You're welcome to join. PM me if you want.

 

[ryanh1006]

Just a heads up. We are definitely putting together another Kel Suu run this February. Probably mid month. If you want to join send me a message. We can put together vehicles and everything else you'd need on that side, so you don't have to drive your own 4x4 all the way to Kyrgyzstan.