How To Have The Ultimate Road Trip To Pereval Sarymoynak?
Pereval Sarymoynak is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,133m (10,278ft) above sea level, located in the Issyk-Kul Region of Kyrgyzstan.
Set high in the Tian Shan mountains, the road to the summit is entirely unpaved, called A364 Road. The pass links the villages of Barskoon and Kara-say. It’s gravel but in good conditions. The gravel road is named and is easy to ride without any major problems and with any vehicle. There are daily heavy transports on the road for the fleet of machines. It is now the main road leading to the Kumtor Gold mine; hence it is well-maintained, with a reasonable amount of traffic, including trucks making their way up to the mine and back.
The pass was part of the Silk Road, the trade route between China and Central Asia. In the Spring of 2000, a lorry carrying cyanide used in the gold refining process was involved in an accident, leaving the road and crashing into a stream, polluting the waters and decimating the tourist industry around Lake Issyk Kul as many CIS travelers canceled their planned holidays.
The road is usually open year-round, but depending on snow conditions, short-term winter locks are possible. There are several interesting sights along the road, including a Soviet truck mounted on a pedestal and a bust of Yuri Gagarin, who holidayed on the South shore of Issyk Kul after his historic first manned space flight.
Pic: Sergey Prikhodko