Zail Alatau

Participants of the hike buy tickets and fly (arrive by train) to Kazakhstan on their own. The group gathers and meets with the instructor in Almaty in a pre-booked hostel (we do this). You can get from the airport to the hostel by taxi or bus.

Around 20:00, when everyone has gathered and walked around, the group gathers at the hostel in a shared 10-15-bed room. Instructor distributes food (about 3 kg per person for the acclimatization ring and 5 kg for the second part of the route) and fuel (we will cook mainly on burners), checks equipment, talks about plans for tomorrow.

The hostel has a storage room where you can leave extra things (for example, clean clothes for the return journey) during the hike. It’s clear that you shouldn’t leave money and laptops there :)

Early in the morning, a chartered minibus picks us up from the hostel and takes us to the mountains. On the way we pass the famous “high-mountain” skating rink Medeo. We disembark at the Chimbulak ski base (altitude 2300m). We leave the drop off. Finally, we put on our backpacks and move up the gorge. At the Tuyuksyu mountain camp we look at the memorial to the fallen climbers. Further along the dirt road to the Mynzhilki weather station. Overnight in tents near the destroyed barracks at an altitude of 3050m.

We begin the ascent to the Titov Pass (category 1A, altitude 3400 m). We walk along the path, first there are grassy slopes around, then there are stone screes. From the pass there is a view of the cirque of the Tuyuksyu glacier, high-mountain moraine lakes - the sources of the Gorelnik River. We descend from the pass along shallow loose powder. Overnight near moraine lakes (altitude 3300m). The water is cold, but you can swim if you wish. There is no firewood here, you can’t warm yourself by the fire.

We go down the picturesque gorge along the Gorelnik River. Along the way we pass several great waterfalls. The second half of the route through the gorge passes through a coniferous forest (real Tien Shan spruce trees). Overnight at the exit from the gorge, in the forest, not far from the Gorelnik camp site (altitude 2100m).

We climb along the already familiar road to the village of Chimbulak, pick up the delivery, and distribute it among the backpacks. From the village we take a cable car up to the Talgarsky Bolshoi pass (n.c. 3200 m). From the pass you can see the peak of Komsomol (Nursultan) 4376 m. We descend along a sandy and rocky path along the bed of a drying river. We pass the Talgar Maly pass (n.c. 3100 m). Next is a steep descent along a wooded slope. Overnight near the Left Talgar River (altitude 2200 m).

We slowly walk along the valley of the Left Talgar River. Slowly, because in the forests surrounding the trail there are a huge number of mushrooms and strawberries. Let's replenish our vitamin reserves :) We'll stop for the night at Solnechnaya Polyana (altitude 2750m) - a very beautiful and unexpectedly spacious place, like for mountains.

Midday. We spend the first half of the day in Sunny Glade and relax. After lunch we continue our journey. We walk along the stones around the moraine ridge blocking the bottom of the gorge, and find ourselves in the hanging valley of the upper reaches of the Left Talgar River. We go to the confluence with the Turistov River, where we set up camp (altitude 3000 m).

Long and hard day. We get up early, go lightly on a radial route (7 km one way) to the Dmitriev glacier. To make it easier to cross rivers, you need to leave as early as possible. We jump over the stones and go around a huge number of streams. We go out to the edge of the glacier (altitude about 3600 m), admire the wall of the Zailiysky ridge, see the Zauraltsev, Festivalny, Razvedochny passes. On the other side of the passes is Kyrgyzstan. We return to the tents, have lunch, and pack up the camp. Today we need to climb another 400 meters up towards the Tourists Pass. Parking on the moraine at an altitude of 3400 m. If we have enough strength, we will crawl to a place with a view of the Turistov glacier and tomorrow’s pass.

Early rise. We climb along a flat glacier (closed type) to the Turistov Pass (1A, 4000m) between Pogrebetsky Peak (4231 m) and Sovetskiye Alpinistov Peak (4378 m). The descent from the Turistov Pass to the Mutny glacier first goes through a snowfield, then through medium-sized and large-sized loose powder (boulders more than 1 m). After the scree we come out onto a moraine ridge and go down it to the Mutny stream, and further to the Ozernaya river. We go out onto the dirt road leading to the BAO (Big Almaty Lake). Overnight near the Ozernaya River (altitude 3000 m).

We go down the dirt road to the Big Almaty Lake, go around it, and find ourselves on the road to the Space Station. A little asphalt, and again we jump off the shortened path. We climb to the Dzhusaly-Kezen pass (n.c. 3375 m). Further along steep grassy slopes we descend to the Prokhladnaya River. We set up camp in Leshkina Glade - a beautiful place with green grass, flowers and plenty of firewood. Accommodation altitude 2700 m.

Along a wide, well-trodden path we descend to the hot hydrogen sulfide springs near the Almaarasan sanatorium. If desired, we try healing water or take a fragrant bath. From the sanatorium we take a minibus to Almaty, to an already familiar hostel.

The weather in the mountains can work wonders - cover passes with snow, wash away entire valleys with mudflows, or simply keep you out of your tent with pouring rain. That's why we include a reserve day in our plan, just in case.

If you are lucky with the weather and the route is completed on time, then this day will be dedicated to the sights of Almaty. Or, it will be possible not to immediately run away to the city, but to stay for one more night in Aleshkina Glade. Well, most of all I would like to go to the Charyn Canyon (see photo), which in style is very reminiscent of the Grand Canyon in the States. Charyn is 200 km from Almaty, i.e. 3 hours drive (one way).

It is assumed that we spent the previous night in the city, which means we can also buy tickets for morning flights.