Medium hike

Started at Ak-Suu village and went up the canyon from there to the small village of Altyn-Arashan, golden springs.  Heavy rain, slippery path that doubled as an occasional and spine-jolting road for giant old Soviet tundra buses.  Gorgeous, moody canyon views.

Ten miles later, the village of Altyn-Arashan lies in one of the more beautiful valleys in Kyrgyzstan:

And it is home to a bunch of natural hot springs--the perfect way to end a rainy hike.