Kol Tor is a glacial-fed sparkling lake at 3,500m just above Kol Ukok. It can only be reached on foot from the Kol Ukok yurt camps, and it's a worthwhile 12km return day hike to complete, if you have the time.

The trail begins from the yurt camps on Kol Ukok and follows the lake shoreline all the way around to the further end of it. From there, you swing right up through another valley that slowly gets steeper and steeper as you climb.

You’ll climb up what seems to be a rocky wall, and then up again beside a rocky waterfall. The altitude makes it a bit of a challenging climb, and there's no trail markers, so ensure you have maps.me downloaded.

Once you reach the top of the waterfall, you'll be rewarded with an incredible view of a clear blue lake sitting underneath glaciers and jagged peaks. There’s even a little sandy beach, where you can sit on the shore and relax for a snack break.

There’s a small hill on the left side of the lake, which is worth scrambling up for a view of the lake from above. From here, you can see all the way down the trail back to Kol Ukok lake too.

It took us 5.5 hours to complete return (depending on how long you spend relaxing at the lake).