To visit the remote At-Bashy valley is to step into the unknown - to venture to a part of the world few get the opportunity to see. Here, life is difficult. The severe, arid climate makes it difficult to grow plants, so most of the people lead a nomadic lifestyle, breeding livestock to make a living. Nomadic traditions have been around for a while, to say the least, dating back thousands of years. This is one of the most sparsely-populated areas in the country.
The surrounding At-Bashy mountain range stretches for around 100 miles, with peaks over 15,000 feet. At-Bashy village, on the northern side of the range, has a population of 10,000 people, not far from which lie verdant pine forests and mineral springs. Due to the spectacular surrounding scenery, At-Bashy is a fantastic place to spend the night, especially for guests either en-route to the nearby Chinese border, or to use as a base for day-trips to Koshoy Korgon and Tash Rabat.