Kyrgyzstan is still one of the best kept secrets among hikers. Few know that here on the edge of Pamir Mountains is a trekking paradise with an incredible nature that easily rivals Switzerland's Tyrolean landscape. In the small Central Asian state 94% of the land area is covered by mountains, and 40% is higher than 3000 m above sea level. And as icing on the cake every summer the Kyrgyz shepherds occupy the mountain valleys with their decorative, mushroom-like, round, white yurts. On this trip I am back in the Pamir-Alay Mountains to visit the shepherds, whom I met 20 years ago (see here). Later on the trip we took our chances to be the first this summer over the pass Ak-Art (4522 m), a pass where it is recommended to use ropes and crampons on the way down. Unfortunately, we did not know this before it was too late, but one can reach quite far by sliding on your bottom.. Later, we drove up to the Song-Kol, a highland lake in about 3000 m, to attend a local festival with horse racing and Kyrgyz football (Buzkashi, a game in which horse-mounted players attempt to drag a goat carcass toward a goal).