Today we went to Ile-Alatau National Park. We stopped at Big Almaty Lake, drove higher, and hiked to the top of Big Almaty Peak, 12,070 feet from sea level. Then we drove back down to the lake and hiked a little there before the fog rolled in.
Ania arranged the ascent through a website (http://almatyhiking.kz/), which turned out to be Azamat, a Kazakh mountain guide whose day job is in finance. He said he works two or three days a week trading and spends the rest of his time in the mountains. He drove us from the apartment up to the mountains and back again, with a stop on the way home for kumus and shubat (fermented mare’s milk and fermented camel’s milk) in a yurt, followed by another stop for dinner at an Uzbek/Kazakh restaurant.
We stopped a few times on the way up to acclimatize, stopped at Big Almaty Lake (where we found someone selling a chance to dress up with a live eagle), and then kept going up past Tien-Shan Astronomical Observatory, past a border checkpoint (very close to Kyrgystan), finally stopping before a gate in front of Kosmostantsiya, a research station where they study cosmic rays. From there we hiked through the station and up another 1150 feet to the summit.
The summit hike was gradual at first, and then straight up. There was still a little snow, so I was glad to use the trekking poles Aza loaned us. As we got closer to the top it was more of rock climbing than hiking. No trees, and very steep, so it was very important not to slip.
After we hiked back down to the car, we stopped again at Big Almaty Lake and walked there for about 30 minutes. Ania got some pictures of the first flowers, and then the fog rolled in, and we drove back down to the city.
Pictures begin with some shots from apartment windows, first the night before, and then in the morning. The building is a kind of blunted triangle shape with each apartment’s bedrooms at the triangle tips, so we have different views from three rooms: west, south, and east. In 2004 we got to see the mountains only from the hotel terrace, so close and yet so far.
Looks fun you guys ! Ken you should def consider being an eagle hunter for Halloween 🙂
Cool mountain climbing! Ken – you look so regal with your eagle! 😆
I’m just overwhelmed with questions, after your wonderful pictures, and can’t wait to hear more in person. We may have to devote a whole day soon, to looking at them, and getting details. I’m again so impressed with your ability to find a friendly person to act as a guide for you, (probably thanks to Ania’s skills). Anyhow, have fun today and tomorrow, and I hope the flight home is on time and comfortable.
Ania planned this whole trip. She’s been finding good people to help us the whole time. But I think what has really made this trip so successful is the Kazakh people. I’m generalizing here, but Kazakhs are truly giving. Just about everyone we’ve interacted with has wanted to show us what they like about their country and their culture. They just want to share the good stuff with us. And I think this culture is so mixed and has been for so long that they don’t have a lot of preconceptions. We’re guests and they’re hosts. As long as we’re good guests, they want to be good hosts.
Interesting observation, Ken. Maybe given enough time, the US will also be able to manage getting along with different cultures. (I hope 😼.)
Your observations have radically changed my sense of what a country like Kazakhstan could be like. Thanks!
Your generosity in sharing your trip was wonderful. I feel like I got to know the country- and it’s amazing, mystical, really. I love that Ania talked to so many people and hearing how they influenced your trip! You guys are so intrepid.
Going back to the orphanage … so emotional…