Altitude: 1800- 2200 m. Preferred period is May - October. Travel mainly by roads with descent asphalt pavement. No specific health requirements for participants.

Day 1: Meet in Bishkek. Lodging at guest house. Overview of the program, brief instruction, demonstration of gemstone samples.

Day 2: Transfer by bus from Bishkek to the mountain lake Kara Suu (altitude 2900 m) 450km, duration-
9- 10 hours. Overnights in cottages at the collection site with an altitude of 2500 m or in a guest house 30 km away in the city of Kara Kul.

Day 3: Hunt for minerals in the vicinity of lake Kara Suu, max hike distance - 6 km with an altitude gain of 600 m. On this territory all pegmatite formations are shaped into a chain oriented towards north-west along lines the general direction of rocks in Tashtaly Range. Sizes of veins differ quite a bit with ave. 200 m lengths and powers of 0.15- 30 m. Most of the veins are steady in power along the length and are characterized by an intensive cataclase. Mineralogical composition is as follows: microcline, quartz, muscovite, tourmaline, garnet (almandine). Muscovite have sometimes been found to contain small grains of apathyte and zircon .

Day 4: Collect minerals in the vicinity of lake Kara Suu.

Day 5: Transfer to the city of Tash Kumyr (120 km, 2 hours). Lodging in a guest house. Collect minerals and rocks featuring petrified trees (substitution by chalcedony and agate), some with trunks up to 2 m in diameter with vivid year rings, crust and so on, remains of other Jurasic flora (fern) and fauna. Overnight in Tash Kumyr.

Day 6: Collect minerals and rocks at the terraces above the Naryn river, featuring rhodingite, transvaal jade. Overnight in Tash Kumyr.

Day 7: Collect minerals by itinerary of the previous day.

Day 8: Transfer from Tash Kumyr to Bishkek. Chill or plunder the Bohemian oasis of Bishkek.

Altitude of the area 2800- 3200 m. This elevated plain features no steep climbs or descents. The road is mostly asphalt, with the exception of a 30 km dirt stretch. Preferred period for collection of samples is June - September. The participants should have no health restrictions for altitude.

Proposed Itinerary
Day 1: Meet in Bishkek. Lodging at a guest house. Overview of the program, brief instruction, demonstration of gemstone samples.

Day 2: Transfer from Bishkek by bus to an elevated lake Song Kul (Altitude 3013 m) 250 km, duration- 8- 9 hours. Overnight in tents at the mineral collection site - 3100 m above sea.

Day 3: Collect minerals in the area of the developed depository of scheelite, gold, and polymetals. Rich zone of skarns, containing druses of well cut garnet, zonal garnet, gematite roses, crystals of qartz with croppings of (actinolite, gematite), transparent crystals of scheelite, native gold, etc. Overnight in tents.

Days 4-5: Collect minerals by itinerary of the previous day.

Day 6: Transfer to lake Song Kul shores (50 km)- 2 hours. Hunt for minerals. Massive and crystal rhodonite. Amethyst, ore minerals in skarns. Large concretions of quartz- in a rim of carrot chalcedony. Overnight in tents or yurts.

Day 7: Collect minerals. Massive and crystal rhodonite. Amethyst, ore minerals in skarns. Large concretions of quartz- in a rim of carrot chalcedony. Overnight in tents or yurts.

Day 8: Relax at the shores of lake Song Kul. Traditional horse games (performance), national cuisine, costumes.

Day 9: Transfer from lake Song Kul to Bishkek. Chill or plunder the Bohemian oasis of Bishkek.

Day 10: Explore mineralogical, zoological, and historical museums, run errands in Bishkek.

Absolute elevation of the area around 1600- 1700 m. The trail is easily accessible even to participants with health restrictions. Preferred season for collection of mineral samples is May - October.

Day 1: Meet in Bishkek. Lodging at a guest house. Overview of the program, brief instruction, demonstration of gemstone samples.

Day 2: Transfer from Bishkek to Tamchi village - 220 km, duration: 6- 7 hours. Relax at a picturesque mountain lake Issyk Kul (altitude - 1610 m). Overnight in Tamchi in a 3* hotel.

Day 3: Transfer from Tamchi to Chu river valley (40 km)- 1 hour, followed by a hike with elevation gain from 1600 m to 1750 m 2- 3 km, 0.5 hour. Hunt for minerals. Hydrothermal veins of acid composition, containing quartz (mountain crystal, amethyst, morion, siderite, fluorite, schorl). Amethyst crystals are mostly covered with a grey transparent coating of quartz. Return to Tamchi. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 4: Transfer from Tamchi into Chu river valley (70 km)- 1.5 hours, followed by a hike with elevation gain from 1520 m to 1750 m 1- 2 km, 1 hour. Collect minerals. Hydrothermal veins of acid nature, containing quartz (mountain crystal, amethyst, morion, siderite, fluorite, schorl). Amethyst crystals are mostly covered with opaque coating of grey quartz. Return to Tamchi. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 5: Transfer from Tamchi to Kyzyl- Ompulsky massive: about 60 km, 1 hour. Hike for 0.2 km gaining altitude from 1700 m to 1730 m, 20- 30 min. Collect minerals. Kyzyl-Ompulsky massive of gigantic grain-syenite contains porphyry blasts of plagioclase, shining with moon blue to deep blue colors. Some crystals can be 15 cm wide. Axinite and adular are found more rarely. Return to Tamchi. Overnight in the hotel.

Day 6: Transfer from Tamchi to Orto-Tokoi reservoir, about 70 km, 1 hour. Hike for 1- 3 km gaining altitude from 1750 m to 1770 m, 0.5- 1 hour. Collect minerals. Area of metasomatism in effusive rock displaying concretions of epidote- tiff with well cut crystals of garnet of different composition (including transparent demantoid, topazolite, shining garnet), druses of prenite, etc. Return to Tamchi. Overnight in the hotel.

Absolute elevation of the area 2800-3200 m. Hiking portion of the trail goes along a gentle, but fairly elevated terrain. We ask that the participants be in good physical shape. Transfers are conducted by an all- terrain bus. When on trail, hot meals are usually served for breakfast and dinner. Lunch is served out of box. Duration of trips averages 10 to 14 days. Trails are accessible May - September. (preferred period)

Proposed Itinerary
Day 1: Meet in Bishkek. Lodging at a guest house. Overview of the program, brief instruction, demonstration of gemstone samples.

Day 2: Transfer from Bishkek to Talas by bus thru an elevated Suusamyr mountain valley. Distance - 280 km, duration: 8-10 hours. Overnight in Talas at a guest house or in tents.

Day 3: Transfer from Talas to Ken Kol river valley (35 km)- 1 hour, followed by a trek gaining elevation from 1850 m to 2900- 3200 m: 4- 10 km, 1.5- 3 hours. Hunt for minerals. Over 300 pegmatite and hydrothermal veins of acid composition, containing quartz (mountain crystal, amethyst, morion) areas of metasomatism with tourmaline and fluorite, topaz, garnet, wolframite and molybdenite, etc. Cavities of 1 m and larger are known to be found here. Metamorphic surrounding rock contains andalusite, quartz, biotite, disthene, sillimanite, tourmaline, garnet, zircon, etc. Return to camp. Overnight in tents.

Day 4: Trek with elevation gain from 1850 m to 2900- 3200 m: 4- 10 km, 1.5- 3 hours. Gather minerals. Return to camp. Transfer to Talas. Overnight at guest house.

Day 5: Transfer from Talas towards western part of the valley. About 60 km, 1 hour. Trek for 3- 4 km gaining elevation from 2200 m to 3050 m, 1.5- 2.5 hours. Gather minerals. Over 12 pegmatite veins with beryl (some crystals up to 30 cm in length), tourmaline-, quartz- mica and rare earth mineralization. Aquamarine can also be spotted here. Return to camp. Overnight in tents.