Ala Archa National Park

Gorgeous. 

Our first excursion from the program was going to the Ala Archa National Park. This place is a mere 45 minute car ride away from the dusty capital of Kyrgyzstan, but is probably one of the most beautiful place on earth.

The most iconic scene of Ala Archa.

Our final destination is the Ak-Sai Waterfall, which is a 3.75 km (2.33 mi) hike one way. That doesn't sound too bad at all, but in reality, the trail was quite steep and filled with loose rocks. We planned for a 1.5 - 2 hour hike, but it took us 3 hours to finally get to the waterfall. At this time of the year (early June), the waterfall wasn't too impressive, as it is still somewhat too cold for the glacier to melt. The water, however, is clear and tasty, and the view was amazing from up there.

And the hike begins.

Beautiful mountain top.

This is how steep it is... and it's not even the worst!

Our group taking a break on the plain.

Breathtaking gorge in front of my eyes.

The Ak-Sai Waterfall we came so far to see!

We brought out own lunch and picnicked on a pile of rocks by the waterfall. It was honestly pretty comfortable, and arguably one of the nicest lunch I have (even though all I brought with me was cucumbers, peaches, waffles and some trail mix). It was a nice hour to regain some energy after a somewhat intense hike. The last stretch of getting to our lunch spot was especially difficult because the slope was so steep. I was practically climbing up the rocks and steps.

Climbing over rocks to get back to the trail after lunch.

The boys hiking down the hill.

The Ak-Sai River running along our trail.

Everything seems so peaceful here.

Even though going up the hill was strenuous, going downhill was more of the nightmare. A lot of us constantly slid and fell down the steep slopes, and as for me, I did not slip much because I basically overused my knees to support myself. By the time I get back to paved roads, my knee was swollen and I had a painful time in the minibus heading back to Bishkek. But I really don't regret any part of this, even the pain, because the nature was simple awesome (in its original meaning) and it was admittedly a good work out.

Annie