Horse riding or hiking in the walnut forests of Kara-Alma

Category: Trekking or horseriding

Duration: 1,5 day

Level of Difficulty: Moderate (Tong Ashuu at 4000 m)

Best season: from the second half of September on you can extend your stay if you like to help the family to collect walnuts

Accommodation:  Home Stay

Group size: best size from 1 to 10

Requirements: During the horseback tour you just need a small backpack with enough water, a jacket or raincoat, sunscreen, sunglasses and a hat. Wear comfortable sporting shoes and long trousers or jogging trousers. There is an opportunity to swim in the river on the way back so please bring a swimming suit and a small towel. The rest of your luggage can be left at the homestay. Towels are available at the homestay.

Description:

Kara Alma is a village in the Jalal-Abad region, 1,5 hour drive from the city. This quiet and undiscovered village is a good alternative for people who want to avoid the crowded village of Arslanbob in the peak season. Kara Alma is  situated in the middle of a huge walnut forest and is famous for its wild apples. You can make a magnificent horseback tour of 1 day to the sacred cave Emche Unkur. You sleep in a CBT homestay in Kara-Alma and use a refreshing banya to relax your stressed muscles. Nearly every family holds animals, makes jam from local fruits and collects walnuts in September. On day 2, after breakfast you can walk through the village and visit a local women project; 11 women produce and clean dried fruits for an ‘all natural’-brand and we get a demonstration in handcrafts. Than we drive back to Jalal-Abad and you can have lunch in Jalal-Abad

Day 1:

Around 08:00 you will be picked up by your guide from your CBT homestay, hotel or hostel in Jalal-Abad and we will drive to Kara Alma by taxi.

Around 09:30 we will arrive in our CBT homestay in Kara Alma and we will drink a cup of tea before we start our horseback ride around 10:30. You will ride through a beautiful walnut forest and pastures.

After 3 hours riding we will arrive around 13:30 close to the sacred cave Emche Unkur. The last 15 minutes we will climb while the horses take a rest. The cave is used for praying, especially if couples want to get children. They cut a lock of hair of a boy or girl and both the scissors as the lock of hair is left in the cave. We will eat our lunch at this special place.

After lunch, at around 14:30, we make our way back home. On the way we will stop at a remotly living, beekeeping family and taste delicious honey and drink a cup of tea with them. You will taste the mountain flowers in this fresh honey. Mmmmm!

There is also an opportunity to take a swim in the river. Don’t worry, in the valley the water is refreshing but not as cold as ice.

Around 18:30 we will be back in our homestay in Kara-Alma.

You can take a shower or use the banya (depending on the homestay) and we will have a dinner with the family.

Day 2:

The next morning after breakfast we will visit from 09:00 till 11:00 a women project and we look at a demonstration of handcraft. These local women sew traditional pillows and jackets. If you want you can try yourself, but just watching is also OK. We do this by walking so that you also see the real village life.

Around 11:00 we drive back to Jalal-Abad by taxi. At lunchtime you are back in the city