Kyrgyzstan in March: where to go

The honest answer to "is anything open in March?" is: the ski resort, the cities, and not much else. Karakol usually keeps its lifts running until the end of the month — firm spring mornings, slushy afternoons — while every high pass and yurt camp remains months away from opening. The one date worth planning around is March 21, Nooruz: the spring equinox holiday and a nationwide day off, with street festivities, communal pots of sumolok and horse games. Otherwise expect mud and grey in the valleys, peak avalanche risk up high, and the south — Osh, the Fergana fringe — warming up well ahead of the north.