About Uzbekistan
The road to Arashan lakes is rough and it is advisable to use 4x4 WD. The first leg of the the itinerary runs through the road leading to the Kamchik Pass, the first post check of passports and personalities, and then all the way towards Ertash without any problems. On the way you will come across two villages with strange names Tanga Topildi (the place where the coins were found) and Serka Kirildi (the murrain of goats). The long-awaited turn to Ertash, after a little drive turn to the right until the first border post, and after the road slowly begins to go up. Steep ascent, sharp serpentine leads to a high-mountain plateau. The traditional Tashkent region landscape abruptly turns into highland Kyrgyzstan panoramas with yurts all around wide mountain valleys. The road slowly going down deep into the gorge of the Angren plateau, and then drastically goes up and finally brings to destination of many pilgrims – the "radon springs" of Arashan at the height of 2900m. The springs are actually nothing more than hydrogen sulphide springs and have a constant temperature of 36.70С regardless of the time of year.
According to one version, the pool here was built by order of top ranking governments official who regularly visited springs for treatment. Climbing up a bit and you will find a Sufi shrine, a huge tombstone and a grave decorated with horns of a mountain goat. According to legend, this is the grave of St. Arashan Buvi.
Behind the shrine is the smallest of Arashan lakes, Lake Khoja Arashan, which often dries up with the beginning of the hot season. Passing it to the left will get you to the lake of Big Arashan which has dimensions of 750x250 m.
Opposite that lake there is a huge blockage that resulted from a giant mudflow or a large avalanche. If you manage to climb over a stony path, you will get to the deep lake on the left side, Small Arashan Lake that is surrounded on all sides by rubble and have unrealistically right shape as if the human formed it.
If you continue your descend from the dam to the green fertile valleys and go further around one kilometer you will reach Upper Arashan Lake which is much larger than the previous ones.
To see the next lake will cost some efforts. The ice lakes are hidden behind the ridge, you need to climb a steep slope to a height of 3400m, overcome unstable slope and reach the edge of the mountain. Below in the valley at an altitude of 3300 m, on the north side there are another 2 ice lakes.