This place was a hotspot of alpinism back on the Soviet days, and continues to be a destination for climbers around the world. I'll come back next time with a guide and my gear.
Up another trail, we met a friendly Kyrgyz trio followed by a large, aging Japanese group valiantly sweating up the steep trail. Both were delighted to exchange a few words in Russian/Kyrgyz and Japanese, respectively.
On the way back we had our first taste of kymys--fermented mare's milk--in a yurt. Smokey and sour, but definitely palatable. Adam liked it a lot more.
Met up with our driver, who stopped so we could get super touristy with a hunting eagle photo opportunity.
Despite not meeting any of our hiking goals, our trip to Ala Archa had a couple good cultural/touristy moments.
