Gulkam bo'g'inlari

The Gulkam Gorge is an unusual natural landmark in one of the gorges on the northeastern slopes of Bolshoy Chimgan Mountain. They are interesting because over millions of years, the waters of the small mountain river Gulkamsai have pierced a deep long corridor in the rock, which has turned into a narrow canyon with steep walls several tens of meters high. Here, the sun's rays reach the bottom of the canyon only at noon.

It's not difficult to get here, and this slightly extreme place is regularly visited by mountain lovers: some arrange overnight stays at the entrance to the canyon, but usually the Gulkama narrows are traversed in 5-6 hours, so you can arrange a one-day tour from Tashkent. First you need to get to the beginning of the trail between the village of Chimgan and the campsite, then climb the Pesochny pass (1820 meters), which offers an excellent panorama of the Chimgan mountains, after which the descent into the Gulkamsai river gorge begins. This path is overcome in 2 hours, and requires some preparation and physical endurance.

At first, the entrance to the Gulkam gorge does not portend anything interesting – a small noisy river disappears between two diverging rocks, but it is worth walking a few dozen meters, and now you are on a huge boulder, where you can see a small 10-meter cliff and a sonorous waterfall. You can only descend along the ledges of the left cliff, and even then with a rope. You can go down without insurance, but you need great skill here.

After an almost vertical descent, there are several baths, and in order not to get wet, safety "railings" are hung, and the participants of the hike walk along smooth sloping stones, descend along ledges. The entire extreme section is only a few tens of meters long, but it's enough to get a lot of impressions.

At the same time, it will be really extreme for a beginner, and an experienced mountain tourist will get a good workout, which will be complemented by fascinating views of the steep cliffs. After passing the last section with the help of a climbing rope, you can see a memorial plaque on the rock, which reminds everyone that mountains do not forgive mistakes. The tragedy happened in 2006, when a group of tourists decided to cross the narrows during heavy rains. Then a mudslide of rocks and clay passed through the gorge and people died, trapped in a long trap. So, when going to Gulkama narrows, you should carefully read the weather forecast.

It is worth noting that after the extreme stage, the Gulkama narrows continue for several hundred meters, and then gradually the rocks disperse, and you find yourself among small hills, behind which the Charvak reservoir hides. For those who do not want to experience the extreme, there are detours that will allow you to see the beauty of Gulkam Canyon from the outside. But no matter which route you choose, a trip to these places will remain in your memory for a long time.