It’s a journey into one of the most remote corners of Central Asia — Katon-Karagay National Park — where the land feels wide enough to swallow time itself.
From horseback, you’ll cross open valleys, dense forest, and alpine meadows bright with wildflowers. Rivers run deep enough to swim your horse. Peaks rise beyond the trail. And every night, your bed is a tent pitched where the day’s ride ends — often miles from the nearest road.
You’ll ride with local rangers, not tour guides. Share tea with mountain families. Taste fresh honey and cream from their own herds. Some days will be fast and open; others will be slow, careful, and silent. All will be unforgettable.
If you’ve ever wanted to ride where there are no fences, no crowds, and no phone signal — just your horse, the trail, and the sound of water in the distance — this is your place.
Confident riders comfortable with long hours in the saddle.
Adventurers who don’t mind cold mornings, basic facilities, and plans that can shift with the weather.
Travelers who value raw beauty and cultural authenticity over comfort and convenience.
Ust-Kamenogorsk
Night 1: Hotel accommodation in Ust-Kamenogorsk (meeting point and first group dinner).
Nights 2–16:
Camping in wilderness settings throughout Katon-Karagay National Park, including:
Ranger stations (e.g., Tukhem Bak, Sayabak)
Riverside camps (e.g., Akhainar, Batbakbulag)
Basecamps in the mountains (e.g., near Saram Sakhta and Maralkol Lake)
Wilderness camping with tents, often in remote locations only accessible by horseback.
Camps may include options for traditional banya (sauna) depending on location and availability.
Facilities are basic — expect no running water or electricity in most camps. Packhorses carry camping gear.
Shared camping gear is provided, and you’re welcome to bring your own if preferred.
The exact route taken will be weather dependent (for example snow can block the mountain passes). Also we explore new trails with the right group of riders. This Trip Plan is an example of the route we may take. Think of the trek as non-itinerised.
Meet at our hotel in Ust-Kamenogorsk and head out for our first group dinner together. If you have time during the day, we can help with site-seeing around town. Ust is a pleasant place with plenty to see and do for a day or two
Drive from Ust-Kamenogorsk to Katon-Karagay, (330km, 6-7hrs). Watch the rural life of Kazakhstan pass by as we head east toward the Altai Mountains. Stay the night at our first camp site, at Tukhem Bak rangers station
First riding day. Learn the Kazakh style of horse handling while riding through forest and meadows
During the next 12 days of trekking we have 6400 square kms of National Park to explore, much of it accessible only by packhorse
Load up the packhorses and ride south, up in to the mountains to establish a basecamp just above the tree line. The views north to Russia over the main Katon-Karagay valley are spectacular. Spend the next day riding higher to where the remains of an old gold mine can be seen, before returning to basecamp. Chew the fat around the campfire and marvel at the stars – there’s no light pollution here
Follow old horse trails through dense forest back down to the main valley, and then enioy some galloping action as we head further east along the valley floor. Meet the support vehicle at Sayabak ranger station, where there is the possibility of a traditional banya (sauna)
Today we change to fresh horses and new rangers, as we enter a new ranger territory, making our way back up in to the mountains to camp at Saram Sakhta (‘place of wild onions’). Meet the support vehicle (if the dirt track is passable), and prepare for a night away with packhorses
Ride on up to the jailoo, or summer highland pastures. Depending on the amount of snow still lingering, there are several high passes to choose from. Herders bring their cattle here to graze the lush meadows each year. Return to Saram Sakhta camp via the route we call ‘the Kazakh Pass of Death’. If you’ve been on our Mongolian Altai Expedition you will know what we mean. It’s steep, but nothing that you and the local horses can’t handle
Descending from the mountains, we reach the village of Junga Urga (‘new example’), where we change to our third and final set of horses and wranglers. Ride north across the mighty Bukhtarma river, flowing down from the Altai Mountains, to our perfect riverside camp near Akhainar. This is a long day, but there is plenty of galloping action, and the river is ideal for a cooling soak at the end of the day
Continue up river to camp at Batbakbulag, another lovely riverside spot. Stop off at our ranger Sergei’s ‘bee farm’ and sample his honey which is uniquely flavoured from an amazing array of wildflowers. Unlike the local people, the bees can be a bit belligerent, so try not to annoy them
It’s packhorsing time again as we head north to the Russian border, to reach Maralkol (‘elk lake’). We camp beside the lake for two nights and explore the uninhabited surrounding area of forest, meadows and rolling hills. Take your horse for a swim in the lake if you are keen! By the third day we return to Batbakbulag camp, via a different route
Ride back to our campsite at Akhainar. This is a shorter ride, leaving time in the afternoon to compete in traditional Kazakh horse games. These include audaryspak, or wrestling on horseback, kyz kuu, where one person chases another with a whip (usually a woman whips a man, but in these enlightened times, anything goes), and kume alu, where a rider tries to pick up objects from the ground at a gallop. Fun times!
Drive back to Ust-Kamenogorsk, and enjoy a well-earned final dinner together. If the timing is right, we take a ferry across Bukhtarma Lake, as an interesting shortcut
Depart Ust Kamenogorsk. If you would like to see more of Ust before heading away, we can help (or ask us about a stop-over in Almaty or Astana)
Everything is included from the time we meet in Ust Kamenogorsk on Day 1, until we say farewell on Day 17.
What’s not included?
International flights, travel insurance, visas, personal expenses, and alcoholic drinks (unless specified) are not included in the tour price. If you’re unsure whether something is covered, feel free to ask.