Kekemeren River
Also known as: Kekemeren, Kokomeren (same river, alt transliteration)
Steep inner Tian Shan canyon; guesthouse village of Kyzyl-Oi; gradient ~48 fpm (steeper in sections).
Is there water?
Whether there is a river here on your dates, and what kind of water it is.
Snowmelt-fed; flows vary greatly - visual level check advised.
Spring and Autumn per guidebook; summer high water raises difficulty
Spring and Fall (lower, cleaner flows)
Cold snowmelt ~8-14 C (est)
Snowmelt surges on hot days; storms; rising flow sharply increases hazard. Confirm.
Grade & who can come
A river changes grade with its level. These grades describe a normal flow - in flood the same run is harder, and often a different run entirely. Check the gauge before you commit.
Class III-V (V-VI on hardest lines per operators)
Kayaking; rafting (advanced)
Multiple roadside put-ins/take-outs: Section II (continuous IV/V), Section IV (bigger drops), Canyon II, plus mellow III to Kyzyl-Oi and to Aral.
Expert kayakers/rafters only for the crux canyons; class III links (to Kyzyl-Oi, to Aral) for less experienced with support.
The run
Proryv (IV/V), Sliv (IV/V, ~6 ft drop), Most (V), Lestnitsa (V, many steep drops), Moby Dick (V); Canyon II back-to-back IV/IV+.
Proryv and Sliv scoutable/portageable from road (river-left); tough rapids near mile 19.6 portageable on road.
Susamyr to Aral (Gavrilov Sections II-V)
Remote but road-accessed; low crowds, occasional expedition kayakers.
Access & shuttle
No general permit typically required. Confirm.
Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.
Roadside along the A367; put-in ~3 mi below Susamyr/West Karakol confluence; take-out at Aral bridge; access also at highway bridge and Kyzyl-Oi.
Short vehicle shuttles along the valley road; easy roadside logistics.
Guesthouses in Susamyr and Kyzyl-Oi (river access); wild camps in canyon.
Creek/river kayaking kit, drysuit; throwbags; limited mobile signal in canyon.
Bishkek/Kyzyl-Oi hubs; Asian Water Adventures; Northwest Rafting Company; Altai-Adventure.
Hazards & exits
Continuous steep IV-V, cold water; documented fatal accident on the river. Confirm.
Road follows the river for the whole run - excellent roadside egress; no formal rescue service.
Expert crew; guided or experienced self-support; scout/portage judgment essential.
This profile is desk research, compiled from public sources - not a first-hand river run report. Coordinates are approximate.