Kiin-Kirish Canyon
Kazakhstan - Kiin-Kirish Valley. Desert places of Kazakhstan

Therefore these cliffs are called "Glowing Rocks". The main treasure of Kiin-Kerish is small layers of clay and sand with spots of vegetation from the tropical past of this place (palms, magnolias, araucaria, and others) and remnants of vertebrates (rhinoceros, crocodiles, turtles and salamanders).

Kiin-Kerish - colored clay canyon, is situated 120 km away from the town Kurchum (2 hours of journey).

Road - damaged asphalted covering, driving speed is 60 - 50 km/h + 15 km on unpaved road.

Landscape: plains, solonetz spots, bands of meadow vegetation near the dried up channels of brooks, disappearing in summer. Midst of these deserted plains in 15 km the Kiin-Kerish raises. - Landscape object, composed by tertiary clays, unimaginable by beauty and originality place with unique red, white and orange buildings, which resemble towers, walls of castles, domes of minarets. From afar bright clay rocks and steeps resemble the flame waving in the wind. Due to this fact, they are called "Flaming Rocks". Heat, prevailing here, and the full absence of water create fantastic picture and peculiar psychological mystic atmosphere.

Flora and fauna of this place take interest. Besides saxaul the flora is represented additionally by two rare species of plants, recommended for protection at the regional level: Krylov's ferule (Ferula krylovii Korov.) and atraphaxis greyish (Atraphaxis canescens Bunge).

Kiin-Kerish and its surroundings is one of the places in Zaisan hollow where rare species of animals concentrate. Among the mammals, included into the Kazakhstnee Red Book, yellow lemming (Lagurus luteus Eversm.) lives here. This animal is of much scientific interest as a species that is on the verge of extinction at the contemporary geological period. During the periods of high population it serves basic feed for predatory mammals and birds, including species that are in the Red Book.

On the clayey steeps of Kiin-Kerisha the following birds build their nests - eagle-owl (Bubo bubo L.), Baloban (Falco cherrug J.E. Gray), steppe eagle (Aqulia nipalensis Hogs), listed in the Kazakhstanee Red Book. Apart from them golden eagle (Aquilia chysaetos L.), (Pterocles orientalis L.), (Syrrhaptes paradoxus Pall.) and rarely jack (Chlamydotis undlata Jacquin) are found here.

Among the birds, recommended for protection at the regional level, steppe kestrel (Cerchneis naumanni Flesch.), (Buteo rufinus Cretzschm), Central Asian buzzard (Buteo hemilasius Swinh.) nest on the mountain Kiin-Kerish.

We continue to get aquatinted with the landscapes of Northern Zaisan nearby region as well as with its animals and plants. There are landscapes of stony, rubbly pebbles, clayey and brackish deserts. Landscapes patchiness - is one of Asia northern deserts peculiarities.

Non-availability of this place caused preservation of landscapes in their original primeval view, due to the fact that there is almost no economic activity here.

Some interesting plants can be found here, such as heterophyllous poplar (Populus diversifolia), Zaisan globe-thistle (Echinops zaissanicus) - South Altai endemic, wormwood (Artemidia), saltwort (Chenopodiacea), elms (Caragana arborescens), iris (Iridaceae), tulips (Tulipa).

At the southern end of Altai foothills the following species can be found: (Alektoris kakelik), partridge (Perdix perdix), steppe eagle (Aquila rapax), (Aquila helica), (Buteo rufinus), rough-legged buzzard (Buteo hemylasius), steppe kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), (Falco cherrug), wheatears - ordinary and (Oenanthe oenanthe, O. pleshanka), bunting: rocky, red-eared, hilly, yellow (Emberiza buchanani, E. cioides, E. cia, E. bruniceps), larks - field, steppe (Alauda arvensis, Melanocorypha calandra), horned (Eremophila alpestris), motley stone thrush (Monticola zaxatilis). Many kinds of birds nest here at the southern and northern ends of their natural habitats.

Then we move (about 20 km) to Barhot cape and Baklaniy cape (near Shekelmes mountain), driving on unpaved road. Narrow sandy strips, 100 - 200 meters wide, stretch to the center of the lake for 3 - 3,5 km. You can see here the flocks of pelicans and cormorants, resting on the sandy beaches. Sunsets are extremely beautiful, they color the lake and surrounding desert landscape into bright colors: orange, yellow, red. Night with its huge stars in the black sky, warm wind, saturated with rough smells of desert grass, noise of waves - all this makes a great impression on city-dwellers - tourists.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information has been taken from the "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"