| Darin McQuoid | Blog | Reviews | Tutorials | River Directory |
Kyrgyzstan
Day Fourteen: the Kökömeren (Kyrgyz: Көкөмерен)
Michal Kuthan, Upper Kökömeren.
As pretty as it is, the images do no justice to how good the uphill boof feels, Rok Sribar.
Egor Voskoboynikov as the river tapers off above camp but still rewards good scenery.
Michal Kuthan soaking in the mountains around the Kökömeren.
Egor Voskoboynikov, glaciers and clean water, what a place.
Ever faithful Gimi [Дмитрий Погорелов] picks us up one last time.
After one final long day of driving, lots of dust, laughs, and priceless memories as we arrive back in Bishkek to stay at the hostel and fly out in the pre dawn hours.
Day Fourteen: the Kökömeren (Kyrgyz: Көкөмерен)
It's
our last day to paddle, and we'll kayak the section above where we are
camped at, and paddle 24km back down to our campsite. Doing this makes
it a longer day with some harder rapids than yesterday yet overall, a
bit easier on average with some mellower sections, but this sure makes
life easy for logistics. I decide to skip the steep put-in rapid and
just take pictures from the bottom of it and put on there. As our team
comes down the river, a local is riding up the road on horseback,
making for a perfect picture of paddling in Kyrgyzstan, it's a unique
experience.
Egor Voskoboynikov, Rok Sribar.
Twenty kilometers later and we arrive in Kazarman, a good sized town where we're able to resupply for the last leg of our journey. Egor asks around, and is able to find a sauna business that also has a shower, quite glorious for all of us. Interesting to be in a country with minimal signs and advertising, the only way we're able to find it is by asking around.
I hop on and we make quick time down a kilometer or two of fun whitewater, and we eddy out above a river wide hole. It makes a great picture from river left, but we're feeling kind of lazy and if I shoot from river right, the rapid looks as easy as it actually is, and I'm also able to set safety.
Egor Voskoboynikov, this rapid makes a hell of a photograph from the other shore.
Then we cruise several kilometers until the next scout, which is a long one. The rapid looks harder than it ends up being, Egor and Michal go first, then Rok, while I take photographs of them all.
Egor Voskoboynikov on the lead in to the crux rapid of the Upper Kökömeren.
Michal Kuthan in the same rapid.
Michal Kuthan in the crux of the Upper Kökömeren.
Egor Voskoboynikov, it's an interesting move, you work a little right toward and underwater rock but not too much and it takes you right through.
Michal Kuthan, showing that right through is a relative term.
Rok decides to ferry across and run a totally different line.
What rocks and water quality on the Kökömeren as Rok Sribar ferries across to the right.
Rok Sribar keeping it hard right in the crux of the Upper Kökömeren.
After the crux we cruise for many kilometers of classic read and run before getting out to scout a rapid that is much easier than it looks, and has a photgenic boof at the end.
Egor Voskoboynikov, Rok Sribar.
Twenty kilometers later and we arrive in Kazarman, a good sized town where we're able to resupply for the last leg of our journey. Egor asks around, and is able to find a sauna business that also has a shower, quite glorious for all of us. Interesting to be in a country with minimal signs and advertising, the only way we're able to find it is by asking around.
Egor Voskoboynikov, Rok Sribar and Michal Kuthan on the first rapid of the upper Kökömeren.
Michal Kuthan in the run out of the same rapid.
Michal Kuthan in the run out of the same rapid.
I hop on and we make quick time down a kilometer or two of fun whitewater, and we eddy out above a river wide hole. It makes a great picture from river left, but we're feeling kind of lazy and if I shoot from river right, the rapid looks as easy as it actually is, and I'm also able to set safety.
Egor Voskoboynikov, this rapid makes a hell of a photograph from the other shore.
Then we cruise several kilometers until the next scout, which is a long one. The rapid looks harder than it ends up being, Egor and Michal go first, then Rok, while I take photographs of them all.
Egor Voskoboynikov on the lead in to the crux rapid of the Upper Kökömeren.
Michal Kuthan in the same rapid.
Michal Kuthan in the crux of the Upper Kökömeren.
Egor Voskoboynikov, it's an interesting move, you work a little right toward and underwater rock but not too much and it takes you right through.
Michal Kuthan, showing that right through is a relative term.
Rok decides to ferry across and run a totally different line.
What rocks and water quality on the Kökömeren as Rok Sribar ferries across to the right.
As Rok Sribar works his way across it rather looks like a good bit of work.
Rok Sribar keeping it hard right in the crux of the Upper Kökömeren.
After the crux we cruise for many kilometers of classic read and run before getting out to scout a rapid that is much easier than it looks, and has a photgenic boof at the end.
Michal Kuthan, Upper Kökömeren.
As pretty as it is, the images do no justice to how good the uphill boof feels, Rok Sribar.
Egor Voskoboynikov as the river tapers off above camp but still rewards good scenery.
Michal Kuthan soaking in the mountains around the Kökömeren.
Egor Voskoboynikov, glaciers and clean water, what a place.
One
last look at home for the last two weeks before packing up. The Nemo
Hornet Elite 1p kept me dry, was terribly small and loud in the ever
present winds Kyrgyzstan, but does only weigh 2lbs.
Ever faithful Gimi [Дмитрий Погорелов] picks us up one last time.
After one final long day of driving, lots of dust, laughs, and priceless memories as we arrive back in Bishkek to stay at the hostel and fly out in the pre dawn hours.
Overall, I highly recommend a kayaking trip in Kyrgyzstan with Two Blades Whitewater.
I paid for my trip like anyone else under no promotion. The rivers have
reliable flows so you won't get skunked, it's surprisingly easy to get
to from the States, and at ~2k EU for a trip, you could probably do it
cheaper on your own, but would waste another week of time. While it's
not extravagent like most guiding in the USA, it's practical and
efficient. Having local knowledge adds immensly to the experience, a
big thanks to Gimi [Дмитрий Погорелов] for driving us around, Egor
Voskoboynikov for the guiding and logistics and Michal Kuthan as well.
I appreciate Rok Sribar for fomenting the trip and he and David Lew
being wonderful travel companions. I have a feeling this is somehwere
that I'm destined to return to.