Song-Kol Lake – The Pearl of Kyrgyz Jailoos

Song-Kol is a mountain lake in the Tian-Shan mountain range at an altitude of 3016m. Shepherds from Kochkor, Naryn and Ak-Talaa regions use Song-Kol as a jailoo – a pasture during the summer months. The road to the lake winds through mountainous terrain until it seems to disappear into the very sky itself. This is probably why Song-Kol is translated from Kyrgyz as “the last lake”. The seen that greets you is surprising. The wide, brilliant steel-colored expanse of the lake appears majestic, quiet and transparent, looking like a huge bowl of pure mountain air surrounded by hills. You will not see a single tree or a shrub around Song-Kol, but there is plenty of medicinal herbs and various flowers, like edelweiss, chamomile and sagebrush. The lake is 29 km long and about 18 km wide with a maximum depth of 13.2m. In summer, the water temperature is 11 – 12C.