Barsakelmes Salt Flat and Ustyurt Chinks
Barsakelmes is a large salt flat below the Ustyurt plateau; the name means "go and you will not return". The plateau edge — the chink — drops 100–150 m above the flat, and from the rim you look out over emptiness and salt. This is the remotest corner of Karakalpakstan: no roads, no water, and the Kazakh border close by.
Weather
At 64 mNow: 4° · Clear · Wind 12 km/h
Updated: 13 min ago · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)
Trail conditions
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Discussion
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How to get there
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Expedition (jeep tour)Operators in Nukus arrange a 2–3 day Ustyurt trip with a 4×4, a guide and permits. · 400,0 km · 10 h1 500 000 UZS
Questions and answers
Do you need a permit?
Yes. This is a border zone — the permit comes from the Border Troops, and without it you are turned back at the checkpoint. A border zone and sanctuary: passport, a permit arranged in advance and a local guide are required. Do not go alone or with a single vehicle.
Do you need a guide?
Yes — better to go with a guide than on your own.
How do you get there?
Expedition (jeep tour): Operators in Nukus arrange a 2–3 day Ustyurt trip with a 4×4, a guide and permits.
Which months are best?
Apr–May, Oct — that is when people go.
How long does it take?
One trip takes about 6 h.
Is there water on the way?
There is no water anywhere here — carry at least 5 L per person per day.
Photos
Photos by Wikimedia Commons contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
