Ozerny Pass: this road is not for timid drivers
Pereval Ozernyy is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.514m (11,528ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. It’s said to be one of the most treacherous drives in the area.
Tucked away in the Tian Shan mountains, the road to the pass, also known as Almaty Ashuu Pass, is extreme. It is unpaved in very bad conditions. 4x4 vehicles or enduro bikes only. Expect some river crossings. The road features series of narrow zigzags and impressive drops. The pass is 106 km (65 miles) long, running north-south from Almaty (Kazakhstan's largest metropolis) towards Chong-Sary-Oy (a village in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan).
The dusty narrow road was built in the Soviet Union times. The pass links Chuy Region (in northern Kyrgyzstan) and Almaty Province (in Kazakhstan). The pass is usually impassable from September to May. The road crosses two national: Chong-Kemin National Park and Ile-Alataw National Park.
Pic: Tanya Nekrassova