This month, as well as the usual monthly reports, because it is December, there was also the matter of preparing the annual summaries.  Normally that is a major task and it takes the two accountants in Bishkek, (both of them called Tatiana), a couple of months to complete.  That’s partly because the Bishkek operation is so much larger and partly because it has to be interspersed with other routine work.

In Naryn it is much easier, partly because it is a smaller operation, but also because at this time of year things are very quiet.  Very few people travel to, or through, Naryn in the “dead of winter”.  This is not all that surprising when you remember that Naryn is known as the coldest town in Kyrgyzstan – where the temperature has been known to fall to -40 degrees Celsius. 

Fortunately, it wasn’t that cold this time, although at nine o’clock this morning as we gathered to leave, the thermometer revealed why there was a distinct chill in the morning air: it was -22.

However, the boiler had been stoked and although the radiators were not exactly ‘hot to the touch’ they generated enough heat to take the bite out of the cold and inside the guesthouse it was snug and warm.  I did feel the cold, however, when I went outside to walk around the building. It was bright and sunny and although there was still snow on the ground, it wasn’t thick and in places much of it had melted.  There was, however, a bitter wind which sent a biting sensation through my legs.  As usual, I was dressed like and onion, (or as they say here – like a cabbage), and around my body I had donned several different layers as protection against the cold, (a T–shirt, shirt, pullover and leather jacket).  There were, however, fewer layers around my legs and the wind found it easier to penetrate through them and my legs felt the full impact.

I really ought to have known better.  Each year, one of the newsletters that I subscribe to, this one is about ‘Health and Safety at Work’, includes articles on working in extreme temperatures: heat in summer and cold in winter, with advice to pass onto employees in training sessions.

Then again, last month I had managed to catch a chill on my trip to Naryn and this month, I could feel another one coming on.  Also, in my first year out here I had two encounters with the extremes of climate that we experience in Central Asia … the very hot summers and very cold winters.

Back in the UK, extremes of temperatures never really worried me – but then we don’t really get ‘extremes’, or at least we didn’t until recent years.  During the winter, I would don several layers as I do here, and only my bodily extremities, (ears, nose fingers and toes), ever felt the cold.

During the summer, I was often seen wearing a pullover – albeit a sleeveless one.  Here, on the other hand, the summer is so hot that wearing a pullover during the in summer, even a light sleeveless one, is not just a sign of eccentricity, it is tantamount to stupidity.  (Unless, that is, one is high in the mountains where it can get distinctly chilly.  Indeed, in the evenings and at night it can be distinctly cold and as a result we always advise clients to bring a pullover, just in case.)

Well, back in 1995, I hadn’t been here for long and started to feel unwell, faint and weak.  I was taken to a doctor who told me that is was a simple case of not having properly acclimatised.  I was no longer on an island with an equitable climate where there were newspaper headlines of “Phew, what a scorcher!” if the temperature went into the mid-twenties or higher.  I just had to look after myself.  She was right, and apart from the odd case of getting a bad touch of sunburn, I have always tried to do so.

The following winter I experienced the extremes of cold.  It was only about -18, (something I don’t think I had ever experienced before but which I tend to take in my stride these days), but the wind chill factor made it feel more like -24.  I wrapped up warm and went for a walk to the shops.  I forget what it was that I wanted to buy, but it involved a visit to a shop about two kilometres from the apartment.  There was snow underfoot but the weather was fine and it was bright and sunny, very inviting for a brisk walk, so I decided against taking a taxi and set off.  Having made my purchases I walked back as well.

All was well until that night when I got undressed to go to bed.  As I took off my trousers I was shocked to see that my legs were a bright red.  Well, not all the way up.  The shins and thighs and then there was a clear line where the red disappeared and the usual pale fleshy colour appeared.  I sat and worried about what it could signify – a rash?, a skin disease?, scarlet fever?  The clear and distinct line, however, suggested something different.  It was as if I had been sunbathing in shorts.  As I sat thought about it, I realised, that’s where my coat, a short Anorak, had finished.  My torso had been well and truly protected from the elements with several layers, but around my legs the only protection had been the thin material of a pair of suit trousers.  It took some time for the red to disappear.  I vowed to myself never to let it happen again.

Now I do have pairs of ‘long johns’ and I do take the trouble to wear them.  Sometimes, on my trips to Naryn in winter, I even wear two pairs of trousers, one over the other, as well as the ‘long johns’.  I have even been known to don a pair of tracksuit trousers as well!

It’s just a matter of being sensible and, in the words of scout motto, being prepared.

The locals, of course, are always well prepared.  They may often look like Santa Clause or Humpty Dumpty, but that doesn’t mean that they are all fat or obese.  Underneath their thick coats are layer upon layer of thick clothing.

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For the record:  Here is the advice we give to clients regarding Dressing for Cold Weather.

“When dressing for the cold, dress like an onion.”

Three lighter layers of clothing are much better than one heavy layer. Multiple layers, like the layers of an onion, allow you to control how much body heat and moisture you retain near your skin .  Staying dry means staying warm, and staying warm means staying comfortable. Note that you may need larger sizes in outer garments in order to have them fit over underneath layers.

Don’t forget : hat and gloves.

Cold Weather Clothing List : Long undergarment top, Long undergarment bottom, Vest, Sweater(s), Shell garment top, Shell garment bottom, Trousers, Stocking cap, Gloves, Mittens

How to Wear Cold Weather Clothing

It’s not simply the fact that you’re wearing layers that protects you – you must ventilate the layers to allow the escape of moisture as you feel sweat being produced on your skin. Peel off layers when you feel yourself sweating. The layers, of course, are added back on when you feel a chill creeping in.  It is better to start out feeling slightly cold. You’ll “break a sweat” with a rush of perspiration, and you may soak your inner layers before you realize it. If the trail begins to grow steeper, and you detect the wet warmth of sweat, then open an outer layer or two. If the trail rises even more, then take off an outer layer or two. At the top of the ridge stop for a rest, and there you should replace a layer before all the heat you’ve produced has been lost. If you lose heat, your body will have to generate more heat. You’re balancing body heat and sweat production with body heat and sweat loss in order to stay dry. Instead of thinking, “How can I stay warm?,” think, “How can I stay dry?”

COLD Clothing Tips

C – Clean clothes insulate better than soiled clothes. Clean fibres create more dead air space. Start with clean clothes and keep them as clean as possible.

O – Overheating means more sweat to dampen clothes. Pace yourself and shed outer layers to prevent overheating.

L – Layers of clothing are best. They provide better insulation and better ventilation.

D – Dry clothes insulate better than damp clothes. Keep your clothes as dry as possible.

The main road from Bishkek to Naryn offers a wide variety of landscapes, and although I know the route well, travelling it about 150 times, (at least once a month over the last twelve and a half years), I never tire of the range of different scenes that unfold before your eyes along it.  

The road heads East from Bishkek along the wide Chui valley with mountains in the distance on the right hand side.   Actually, unusual in Kyrgyzstan, the traveller is faced with two possible alternative routes to chose between for this particular stretch of the journey.

First, there is the “old” road, that runs virtually due east out of Bishkek and directly towards Lake Issyk Kul.  Lined with trees in places, it passes through a couple of towns and a number of ribbon development villages,  crossing the railway line at a couple of points.  It makes for an for an interesting drive, with many things to see as you pass through the conurbation of settlements, and the trees help to shade the car from the glare of the sun.  However, it is quite a busy road with lots of local traffic and passing through the settlements means that it is difficult to build up and maintain any consistent speed.

Then there is the “new” road – built sometime in the 1960s, which is longer but bypasses the many villages.  For much of its length is a dual carriageway which means that you can maintain a reasonable speed and so it is often preferred for this reason.  It offers a more open view of the snow capped mountain peaks to the south and for a time runs parallel to the Chu River, which forms the border with Kazakhstan.   (In fact, at one point you cross the river into Kazakhstan – but only for a short distance and you don’t need a visa).  Both countries have constructed watchtowers at points along the border to help deter locals from smuggling contraband across what was once just an administrative border between two constituent republics of the former Soviet Union and now comprise two independent states.  This year the Kazakhs have also  installed a barbed wire fence along their bank of the river.

Eventually these two roads join once more and together they continue towards Issyk Kul, through the village of Nur which has what is probably the most photographed bus stop in Kyrgyzstan, in the shape of a Kalpak – the felt hats worn by male Kyrgyz.  After the town of Kemin the road passes Holdnaya Voda, (“Cold Water”), centred around a freshwater spring, where there are a number of yurts and cafes that act as a “pit-stop” for weary travellers.

As it climbs towards Boom Gorge, (“Shoestring Gorge”), the Urkun memorial to those who suffered during the events of 1916, when the local population of Central Asia rebelled against the Russian authorities, only to unleash a violent repression  to enter Boom Gorge – meandering between steep sided cliffs alongside the Chu River – climbing up towards Balykchi and Lake Issyk Kul.

Crossing the river over “Red Bridge”, we leave the Chui oblast and enter the Issyk Kul region of Kyrgyzstan.  Here, the rock formations are quite different from the craggy peaks of the Kyrgyz range.   For those with an imagination, some of the patterns in the rock faces conjure up images of castles of fortresses.  The gaping opening that we pass to the right is the entrance to the Konorchak Canyons, which many liken to the Grand Canyon in the United States.

In recent years a number of cafés have sprung up along the narrow valley offering travellers an alternative to compete with the yurts of Holodnaya Voda.  We normally stop off at one of them for cup of tea and a late breakfast.

The modern road through Boom Gorge is one of the best in the Republic, and it may surprising to reflect on the fact that the first attempt to drive a vehicle from Bishkek to Balykchy failed – it ran out of fuel.  This might well be the reason for the petrol stations located by the bridge taking the new road over the river to the Kubiki Pass towards Kochor and Naryn.  However, restrictions prohibit minibuses and buses from using it so it is only available to those travelling in an ordinary car – or, for some reason, lorries.  Minibuses have to travel up to Balykchy and then turn South, adding both distance and time to their journey.

Having crossed the bridge over the river the road twists and turns, before entering a wide valley, climbing all the time towards the pass.  Once over it there are spectacular views down towards the Orto Tokoi reservoir, the first ever to be constructed in Kyrgyzstan, towards which it rapidly descends.  At the moment, this stretch of the road is under reconstruction, widening it so as to improve the main artery between Bishkek and the Chinese border.

Skirting the road joins the Balykchy-Kochkor road which undulates until it eventually reaches Kochkor.  Then it steadily climbs once more towards the Dolon Pass, at 3025m above sea level.  The road twists and turns following the Sary Bulak river upto the village with the same name where it takes a sharp turn.  After you pass the turn off to Lake Son Kul, if continues climbing and a dramatic panorama of the valley beneath opens up.

The Dolon Pass acts as more than just a watershed.  The landscape is quite different and, often, the weather on the two sides is completely different from each other.

Most of the road to Naryn is asphalt, but the stretch over the pass is a gravel surface at the moment.   Passing over the crest of the pass, on the Naryn side the road passes through a narrow gorge before opening out into a wide valley at the village of Ottuk, about 40km before Naryn.  The gorge is so narrow in places that it is easy to understand how it is often blocked during the Spring by avalanches of snow, one year year cutting off Naryn from the rest of the country for over a week.

From Ottuk the road follows the undulations of the valley floor and it is at this point that I usually start counting the kilometers to Narynj as it feels as we’ve entered the “home straight” of the five hour journey.

Twenty five kilometres from Naryn the road crests another rise and there in front of us it a striking memorial standing on top of a hill.  It caught my attention the first time I saw it, but nobody could tell me anything about it.  Eventually, on one trip I told the driver to stop at the foot of the hill, got out of the vehicle and started to climb the hill to take a closer look.  That was a mistake.  It was the middle of winter and snow lay thick on the ground.  As I walked up the hill I sank in the snow, at first half way up my shin, then to my knees, then even deeper.  I got well and truly soaked and it was bitterly cold even though the sun was shining and it was a brilliantly clear day.

The monument is to Arstanbek Bunlash uluu , a Kyrgyz writer and poet.  (In Kyrgyz, “uluu” is like Mac, Mc, O’, and Ben meaning “son of” so his names reads “Arstanbek, son of Bunlash”).   His dates as recorded on the monument are 1824-1878.

Astanbek is regarded as a major Kyrgyz poet, and is known as “the nightingale”, although few of his works survive.  His music was widely played but his poems were proscribed during the Soviet period because of his independent standing and his stand for the protection of the traditions of his people many of which were under threat of disappearing.  He was concerned about the influence of the Russian colonists of his day upon his native people and their culture.  He composed poems about the “dark times” that were coming and the need for the Kyrgyz to preserve their traditions and their lifestyle. What remains were published for the first time in 1994 – to mark his 170th anniversary.

In the summer time – I wouldn’t recommend it in winter with snow on the ground – if you have the time, then the climb to the Monument is not difficult and the view across the plain is pleasant.

The road then drops quite steeply towards the town of Naryn itself.

About 10 kilometres out, there is a fork in the road.  The road sign helpfully informs drivers that left fork leads to Naryn, as does the right fork!  The left takes you to the eastern end of town, (where the guesthouse is), whilst the right fork takes you to the western end.

Being a tour operator, I am apparently supposed to know the country like the back of my hand.  Unfortunately, that is not exactly true.

I have been to quite a few places around Kyrgyzstan, but there are still vast stretches of the country I have yet to visit.  I have various plans for trips – some one day trips out of Bishkek, others which will take a bit longer.  The problem is finding the free time to implement these plans.  Of course, the best time to go places is when we have tourists – and so I have plenty of work in the office.

As it happens, I do get out of the office at least once a month.  It’s a business trip – upto Naryn, to work on the monthly reports from our guesthouse there – but it gives me a break, even if it is just a “there and back” trip. Whenever possible, however, I try to find time for a diversion … to take a different route, or to visit some other, neighbouring, part of the oblast.

Ever since my first to Naryn in 1998, when our guesthouse first opened, I have been struck by the sight of a transmission tower high on the ridge overlooking the town.  You can see it for miles around … as you are approaching the town and I thought that it must present a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside.  Several times I have planned to take a trip up there, but something always seems to crop up … and I have never made it.

On one occasion I was a guest at a wedding in the town.  After the ceremony it is traditional for the wedding party to “gulayet” – wander – before the reception, or wedding party.  In Bishkek they visit various monuments such as the war memorial, parks and other open spacers … in Naryn the plan was to go to the tower … and I was really excited about finally fulfilling my long held ambition … but as so often happens, everything was running late and we didn’t have time so we settled for gathering in a small valley a little way out of town instead.

Then, last month, we finally made it!

It just so happened that last month there was a lot of work to do in Naryn … lots of little jobs, all important and time consuming.  However, we managed to get them done in good time and discovered that we had some spare time … a whole morning free before we had to set off back for Bishkek.  There was quite a big group of us – eight in total – and none of us, including the locals from Naryn itself, had ever been up to the tower.  We decided to “go for it”.

We boarded the minibus and set off through the town.  Naryn is a long narrow town nestled between high rising cliffs on either side with one main street – still called Ulitsa Lenina – which runs the entire length of the town.  We drive along it, meeting each of the three trolley busses plying their way back and forth, through the main square, past the public baths and the ornate mosque, and the statue of Taaylik Baatyr, until we reach the edge of town.  We rise over the crest of the ridge at the Eastern end of the town and for the next twenty kilometers, until we reach the turn off, drive between fields which slope down from the receding hills at the side of the valley.

It would be easy to miss the turn.  Not only is there no signpost – it’s is basically just a dirt track through a gap in the hillside … and through this narrow gorge we slowly climb, and climb, and climb.  In fact our progress is slowed even further by the need to stop to take photographs … Kyrgyzstan is one those of those places where virtually every turn in the road seems open up a new photo-opportunity – and this road is no exception.

The higher we rose, however, the more the minibus began to struggle.  It wasn’t that the road was bad – in fact, for a dirt track, it was quite good.  The weather had been fine so there was no slipper mud to negotiate.  On the other hand, the slope was quite steep and the engine seemed to struggle with a lack of oxygen.

So we had to decamp and proceed on foot.  The transmission tower seemed to be tantalisingly close – but, as is the way in the mountains, every time we crested one ridge another seemed to rise up before us – between us and our target.  Although we set out in high spirits, soon members of the group began to tire and lag behind.

We had reached a point where the road zigzagged in a serpentine to climb the slope.  The others chose to take the shorter, direct, route – climbing between each loop.  I chose, on the other hand, to follow the path of road.  It meant I had to travel further – but I was able to maintain a steady, even, pace and was soon storming ahead of the others.  As I turned and looked back I noticed that what had been a group travelling as a pack had transformed itself into a single file which was stretching out – the gaps between each member of the group getting bigger and bigger.

The bus, freed of it’s load of passengers was able to proceed … slowly but surely, and I steeped of the path to let it pass … then carried on, plodding along as the path levelled out.

Finally, I was there – in the shadow of the transmission tower, the buildings housing the equipment and accommodation for the technicians.

Over the crest … and the panorama opened out … a truly fantastic view over the Naryn valley.

One by one, the others arrived –straggling and struggling – but eventually we all assembled at the top and congratulated each other.

Down below, the town itself lay at our feet.  Was it was possible to make out our hotel … I think so – I like to claim so.  We tried to make out other landmarks – the road to Bishkek, to Son Kul, where was Issyk Kul, the At Bashi mountain range.

Of course, no such expedition is complete without a toast, and Vladimir managed to produce a bottle of Cinzano – not vodka – but no-one, was complaining, least of all me.

Although we had made it … I have to admit that this was not the highest point of the ridge overlooking the town … to the right of us was an even higher summit … but no path to the top, so it would have been quite a climb to ascend up there.  It appears that, technically, a permit is needed to visit the site, but not for the higher peak.  Fortunately, the engineers were content with our explanation as to who we were and why we were there.  “Next time, however, it would be better to get a permit.”

Apart from the view there was more: … the sense of achievement, both ours and that of those who had transported materials and equipment and constructed the installation; and the fact that we had arrived at just the right time to experience the blooming wild flowers.

Finally, we climbed back into the minibus.  Fortunately there was less stress on the engine for the descent than when climbing.

Another stop en-route at a yurt to “top up” with Khoumis – real khoumis produced by shepherds in their remote yurt camp.  In turns out that they are acquaintances of Asya, our accountant in Naryn and we agree to take some stuff down the mountain, to their relatives, for them.

Finally: back to the hotel for a light, late, lunch and the return journey to Bishkek, with a slightly burning sensation as my skin starts to turn red … next time – “wear a hat!”

The Celestial Mountains Guesthouse in Naryn

The 12 rooms in the main building can accommodate up to 29 guests, and in summer there are yurts erected with space for up to 23 more.

The refurbished building has clean and modern, western style, toilets and showers.

The standard package includes half-board with breakfast and evening meal included.

There is a small meeting room for conducting meetings.

A subject of the Naryn Free Economic Zone

Razzakova 42, Naryn, Kyrgyzstan

Tel./Fax (+ 996 3522) 50412

or contact the Bishkek Office

Kievskaya 131/2, Bishkek
Tel (+ 996 312) 311814 – Fax (+996 312 311170)

email: naryn@celestial.com.kg
www.cmgh.kg

The modern town was founded in 1868 as a Russian garrison town, and much of the current town is post-war. It still houses an army base and headquarters for the customs at Torugart, one of the two border posts on the border Kyrgyzstan shares with China.  In fact, Naryn is known mainly as a stopping point for travellers on the way to/from Kashgar and, unfortunately, many guidebooks published in the West are not very complimentary about the town.

Early settlements have been found in caves near the town and there are stories that suggest that the name is quite old. One picturesque Kyrgyz story tells of a herder who had sold his cattle in the Andijan region (now in Uzbekistan) and on his return, exhausted, he settled down for the night at a place called Jailoo (or “pasture”) and turned his horse free. The horse wandered and fed at a place called Arpa (which means “barley”). When the man tried to coral the horse the next day it ran away. He chased it and when he caught it he killed it and cooked its meat. He left the head behind and called the place At-Bashi (which means “Horses head”). He ate the meat along his journey and called the place where he had his last meal from the carcass Naryn – which was the name of the dish he had cooked – a sort of soup with finely cut meat. If you find these places on the map you will see that they are quite far apart – the man went a long way to sell his cattle and chased the horse for quite a distance!

One of the City Gates, displaying the name in Cyrillic

Another source suggests that the name comes from the Mongolian word for “sunny”, and another from the Chinese for “narrow”.

Situated about 350 km from Bishkek and 200 km from the Chinese border at a height off 2800 m. a.s.l. Naryn can be very cold, especially at nights. In fact it is known as the coldest town in Kyrgyzstan and temperatures in winter have been known to fall to -40°C. The average annual temperature is -6°C. In summertime, however, the days can be very hot and dusty.

The population of the town of Naryn is about 45000, (and there about 260000 inhabitants in the whole of the Naryn oblast, or region) – most of them (99.9%) are Kyrgyz.  Kyrgyz is the first language of the population and it is not unusual to find people who cannot speak Russian.

The River Naryn is the longest river in Kyrgyzstan, (535 km in length) and is in fact a river famous from antiquity. Its ancient name is the Syr-Darya and like its northern twin, the Amu-Darya, it flowed into the Aral Sea. Nowadays, extensive cotton farming in Uzbekistan absorbs most of its waters, so that the Aral Sea is drying up. It is possible to travel from the town to the source of this once famous river. Downstream, in Kyrgyzstan, the river is used extensively for hydroelectric power generation and it flows into the giant Toktogul Reservoir that you would see if you used the main Bishkek-Osh road. The river is a potential source of friction with Uzbekistan, since Kyrgyzstan wants to retain more of the water for its own uses.

Panorama from the mountains overlooking the city

There are three main approaches to Naryn:

• From Bishkek, 10 km from the centre of town the road forks and there is a confusing road sign which has arrows indicating Naryn both to the left and to the right. The left hand fork leads to the top end of town, (Moskovskaya/Razzakova) and the right hand fork takes you the bottom end of town – dropping steeply through a chasm, which cut through the cliffs.
• The road from Torugart (At-Bashi and Tash-Rabat) descends steeply from the mountains and also brings you to the top of town.
• The raod from Djalal Abad and Osh.  There is a very good view of the river valley with the town in the distance a few km from the town centre.

There are also minor roads into mountain valleys and one of the most interesting takes you to Ece Naryn and the valley of the Little Naryn River, and it is possible to reach Lake Issyk Kul by this road (… but needs a 4WD vehicle – it is not a good road, and is not always open).

There is a small Museum in the town with exhibits about the history of the town; paintings of places and famous people from the Naryn region; a room containing the personal effects of Jakeev Tabaldi, a famous revolutionary who helped to build railways in Central Asia, joined the Red Army and worked for the Bolsheviks in Naryn and Issyk-Kul regions; and a room containing a number of stuffed examples of wildlife found in the Naryn region. The largest room is dedicated to examples of local Kyrgyz handicrafts – Shyrdaks, Ala-kiyis, Tush-kiyis etc. Naryn is renowned as a centre of excellence for the manufacture of Shyrdaks.

Monument in the main Square

The long main street running the length of the town is still called Ulitsa Lenina (Lenin Street) and the town’s 3 trolley buses regularly ply their way along it from one end of the town to the other.  The strret passes through the main square which is still watched over by a statue of Lenin.  The square was redesigned in 1999 and in the center, facing Lenin, is another statue of two young Kyrgyz, a man and a woman holding aloft an eagle.

A couple of kilometers to the West of the main square is the new mosque (finished in 1993), which was financed by Saudi Arabian money and has a distinctly Arabian design. A little further on is the town banya (sauna) – now privatized. Several houses near the riverbank also advertise saunas – utilizing naturally hot water. In the hills overlooking the Western end of the town are several ski fields that in winter are used by the locals.