“You can eat these,” says Vadim Savin, my Kyrgyz guide, pointing to tiny red bulbous berries attached to spear-like stems. He pops one into his mouth. “Go on, try,” he implores. It’s sharp, tart and vaguely sour all at once. “They’re hallucinogenic – ancient shamans used them,” he claims. I gasp and contemplate spitting it out, but he adds, reassuringly, that “you’d have to eat a lot [of the plant] before you could get high”.

I’m in Konorchek Canyon, an arid, wind-sculpted valley a couple of hours’ drive east of Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek. I’ve been walking along a dry riverbed, occasionally scrambling up rock faces, and snaking through a rusty landscape of towering, cathedral-like shapes.

It’s more akin to something you’d find in Australia’s Red Centre around Uluru or Kings Canyon than the “Alps of the East” moniker I had heard ascribed to Central Asia’s Tien Shan mountains.

The canyon’s appearance is a result of geological changes millions of years ago when layers of red sandstone and clay-rich sedimentary rock collected deep beneath the sea. When the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collided, creating the Tien Shan system, it pushed these softer rocks upwards and sideways and into contact with the wind, sun and rain, which carved them into their art gallery-worthy shapes.

The ground is fertile enough for shrubs to grow. Thanks to Vadim, and his plant knowledge, I’ve been nibbling wild cherries, sea buckthorn and barberries, as well as little nodules from the ephedra plant. Parts of the plant contain a stimulant that is extracted to create the drug ephedrine (which has medical uses).

It’s my first day of trekking in the Tien Shan on tour operator Intrepid Travel’s Kyrgyzstan itinerary. I’m already captivated by this landlocked country, the second smallest of the five “Stans”, which shares borders with China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Karen Zhao, Intrepid’s Central Asia product manager, says: “The region is often known for cultural tourism [because of its Silk Road past], but its reputation for adventure tourism is growing. The country is investing more into tourism infrastructure – like recently expanding its trekking network in the Tien Shan mountain ranges.

“Since launching our Tien Shan trail itinerary at the end of 2025, we’ve had to nearly double the number of departures this year to keep up with demand.”

Mountains cover 90 per cent of the country and this 10-day trip focuses on the Terskey Alatau range in eastern Kyrgyzstan, part of the Tien Shan system. Our route follows braids of the Silk Road, an important trading artery through Central Asia that dates back more than 2,000 years, as well as trails created by generations of nomads, some of whom still graze their sheep, goats and cattle in higher summer pastures.

Most overnight stays in this area involve tents or yurts. There are seven guests in my tour group, a mix of Britons and Americans aged between twenty-something and 70. You need to be fit to tackle the steep inclines and it’s no surprise that I’m the slowest among us – heavily reliant on my partner, Jay, to motivate me and to push me up the slopes at times.

After visiting the canyon, we are driven along the southern edge of Issyk-Kul, the world’s second largest Alpine lake. The shores are lined with new yurt camps and half-constructed alpine chalets, and there are occasional hold-ups on the road while the tarmac is upgraded. It is a country readying itself for an influx of visitors.

My first night is at Barbulak yurt camp, which includes toilet and shower facilities. It’s staffed by locals and we’re welcomed with a traditional Kyrgyz meal of beef stew, roasted vegetables and rice.

Later, I head down to the water for a dip. I glide through the lake’s icy chill and watch the last of the day’s sun glow pink and peach above jagged snow-topped mountains.

Our yurt is lined in felt and designed with traditional patterns and fabrics. I sleep well – for the rest of the trip we’ll be wild camping.

The next morning, after turning off the main road and bumping along a rough track for half an hour or so, our minibus drops us off at Sutty Bulak, a low valley flanked by ancient red sandstone rock formations on one side and jagged Alpine peaks on the other.

Unlike the actual Alps, there are no ski lifts, no hairpin-bend roads, not even any planes overhead. There’s little infrastructure – just temporary nomad camps with yurts and make-shift fences enclosing cattle and horses. The only way to see it is on foot or by horse. From here on, we walk. Each day follows a similar trajectory: we wake to the sounds of rosefinches (sparrow-sized birds with red plumage) in wild rose bushes, wash in a nearby stream, fill our bellies with porridge and eggs, and set off uphill.

The mornings are arduous, steep slogs but, with mountains and wildflower meadows surrounding us, frequent photo stops offer excuses for a breather. The daily distances range from 8-12 miles, but it’s the altitude gain that makes the hikes so challenging. On the steepest day, we climb over 1,000 metres above sea level.

To my relief, we aren’t carrying our camping kit. A two-person camp crew drive between our stops, cooking dinner and setting up our tents before we arrive.

Lunch is often taken at the highest altitude of the day – like overlooking Irdyk Valley. With a rushing stream carving the landscape in two and a snow-capped mountain backdrop, it’s strikingly beautiful. We stumble across a nomad on horseback, accompanied by several Alsatians corralling his herd of cows. He doesn’t seem surprised by our presence – a quick nod of acknowledgment and he’s gone.

But, as we continue, there’s more insight into local life. After a steep downhill climb through thick pine forest and over a fast-flowing stream, more cows come tumbling alongside us. As we follow them to their homestead, we’re invited by Talai, a nomadic herder, to join him for a glass of fermented milk.

Our final hike follows a braid of the old Silk Road down into the city of Karakol.

Livestock grazing aside, the nature surrounding the trails of Kyrgyzstan’s mountains has felt wonderfully untouched. I’m glad to have arrived in the early stages of a tourism boom.

How to get there

The writer was a guest of Intrepid Travel. There are no direct flights between the UK and Kyrgyzstan, but Turkish Airlines and Pegasus offer connecting routes via Istanbul.

Booking it

Intrepid Travel’s 10-day Kyrgyzstan: Trekking the Tien Shan Trails tour starts from £1,944pp, including accommodation, ground transport, services of a local leader, guided hikes and some meals and other activities. Trip departures May–October. intrepidtravel.com