Can you trek in Kyrgyzstan solo or without a guide?

Most of Kyrgyzstan’s trekking routes can be done solo, but having a guide or even just a local friend along can open up so many yurt doors and so many incredible interactions along the way: from simply being invited in for tea and a chat to being invited along on horseback to collect the herds from high pastures in the morning.

Despite how amazingly vast the landscapes are, so many of my favourite trekking moments have been borne of these small personal interactions that even the best route planning and map reading could never guarantee.

The major exception might be routes along the southern border with Tajikistan, where recent border clashes mean having a guide and interpreter to hand is probably wise.