Barskoon Gorge

Barskoon Gorge is located in the central part of the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, in the valley of the Barskoon River. It is a long and deep valley ending at a high mountain pass that leads to the Arabel Plateau. The main attraction of the gorge is a cascade of waterfalls located on two left tributaries of the Barskoon River.
The names of the waterfalls vary on different maps, causing some confusion. On this website, we use the following names:

• Manas Bowl Waterfall — on a small stream located to the right (if you stand with your back to the Barskoon River).
• Tears of the Snow Leopard Waterfall — the first waterfall from the road, on the stream located to the left.
• Champagne Splashes Waterfall — the second waterfall on the same stream, several hundred meters above Tears of the Snow Leopard and clearly visible from the road.
• Aksakal's Beard Waterfall — the third and highest waterfall on the same stream.

In 1964, the gorge was visited by Yuri Gagarin. In the late 1980s, a monument to the first cosmonaut was erected here. The trail leading higher into the mountains is marked as "Gagarin Trail" on many maps. It is not known for certain whether Yuri Gagarin actually hiked this route, but one thing is certain: climbing to the upper parts of the gorge requires good physical fitness.

By the way, if you're looking for a place to stay on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul, we have an excellent recommendation.

If you are driving along the highway on the southern shore of Issyk-Kul toward Karakol, the right turn into the gorge, onto road A364, is located immediately before the bridge over the Barskoon River. As of 2024, the road along the river is a good-quality gravel road and can be driven by virtually any vehicle. You will not miss the waterfalls. Here you will find the Gagarin monument, a parking area, numerous yurts offering meals and accommodation, and one of the waterfalls is clearly visible directly from the road.

Despite the relatively short route and good trail conditions, the climb to the upper waterfall can be challenging because of the steep gradient. Pace yourself, take breaks, and carry enough drinking water. Keep in mind that the air temperature, especially in the upper part of the route, is considerably cooler than on the shores of Issyk-Kul. The weather is also less stable, with frequent but usually short rain showers.

If you stand in the parking area with your back to the Barskoon River, there are two main directions ahead of you:

• toward Manas Bowl Waterfall along the right stream;
• toward the other three waterfalls (Tears of the Snow Leopard, Champagne Splashes, and Aksakal's Beard) along the left stream.

If you plan to visit waterfalls on both streams, note that there are many trails crossing the slope horizontally, allowing you to move from one side to the other without losing elevation or returning to the parking area. We recommend starting with Manas Bowl, then traversing across the slope to the lower viewpoint near Tears of the Snow Leopard before beginning the ascent.

The main points of interest along the route are:

• Upper viewpoint of Tears of the Snow Leopard (a short side trail to the left).
• Champagne Splashes (another side trail to the left; several hundred meters of moderately difficult forest trail, but well worth the effort).
• Valley viewpoint (a rocky cliff covered with conifer forest, also located to the left of the main trail).
• Aksakal's Beard Waterfall, the highest waterfall of the cascade.

You can stop and turn back at any of these points.