Sary Mogul is a remote village in the Alay Valley of southern Kyrgyzstan. It's become the main gateway to the Alay Mountains and Lenin Peak, with guesthouses hosting travellers and adventurers alike.

The sleepy rural village is the launching point for high-altitude adventures like trekking and horse-riding to Tulpar-Kol Lake, Lenin Peak, and longer trips to Beshkol Lake and beyond.

This is where we stayed before and after our trip to Tulpar Lake and Travellers Pass, just south of Sary Mogul. You'll find plenty of other travellers coming and going from the small village. But we also enjoyed just wondering the dirt streets, and meeting some of the locals.

How to get there? It takes quite a bit of time, patience and energy to reach Sary Mogul. You'll first need to get to Osh, which is a 14 hour drive from Bishkek. Then, from Osh, you can then find a daily marshrutka heading to Daroot-Korgon (close to the Tajikistan border) that passes Sary Mogul. If you miss this, then you can also try for a shared taxi, but these only leave when full. We hitchhiked from Osh to Sary Mogul in a day, which is also another good option (there are plenty of trucks who are happy to give a lift).

When to visit? From May until September, the conditions are at their best for hiking, and the trails should be clear of snow. Outside of these months, it can be potentially dangerous with snowy conditions, and most of the yurt camps and guesthouses will be closed.

Where to stay? Sary Mogul has several family-run guesthouses. Don’t expect anything fancy, but they offer a beautiful, authentic local experience. We stayed at CBT-1 Guesthouse, which is a popular traveller hub in the village with dorm rooms or newer private ensuite rooms. I have a separate entry/pin for this place.

Supplies or facilities? Sary Mogul is a very small village and it only has a couple of snack shops. There are no supermarkets or other shops, so you should come prepared with snacks and anything else you might need.