Hiking in Belogorka Gorge

Waterfalls and mountains in a sunny Sunday in Kyrgyzstan.

In the summer of 2021, I spent around 3 months in Kyrgyzstan. As you might know by now from my first post of this series, I volunteered for a contemporary art association, and thanks to this, I was able to meet a lot of nice people.

In the previous post, I talked about some abandoned places I visited in Bishkek and the countryside, and about my friend Valeria, who told me about an abandoned hotel. I met her in a Facebook group because she answered my post and helped me by sharing her connections, which was useful for my volunteer work.

Valeria also told me about the Trekking Union Kyrgyzstan, which organizes hikes every weekend in the country. With Valeria, we did an easy hike to the Belogorka Gorge.

Belogorka Gorge is a captivating destination in Kyrgyzstan known for its breathtaking natural beauty and outdoor adventure opportunities. The gorge is approximately 80 kilometres southwest of Bishkek, in the Chuy Valley. It is part of the larger Ala-Too mountain range. The gorge is carved by the Belogorka River, which flows through it, creating a series of stunning waterfalls and pools.

One of the main highlights of the area, the Belogorka Waterfall, is a spectacular sight, especially during the spring and early summer when the snowmelt increases the water flow. The gorge is lined with lush greenery, steep cliffs, and unique rock formations, making it a picturesque spot for nature lovers.

We left Bishkek in the early morning, and after around 2 hours we arrived at the starting point of the hike. The first goal of the hike was to reach the Belogorka Waterfall, this part of the hike was easy and mostly flat, there were only some technical parts but the guide was there to assist us. The trail to Belogorka Waterfall is approximately 3 kilometres long, it takes around 2 hours, going at a slow pace and enjoying the beautiful nature that surrounded us.

The waterfall cascades down a steep rock face, with a total drop of about 60 meters, creating a stunning visual spectacle. It was the end of the summer so the amount of water was low, I think it can be very impressive when the flow is at its maximum. The scenery around the waterfall includes lush greenery, rocky outcrops, and panoramic views of the gorge.

The waterfall was just the first stop, we continued our hike for another 2 hours to reach another waterfall higher in altitude with a nice view of the gorge. To reach this viewpoint we had to do a very steep path, it was quite demanding but the view was beautiful and it was worth the effort.

The waterfall comes from the Belogorka River that falls from this high point into the valley. Up there we had a break, eating something and enjoying the view.

From this viewpoint, we started the way back to the starting point of the hike, using the same path we used before, and we passed by the Belogorka Waterfall again. In a couple of hours, we were back to the van, and in total, we walked around 12 km. This hike was much easier than the one I did in Ala Archa, every hike after that one will be easy for me. It was nice to discover something outside of the main destinations and be out in nature with nice people on a sunny Sunday.

Unfortunately, I discovered the Trekking Union Kyrgyzstan almost at the end of my stay so I was able to do only this hike with them. Nature in this country is amazing and I would have done other treks with them and discovered more stunning landscapes. Kyrgyzstan has also a great history, and I learned about it in another day trip that I did with Bishkek Walks. I will write about it in the next post.

See you soon,

Flavio