Malinovoe Gorge (Bir-Bulak)

Malinovoe (Raspberry) Gorge (also known as Bir-Bulak Gorge) is a side branch of the Ala-Archa Gorge. A small stream flows along the bottom of the gorge; on some maps it is marked as the Malinovka River. Despite its proximity to Bishkek, this area feels like a truly wild corner of nature with its own distinctive atmosphere. Wild apple trees grow here, there are many flowers and butterflies, blackberry thickets are widespread, and raspberries grow abundantly on the slopes — which is how the gorge got its name.

To get there, drive from Bishkek in the direction of Ala-Archa Natural Park, but before reaching the park gates, turn left according to your navigation in the village of Kashka-Suu. After crossing the bridge over the Ala-Archa River and making a series of not-so-obvious turns within the village, the dirt road leads into the Malinovka valley and continues to the entrance of the gorge along the left bank of the stream.
The final point accessible by car depends on your vehicle’s capabilities and your driving ambitions: you can park here, or take the right fork (uphill) and drive about one more kilometer. The ascent is short but rocky; the road becomes slightly better afterward, but at the point where it makes a sharp turn to the right, it is definitely best to leave the car and continue on foot.

Although the gorge can be visited throughout the warm season, the best time to go is August and September: raspberries ripen on the slopes in August, and apples in September. If you plan to pick raspberries, wear sturdy footwear (the bushes often grow on very steep slopes) and dense clothing to protect yourself from thorny shrubs.

The main trail follows the river, crossing from one bank to the other several times, and it is hard to lose. Apple trees grow in several places not far from the trail and are also easy to find. To reach the raspberry thickets, you need to turn right off the trail at a certain point and climb up the slope for several dozen meters (which can be challenging!). The raspberry bushes cover a large area on the northern slope of the hill. Slightly before this spot, the map clearly shows a branch of the trail heading northeast (along the valley of a right tributary of the Malinovka), leading toward Mount Tysha. However, according to reports, this trail may be difficult to pass due to dense shrubs. There is also fragmentary information about a small waterfall in the Malinovka valley, but we were unable to find it. The route has no clearly defined endpoint: approximately where it is marked on the map, the main trail disappears into vegetation, and reaching the road connecting Kashka-Suu and Chunkurchak from here is most likely problematic.