Gornaya Maevka

The road from the village of Koi-Tash to Issyk-Ata runs through a wide valley that separates the mountains from a long ridge of sandy hills, cut by several river valleys. Along the edges of these valleys, majestic sandy cliffs have formed, sharply contrasting with the gentle, smooth slopes of the ridge itself. Meadows overgrown with wild grasses suddenly break off tens of meters downward, revealing a chaotic layering of multicolored sedimentary rocks. Countless insects live among the grasses, attracting no fewer birds that hunt them. To the south, a magnificent panorama of the Tien Shan opens up, while to the north lies the Chuy Valley with its fertile fields divided into neat rectangular plots.

Leave Bishkek via Shabdan Baatyr Street. In Koi-Tash, turn left onto the main road (toward Issyk-Ata) and continue driving past the village of Gornaya Maevka. A few hundred meters after leaving the settlement, on the right side of the road, you will see a group of tall trees standing apart from the rest. At this point, turn left onto a dirt road that gradually leads uphill. In the dry season, the road is passable for a regular car, although an SUV will provide more confidence. Follow the road to the end of the route, where it comes very close to the edge of the cliff (only 10–20 meters away).

The mountain is not accidentally called Kolyuchkovaya (“Thorny Mountain”), as it is covered with grasses that leave small burrs on shoes and clothing. Be careful and do not approach the edge of the cliffs too closely: the sandy soil can crumble under your weight (and the fall is long). People do not visit this place very often, so it is easy to find a secluded spot for a picnic. As the area is open, it can be quite windy.

The short route marked on the map leads from the cliff edge — where the view is most spectacular and where we recommend leaving your car — to the top of the hilly ridge, offering views northward toward Bishkek and the Chuy Valley. In fact, the dirt road does not end here but continues to the left toward the elevation marked as 1845 m on the map. If reaching the highest point is important to you, you can walk there as well; however, the ridge top is almost flat, so the difference in elevation is barely noticeable. The view of Bishkek itself is largely blocked by Mount Tashtar-Ata, but the eastern suburbs of the capital are clearly visible.