Ala Artscha

13.08.2014

Together Dima, Vero and I hike to the waterfall of Ала-Арча (Ala Artscha) just south of Bishkek today.
With a maschrutka we can go directly from the city center of Bishkek to the Ala-Artscha National Park. But we get out of the minibus shortly before the park intrance and sneek around the gate to elude the intrance fee ...

From the secret passage we can already see the Ala Artscha mountains.



Dima finds nice apricots.









We walk to the Ak-Sai Watefall.



Dima and his favourite animan, the ibex
Capra ibex
Steinbock









Ala-Artscha gorge



Dima



and Vero



The Ala-Artscha river engraved a deep gorge into the mountains.



Vero, me and Dima
(from left to right)






Vero enjoys the beautiful view.






It's steep



We always follow the river.









Lots of gravel is coming down with the water.

The name Ala Artscha means multicoloured juniper (vielfarbiger Wacholder), because juniper trees are mostly growing at the mountain slope.

Crossing the river






We can already see the waterfall.









We reach the waterfall.



View back






We're heading back.






Dima



This time we walk back directly at the riverside.



A caterpillar of the Galium Sphinx
Hyles gallii
Labkrautschwärmer









It's a stumbling walk ...












We find an ibex skull.









Vero, Dima and me
(from left to right)



We are back at the bus station, but no bus is coming.
So we decide to hitchhike back to the city.



Unfortunately we have to get out of the car
in the middle of nowhere, but we find another lift.

After some more days in Bishkek, I shortly go back to Almaty and afterwards to my last fieldwork round.

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