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Waterlevels: Medium/large volume.
Accessibility: The entire Sary-Jaz area can currently be accessed by only one road. This road crosses the Chong-Ashuu pass which is 3822m above sea level. The road over the top is a dirt track, but of reasonable quality, however when we crossed this at the end of August and it still had snow covering the top 100m or so of the pass. On the other side the road between the pass and the Enilchek confluence is tarmaced and in a good condition, except in a few places where landslides have fallen into the road. The rest of the roads in the area are dirt tracks and considerably less well maintained (i.e. not at all). Some bridges shown on our maps were unsuitable for use, severely limiting exploration of the area by vehicle. The area appears to be VERY sparsely populated, with no shops or petrol stations to the south of the pass. Plan to be entirely self-sufficient and take lots of spare fuel!
Upper Saryjaz
Inspected from the road and appeared to be mostly grade 2, maybe with some small gorges towards the end of the section with rapids of grade 3.
Length: approx 30km
Grade: II/III
Put in/Get out: Upon reaching the Sary-Jaz river after descending from the Chong-Ashuu pass (3822m), take a left and drive as far as you like (can) up the north bank of the river on a poor quality dirt track. Take out at the confluence with the Kerolu river.
Description: The upper part of this section can easily be inspected from the road, it appears to be mostly medium volume class 2. Towards the end of the section the river leaves the road and flows through a few steep sided gorges which may house some more interesting rapids, but judging by the character of the rest of this section, nothing more challenging than class 3.
Last Paddled: Scouted only.
Middle Gorge Saryjaz
Comitting feeling gorge containing mostly boily grade 3, with a few more tricky rapids to keep you on your toes.
Length: 10km
Grade: III (IV)
Put in/Get out: Put in at the confluence with the Kerolu and paddle to the rickety disused bridge just before the confluence with the Enilchek.
Description: The river starts relatively easy grade 2, before being narrowing and being funnelled into an impressive feeling gorge, but containing mostly grade 3 water, if a little boily in places. The first tricky rapid (grade 4) is visible from the road just after a left hand bend and can be identified by a large black rock extending 3/4 of the way accross the river from right to left. There is a breakout on river right above it, but if you catch this to inspect you're comitted to running the rapid. The next difficult bit is right at the end of the section where the entire river narrows into a gorge on a bend. Getting out to inspect is difficult, and even when you do you can't see the exit from the gorge. It goes, we found to our relief, but you might want to walk upstream from the takeout just to look at the last few hundred metres.
Last Paddled: 02-Sept-2005.
Saryjaz down from the Tin Town (Enilchek)
A big volume bouncy ride, with the potential for a cheeky creeking addition half way down.
Length: 5km
Grade: III
Put in/Get out: Put in at the bridge into the old tin mining town. Drive downstream until the road nears the river again. Take out just before a section of road where the scree slope seems to cross the road.
Description: A big volume bouncy ride with the occasional pourover to avoid. Some big boils and strong eddylines to practice those tail-squirts! The Terekty river enters the Sary-Jaz on the right 1/3 of the way down this stretch. A fun gorge and some boulder dodging awaits - if you can face the carry-in!
Last Paddled: 01-Sept-2005.
The Killer Canyon of the Saryjaz
Only going by what we've heard, but a long section of difficult narrow canyons, some of the rapids within have still not been run. Most definately a multi-dayer.
Length: 50km (?)
Grade: up to VI (?)
Put in/Get out: Put in as far down the Sary-Jaz as you can, as the river turns to the east after the last big confluence this is where the section starts for real. Takeout is a problem as the river crosses the chinese border, thus requiring a helicopter ride out, or a long hike over a mountain pass.
Description: According to a mountain guide who had helped two russian groups organise trips there, there are sections where "rocks in river, whole river flows under the rocks". The guidebook "Rivers of an Unknown Land" by Vladimir Gavrilov mentions that various gorges of this section remain unrun. Both of the two russian trips that the mountain guide mentinoed lost expedition members. This will be a serious undertaking. An american/canadian group attempted this section at about the same time as we where out there, paddled too far into china and were detained by the chinese authorities for 7 days!
Last Paddled: No. Purposely avoided!