Konorchak Canyons
125 km from Bishkek these canyons stretch for nearly 200 km back into the Eastern edge of the Kyrgyz Krebet. The canyons have romantic names like "Grand Canyon", "Bobsleigh"and "Skyskraper". To see Konorchak Canyons completely would take a long time - but it is possible to spend a few days exploring the spectacular scenery.
They were formed about one and a half to two million years ago and since that time erosion by wind and water has turned a plain plateau into gigantic stone pillars, some of which are 400-500 meters high. The canyons see almost no precipitation at any season of the year - between 1980 and 1990 the canyons received no snowfall at all, and in the last decade of the twentieth century snow has fallen twice. If the air temperature in Bishkek is 20 degrees below zero, in the Konorchak Canyons it is +5 degrees - however, in recent times the climate in the Canyons is becoming a little colder. One peculiarity of the Konorchak Canyons is that plants growing there tend to be very large - much larger than usual. One of the main attractions at Konorchal is an extinct volcano, Segizkhan Shokhy, dating back to 2.5-3 million years ago with slopes covered with fossilized sea shells the size of the child's fist and the remnants of lava.
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