Rafting tours

Rafting tours

If you want to find some adventures you should find them during white water rafting tour in Kyrgyzstan. The abundance of mountainous rivers and sunny days has been attracting fans of white water to our country since several tens of years ago. Due to the unique nature of our country, there are enough rivers to provide routes of all different categories of complexity as for experienced rafters and as for beginners.

There is nothing more exciting than a rafting tour along Mountain Rivers. In Kyrgyzstan, the best rivers for doing that are the Chu, Chon-Kemin, Kekemeren, Chatkal, and Naryn rivers. Everything that can make your time unforgettable is here...rivers quietly flowing through the beautiful landscape, and rapids that will take your breath away. This tour will excite even the most hardened extreme sports fans. The rafting season on these rivers varies from April to October. Depending on the season the degree of complexity always changes, since the thawing of glaciers ensures a high level of water in the rivers; and in hot summer months the waterline can fluctuate each day. Therefore, for some rivers, the best time for water tours is the end of August, and September.

The Chu river is the second longest river here and most suitable for commercial rafting. Parts of it lie higher than 1,500m above sea level. The climate and temperature of the water makes up (15°-18°C) from June till mid-September; it means rafting can be done only in wet suits, and the complexity of obstacles does not exceed five points. The part of the Chu River passing through the Boom gorge is the national 'white water arena one and a unique training place for the whole Central Asian region. Of the route of great Silk Road passed by along the river in old time. Due to its close location to the capital of the republic and communications development over the years, the popularity of rafting in the Boom gorge is steadily growing.

Rafting in the republic began its life about twenty five years ago. Its future fate rested upon the enthusiasm of some junior rowing league coaches. In 1992 rafting had adopted a commercial direction by getting the status of strategic objective for the tourism development in Kyrgyzstan.

During the Soviet times many-days tours on the Chatkal, Kekemeren, Naryn rivers were the most popular. The Chatkal River was in the list of the five most popular rivers in the USSR. Most frequently there used to be 60 or 70 tourist groups during August and September. For the last several years one-or two-day tours on the rivers Chu and Chon-Kemin have gained the same popularity.

In spite of the many years of exploring the Kyrgyz rivers lots of them still remain unaware of rafts and kayaks. There are lots of opportunities for pioneers to travel down the rivers, starting from their source. The most impressive is the rafting tour starting from Inylchek, the second biggest glacier in the world (59km), via almost impassable Sarydzhaz canyon, 30km long.    

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