I set a goal to explore and map hiking areas of the Ugam-Chatkal National Park. Yesterday, my son Oliver, my wife Nadia, and I took our dog Obi for a walk through the foothills of Tavaksay. It was my first time in the area and I was careful to give a good experience to Nadia, who enjoys walking in nature but does not like steep terrain. This area is perfect for beginners and in the spring, the hills are green and the bushes and plants are just starting to come into flower.
We walked to the west of the Tavaksay River where the waterfalls were located. Often, walking up a canyon can be difficult. We instead took a trail just to the west of the river and chose the peak, Dostarkaz, which may be a Turkic word that in Central Asia refers to a table cloth or place where to eat a meal. At 1,180 meters in elevation, the flat-topped mountain would be a nice place for a picnic. We discovered that we could have driven closer to the famous canyon and waterfalls along the road we hiked and we’ll try that the next time we are up there. For the first time, it was a delightful 10.56-kilometer walk in the foothills. We saw many herds of sheep and horses taking advantage of the new green growth of grasses after a winter of snow.
Bill's Blog 