Engilchek — the ghost town

1. 1980Construction begins

   A town for a mining and processing plant began to be built near deposits of tungsten, tin and molybdenum.

2. 1989A town for 20,000

   Construction ran until 1989: the town was designed for 20,000 people, with a school, a hospital and a cinema.

3. 1990sPeople leave

   After the Soviet Union collapsed, work and wages stopped, and the residents left.

4. 2021A village beside the ruins

   The census counted 140 residents; about 30 families keep livestock and receive guests.

1. Spring

   March–May

   In spring, daytime highs rise from about 0 °C in March to 11 °C in May; night lows range from −10 to 2 °C.

2. 

   Summer

   June–August

   In summer, daytime highs hold around 16–19 °C and night lows around 6–9 °C.

3. 

   Autumn

   September–November

   In autumn, daytime highs fall from about 14 °C in September to −2 °C in November; night lows range from 4 to −11 °C.

4. Winter

   December–February

   In winter, daytime highs are −4 to −7 °C and night lows −14 to −16 °C.

1. 22.09.2016
2. 22.09.2016
3. 22.09.2016
4. 22.09.2016
5. 07.08.2017

Getting there on foot

1. Address

   Sary-Jaz valley, 150 km from Karakol via Chon-Ashuu

Getting there

From Karakol it is about 150 km, 4–5 hours one way by an off-road vehicle. The route goes through Ak-Suu, the Ottuk gorge and the Chon-Ashuu Pass (about 3,800 m), and the road is partly unpaved. There is no public transport: you hire a car with a driver, join a tour or drive your own. Fill up in Karakol.

Border-zone permit

The village and the Sary-Jaz valley lie in the border zone, and at the checkpoint your passport and permit are checked. Through a travel company it costs from 3,000 som (about 35–40 dollars) and takes 5–7 working days: apply 10–14 days ahead. You need the paper version on the road; a copy on a phone will not do. On tours the permit is usually included in the price.

When to go

The road is in principle open all year, but in a blizzard and after avalanches it is closed for a day or longer. Snow is possible on the pass even in summer. The practical window is June to September. The Kara-Tash hot spring usually goes under the river's water from July to mid-September.

Overnight stay

Day trips return late, and crossing the pass at night is hard. It is calmer to stay overnight in a guesthouse or with a family; ask the operator for the address and the price.

What to bring

Your passport and paper permit, warm clothes, water, food and spare fuel. Mobile signal exists only in the village itself and only with one operator, and there is no internet, so download a map beforehand.

Safety

The area is seismically active, and landslides and avalanches sometimes block the road, so do not plan a fixed time to return. Do not enter the adit or the ruined buildings: there is no ventilation and the floors may collapse. The single rescue number is 112.

Respect for residents

Do not take things from houses, do not photograph people without permission, and do not walk through vegetable gardens or the cemetery.

• Engilchek GlacierOne of the largest glaciers of the Tian Shan lies a few dozen kilometres to the east. Helicopters fly there in July and August; it is a separate route.Engilchek Glacier and the helicopter route
• KarakolThe road starts here, and it is the easy place to hire a car and arrange the trip.Karakol

• RouteEngilchek Glacier by helicopterA day trip by helicopter from Karakol to Engilchek Glacier
• BaseKarakolA town beside the mountains: old centre, accommodation and valley trips
• RouteSary-Jaz valleyA driving loop via Sary-Jaz and Karkara
• Route · ≈53 km as the crow fliesKarakol Peak: to the foot of the peakFour days to the foot of the peak, Lake Ala-Kol and Altyn-Arashan
• Route · ≈54 km as the crow fliesAltyn-ArashanWalk from Ak-Suu to the valley and hot springs