Glossary
The encyclopedia of the tourist
P
Padysha-Ata. Not far to the north
of Kerben. This is a gorge and fast flowing river up stream from Kashka-Suu.
A road runs along the gorge to Karabashat village and Saint Padysha-Ata
Mazar (dating from the 18th and 19th centuries). A spectacular area
with thick birch groves running along the course of the river. The valley
narrows and the power of the water increases, turning huge stones loudly,
in a white mist of water vapour. Passing through the gorge the valley widens
and the sides are covered with thick Tien-Shan fir forests. White birches
line the banks with other assorted shrubs. Several tributaries join the
main river cascading through narrow canyons with walls up to 400 m high.
After another gorge the river opens out at 2000 m to flood across a wide
meadow with a beautiful fir grove. Snow fields and a small glacier with
three mountain peaks over 4 km, are seen to the north. Top
Pakap. To the East of Bishkek,
archaeologists have discovered the remains of an ancient settlement
dating from the 6th to the 12th century. Top
Parlmyan. Near the village, in the
basin of the river Isfana-Sai, some relics dating from the Paleolithic
age have been discovered. Top
Peak Lenin. On the border with Tajikistan
- the mountain rises to a height of 7134 m. It was the third highest
mountain in the former Soviet Union and is shaped something like a «high
armchair». Once called Peak Kaufman after a Russian Governor General,
it was renamed in hour of the Soviet leader, and has now been renamed
Kuh-i-Gamo, (Warm Mountain).
The mountain has a reputation as a high altitude «walk-up» (easy
climb) and so is popular with climbers - it is one of the most climbed
7000 m mountains in the world. Although many mountaineers gain high altitude
experience here - dozens of experienced climbers have also died on the
mountain, especially as the result of extreme and unpredictable weather.
In particular it was the scene of two major mountaineering tragedies.
In 1974 an 8-woman team was caught by a storm and wanting to show that an
all woman team could succeed they decided not to descend but to wait out
the storm. Unfortunately, after their tents had been shredded by the
wind, they perished one by one - the last maintaining radio contact with
the outside world until the very end. Then in 1991 an earthquake triggered
an icefall which trapped 44 climbers in the camp below. Only one survived,
another body was found - but no other remains of the remaining 42 have
ever been discovered. It is said to be the world's worst ever mountaineering
tragedy.
The main base camp is known as Achik Tash. Nearby is Lukovaya
Polyana ( Wild Onion Field) - the last greenery before the stony moraines
of the mountain slopes.Top
Peak Pobeda. At 7439 m.
Peak Pobeda, sitting astride the border with China, was the second
highest mountain in the former Soviet Union. It is also the most northerly
7000-meter mountain in the world. It was first climber in 1938 by a
Soviet team that were surprised - they thought it was a lot smaller.
The Chinese name of the mountain is Tomur Peak. Originally
it was called Khan-Tengri by locals but when Semyenov first saw
the peak Kan-Too, he was struck by the distinctive pyramid shape and
mistakenly thought that it was Khan-Tengri. Peak Pobeda does not
have a pyramid profile. Some People think that, in fact both peaks
were known by the name Khan-Tengri to different peoples at different
times. Anyway, the matter was settled in 1946 when it was renamed in
honors of the victory at the end of the Second World War. Top
Prjevalsk. The old name
for Karakol. Originally named Karakol - then in 1886 renamed Prjevalsk
- Lenin gave it back it's original name in 1926 only to have Stalin
renamne it Prezhevalsk again in 1935 - Finaly in 1991 it was renamed
Karakol once more. Top
Pristan Prjevalsk. Just
outside the town of Karakol. («Pristan» is Russian for pier).
There is a museum dedicated to Prjevalsk on the site
of the house that he had built overlooking an inlet from the lake.
He was a Russian explorer who made several journeys into Central
Asia and almost reached the gates of Lhasa in Tibet, but who contracted
an illness - TB (Consumption) or Typhoid, there seems to be some confusion
- and settled in the area over looking the lake to die.
There are a number of dachas in the area taking advantage
of the beaches on the lake shore. However, there is also a restricted
military zone here - it used to be a center for torpedo testing.
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