Photo Essay: Summer Transhumance in Kyrgyzstan

By Claire, the Travel Planning Geek

As I travelled through Kyrgyzstan during the first half of June, I was lucky to observe the transhumance of the nomads with their live stock to reach higher pastures for the summer. We crossed path with them on roads, mountain passes, green valleys and snowy areas... magical! Here is my collection of photos:

Photo essay: summer transhumance in Kyrgyzstan

<img class="tve_image" alt="Photo essay: summer transhumance in Kyrgyzstan" src="https://www.zigzagonearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Photo-essay-summer-transhumance-horse-cows-nomad-Kyrgyzstan.jpg" style="width: 300px;" title="Photo essay: summer transhumance in Kyrgyzstan">

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Transhumance in a green valley is... beautiful

Horses: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 1

<img class="tve_image" alt="Horses: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 1" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-4-Sunrise-Altyn-Arashan-Suns/i-26xRGQ8/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1040805-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 1">

Horses: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 2

<img class="tve_image" alt="Horses: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 2" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-4-Sunrise-Altyn-Arashan-Suns/i-b23xpt8/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_8588-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 2">

Cows: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 3

<img class="tve_image" alt="Cows: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 3" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-4-Sunrise-Altyn-Arashan-Suns/i-B7q8ptS/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_8614-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 3">

Nomad: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 4

<img class="tve_image" alt="Nomad: Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 4" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-4-Sunrise-Altyn-Arashan-Suns/i-wwFDhwj/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_8624-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance in a green valley, Kyrgyzstan 4">

Transhumance on main roads is... complicated

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 1

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 1" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-9-Kazerman-to-Arslanbob/i-LZ8TtCP/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1050998-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 1">

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 2

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 2" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-11-Arslanbob-to-Arkit/i-dGHLVDN/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060190-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 2">

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 3

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 3" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-11-Arslanbob-to-Arkit/i-pRvgLqF/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060185-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 3">

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 4

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 4" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-11-Arslanbob-to-Arkit/i-c92pdWQ/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060192-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 4">

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 5

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 5" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-11-Arslanbob-to-Arkit/i-jhGk26j/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060178-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 5">

Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 6

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 6" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-13-Back-to-Bishkek/i-FF2ZRKR/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060703-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on main roads, Kyrgyzstan 6">

Transhumance on side roads is... a wake up call

Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 1

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 1" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-7-Tamga-to-Song-Kul/i-k8k9mrr/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1050444-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 1">

Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 2

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 2" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-7-Tamga-to-Song-Kul/i-k9GbPdN/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1050442-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 2">

Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 3

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 3" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-8-Song-Kul-to-Kazerman/i-SWf86zd/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1050786-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 3">

Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 4

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 4" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-9-Kazerman-to-Arslanbob/i-pqpfMfG/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1050989-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 4">

Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 5

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 5" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-11-Arslanbob-to-Arkit/i-3ZXnXFj/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_P1060173-M.jpg" style="width: 338px" title="Transhumance on side roads, Kyrgyzstan 5">

Transhumance at a snowy pass is... magical

Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 1

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 1" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-9-Kazerman-to-Arslanbob/i-6PMfRMF/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_0876-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 1">

Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 2

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 2" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-9-Kazerman-to-Arslanbob/i-4gbjKtb/1/L/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_0854-L.jpg" style="width: 800px" title="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 2">

Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 3

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 3" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-9-Kazerman-to-Arslanbob/i-mtnN3fJ/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_0866-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at snowy mountain pass, Kyrgyzstan 3">

Transhumance at high altitude is... impressive

Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 1

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 1" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-13-Back-to-Bishkek/i-nZQ5jbq/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_1818-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 1">

Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 2

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 2" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-13-Back-to-Bishkek/i-DXh2vBG/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_1822-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 2">

Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 3

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 3" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-13-Back-to-Bishkek/i-VCmBm6b/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_1824-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 3">

Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 4

<img class="tve_image" alt="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 4" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-13-Back-to-Bishkek/i-2Pt9nXc/1/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_1826-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Transhumance at high altitude, Kyrgyzstan 4">

And then they enjoy the summer pastures...

Horse at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan

<img class="tve_image" alt="Horse at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-8-Song-Kul-to-Kazerman/i-3k6JC4B/2/M/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_0293-M.jpg" style="width: 600px" title="Horse at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan">

Cow at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan

<img class="tve_image" alt="Cow at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan" src="https://zigzag-on-earth.smugmug.com/Travel/Kyrgyzstan/Day-8-Song-Kul-to-Kazerman/i-PKRpnjJ/2/L/Kyrgyzstan_IMG_0255-L.jpg" style="width: 800px" title="Cow at summer pasture, Song Kul Lake, Kyrgzystan">

Want to see more of Kyrgyzstan's beauty?

Discover more planning information, things to do and places to see in my online Kyrgyzstan Travel Guide.

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I had never seen that many horses in my life!

Comments

rebecca says
November 1, 2015 at 11:21 PM
Sooo many aniamals 🙂 Would love to get to Kyrgyzstan one day
Reply
- Claire Robinson says
  November 2, 2015 at 6:36 AM
  I hope many people add Kyrgyzstan to their Travel Bucket List!
  Reply

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